All wrapped up

NGF consults the industry experts on the issues of sustainability, technology and safety in the food packaging sector. With Huhtamaki, Shiner International and World Packing Organisation

“Looking at the environmental impacts of packed food over the entire lifecycle, it becomes clear that the primary environmental task of packaging is to protect the food it contains”
-Dieter Bergner, Huhtamaki

Sustainability is currently a major issue in the food industry. What role does packaging have to play in helping producers to limit their environmental impact?
Dieter Bergner. Huhtamaki strives to reduce the amount of material used for the packaging without compromising the requirements placed on the packaging including design improvements benefiting in less storage space, reduced transportation and energy costs.

Packaging can't be judged in isolation from the food it contains. Looking at the environmental impacts of packed food over the entire lifecycle, it becomes clear that the primary environmental task of packaging is to protect the food it contains. The better the protective properties of packaging is, the lower the negative lifecycle environmental impacts of packed food is.

Huhtamaki as a packaging producer tries to be as material efficient and operationally as eco-efficient as possible in delivering these protective properties without compromising properties and quality requirements.

Huhtamaki has also developed a large array of packaging solutions made out of renewable materials.

Tan Li. For one thing, as a food packaging company, Shiner is committed to reduce environmental impact and protect the environment. Shiner as part of its growth and continuous improvement plan carries out its business with a genuine concern for the protection and enhancement of the environment. The company continually seeks better and more environmentally friendly ways of carrying out its processes. Management has a commitment to educate, train and inform its employees in all areas, including a genuine concern for the environment. Continuous improvement and reinforcement ensure that this is instilled into the company's culture.

For another, the packaging materials provided is high barrier film which has excellent oxygen and moisture barrier, outstanding aroma and flavor barrier as well. These packaging materials could extend the shelf life and protect the food from tampering, that mean the there would be less waste of the food. This would greatly help to limit the environmental impact.

Keith Pearson. Those involved in the production of packaging are committed to minimising the use of raw materials, energy and emissions. This is being done in Europe following the EU Packaging directive and related harmonised standards. In other parts of the world this is done to adhere to local packaging directives.

Throughout the supply chain environmental considerations are taken into account and environmental declarations are made regarding products.

Over the years producers of packaging have reduced the amount of packaging required per pack by 'thin walling' and using stronger and more efficient packaging raw materials. Packaging companies are providing more emphasis on package design and collaboration with end users and consumers. Emphasis is provided to designing packaging that offers more strength and designed for ease of use and suit sustainably acceptable disposal methods.

In partnership with end users, producers are making more use of "intelligent packaging"

The environmental impact of a package is between 2-5 percent of its life cycle impact of a food product. Therefore a good package conserves the efforts used in the manufacture of a food product.

Increasingly stringent levels of regulation are a constant reality for the food industry. How can packaging technology help producers to meet the necessary standards?
DB. Huhtamaki continuously follows the regulations that have impact on packaging and interacts with customers and 3rd parties like independent food/food packaging institutes to make sure that packaging correspond their needs.

TL. As we all know, increasingly stringent levels of regulation are a constant reality for the food industry. All the strict regulations lead to the same goal that is to improve and guarantee the food safety.

In Shiner, all the packaging materials we provided including the PVDC coated film, PVOH coated film and Acrylic coated film can be used to pack the food directly, we have get FDA, HCCP, REACH, Coneg and California 65 approval. While in the production process, the entire workshop is enclosed and no pollution from the dirt or any other substances.

For the packaging bags which need printing, all the printing oil we use is water based instead of the solvent based which has a better protect to the food and guarantee the food safety.

KP. A safe package is achieved by following the EU Framework regulation 1935/2004 for food contact applications. This is an important part of a European packaging company's responsibility. It should also meet local regulations in other parts of the world.

An efficient hygiene management system is required for raw materials and the manufacturing of food packaging as well as a professional in house process control system. It is also important to provide an efficient pack that clearly supports product traceability.

How important is it that a packaging solution can adapt to the changing needs of food producers? What challenges can building in this flexibility entail?
DB. Food producers need to properly understand the complete set of requirements placed on their product and packaging in its life cycle. Not only limited to the classical variables like quality, but also to an increasing extent to the sustainability performance of the packaging in different scenarios.

Huhtamaki as a packaging producer supports the establishment of a robust knowledge base and related tools allowing flexibility for simulating performances in different scenarios in order to provide valuable insight that can help food producers to separate facts from fiction when making decisions on how to best respond to stakeholder drivers.

