When it comes to the question of commercial food packaging, finding the safe packaging material and methods you need is not the only question you should be asking. You should also know which foods you should not be packaging as well. Here, we’re going to look at those few occasions you should be skipping the packaging and why, exactly, you should.
Ones That Will Expire Quickly
There are foods that can be protected against the effects of expiration by the right packaging. For instance, there are several organic products that will be packaged with food-grade CO2 that are specifically designed to prevent spoilage during transit. However, some foods that are going to expire more quickly may not be a good candidate for packaging.
If your food is going to expire so quickly that it’s not going through any long-distance transit, then you shouldn’t package it, especially if you’re not using food-grade CO2 to keep it fresh. Moisture is one of the key components of spoilage in food, and unnecessary packaging can form condensation around items that are close to expiration, which can expire them quicker.
Items that Need to be Refrigerated
For foods that have to be refrigerated, you typically don’t need to package them too much. For one, these items do best when their surface area is exposed as much as possible to allow the cold to reduce their temperature more effectively. Using less packaging here can also make sure that condensation and moisture don’t form to contribute to spoilage.
What’s more, when we’re stocking a fridge, whether it’s at home or in the store, we’re often thinking about how we use the storage space. Full fridges get stocked pretty tightly, so having items that have a lot of bulky packaging around them can reduce the overall space that we can make practical use out of it.
Fragile Items
Some fragile items can benefit from a little protective packaging. This is typically for those loose packages that are transported alone. If you have a fragile product that you’re selling to grocers and other stores, then you might want to skip the packaging, especially if it’s not full of some kind of material to prevent damage. In these situations, tight and minimal packaging is better.
Typically, without the appropriate materials to prevent damage, more packaging around the product is also going to mean more loose space. This means that the product is going to be able to shift around more freely in transit or even when in the shopping bag. This, in turn, can create more opportunities for bumps and collisions, which can cause damage to the products.
There are plenty of good products that do better without any packaging. In those cases, you should follow the tips above. Yet, when packaging is necessary, considering the principles of ‘extended producer responsibility UK‘ as practiced in the UK, can contribute to sustainable practices. It’s essential to invest in safe packaging provided by responsible packaging companies. This not only ensures the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of your supply lines but also supports global environmental initiatives.