Product life cycles are shortening and our products are ready for this challenge. For example our DuoSmart containers: The light plastic cup remains the same meeting easy automation needs, while the cartoon wrapping can easily be altered depending on the content. This allows high flexibility in updating seasonal/promotional products while brining the benefits of standardized size, packaging availability and high promotional possibilities.

TL. Right now, the truth is as rising cost control has become a greater concern for many food producers, more and more companies in the food industry have to change their procurement strategies by having all of their packaging needs done at one place in order to provide cost savings benefits and controllable lead-time and logistics efficiency. In order to abate pressure caused by increasing cost, many world famous food companies switch to Asia looking for new supplier of raw materials for their products. As one of the three existing manufacturing centres in the world, China is the ideal target. Cheap labour cost and low raw material cost has always been advantages.

As the largest coated film manufacturer in Asia, Shiner can provide services ranging from web film production, film coating and printing to bags making. The integrated chain may provide cost savings benefits and controllable lead-time and logistics efficiency. Under Shiner's model, the lead-time may be reduced by a month at least comparing to the average period.

KP. During the design, manufacture and use the package ensures the protection of the product and mains its properties. It offers the product in an easy to use form and suitable pack size. It also accurately communicates the details of the product to the consumer. Hygiene factors are critical. The design of the package must be in accordance with the requirements of the 'triple bottom line' of sustainability. The packaging should also be designed for efficient, economical transportation, warehousing, merchandising and waste recovery once its task has been accomplished.

More than many other industries, the food business has to pay particular attention to the safety of its products. What can providers of packaging solutions do to assist producers in this area?
DB. In the EU the regulatory requirements brought forward in the Framework Regulation, the GMP regulation and the specific measures e.g the plastics directive with amendments together with relevant national requirements and guidelines like the CoE resolution for paper and board and the BfR 36 for materials and articles intended to come into contact with food, establishes the food contact regulatory framework for the packaging industry.

Huhtamaki as a producer of packaging solutions can support the food industry best by meeting these requirements without loosing operational flexibility. Supply chain cooperation and effective communication back and forth in the supply chain combined with long term commitments from all parties lays the fundament for competitively responding to the regulatory challenges limited not only to food contact issues but also what comes to the requirements presented by the REACH regulation and the regulatory framework for packaging and packaging waste.

Partnering with a packaging producer that recognizes the regulatory drivers in the entire life cycle of their packaging and at the same being able to match these drivers with technological developments like source reduction, recoverability and an efficient sustainability footprint of the packaging must surely be the preferred provider.

TL. The packaging solution service Shiner can provide ranging from web film production, film coating and printing to bags making. We can guarantee the safety of each process.

Web films are all produced in the enclosed workshop, preventing from the pollution from dirt or any other substances. For the film coating, we used water based premier in stead of solvent based premier which could guarantee the packed food safety. The coated film has excellent oxygen and moisture barrier, outstanding aroma and flavour barrier as well. These packaging materials could extend the shelf life and protect the food from tampering, while for the printing service, Shiner use the water based printing oil, then the printing side has no harmful effect on the packed food.

Moreover, by adopting advanced packaging technology could help the producers to guarantee the food safety. Shiner has adopted the new packaging systems: intelligent packaging, which enables a further extension of shelf life and monitoring of food quality and safety.

Intelligent packaging systems monitor the conditions of the packed foods to give information about the quality of the packed food during transport and storage.

KP. They must ensure efficient communication between the supplier of packaging and the end user. They should apply the requirements of regulations with efficiency and in a trustworthy manner. Finally they must commit to a culture of research, development and creativity.  

The panel

Dieter Bergner started his consumer food packaging career in metal packaging with Crown Cork & Seal and Impress Metal Packaging. After 11 years experience and before taking over Consumer Goods Europe as Managing Director, he spent four years working for Huhtamaki as Operations President for Rigid Packaging Europe.

Tan Li has been working at Shiner International for over 15 years. As the CTO of Shiner, he has many patents and works to find new methods to improve the efficiency. He is mainly responsible for the development of BOPP cogarette film, coated film and BOPP laser anti-counterfeit film and has received many awards from the central government. There is no other company in China that can produce his patented anti-counterfeit film.

Keith Pearson joined Kohler Packaging, the second largest packaging company in South Africa, in 1970. He spent 32 years with the company working as factory manager, managing director and finally as divisional CEO of a number of businesses within the group. In 1996 he attended Harvard Business School and completed their Advanced Management Programme. He is currently serving a second term as the president of the World Packaging Organisation.