ADDITIVES | PACKAGING
properties. According to the Institute, this simula- tion tool can be used to make predictions even with just a small amount of experimental data. It can be used for food packaging, including MAP systems, and active packaging systems. Packaging for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics are also seen as possible future application areas. “One example of how modeling can be used is
to correlate light protection, for example titanium dioxide concentration, with shelf life,” says Sänger- laub. The idea, he says, is to identify the minimum level of light protection needed to maintain sufficient shelf life and, therefore, to potentially reduce titanium dioxide addition levels.
Above: Ecuador’s banana producers are to use an ethylene absorber from It’s Fresh! to suppress ripening
length of time that the bananas remain green (any bananas that ripen in transit are not considered saleable in the banana production industry). An e+ filter was added to a 13.5kg box of bananas with an HDPE MAP liner and was found to extend the time for turning colour from 62 to 70 days com- pared to a control container with no filter. In July this year, It’s Fresh! announced an agreement with the Ecuadorian banana association–ACORBANEC– to introduce the filter technology to 28 growers and exporters in the region.
Right:
Ampacet’s Safari White masterbatch protects dairy products at less than 4% mineral loading
From shelf to recycling While shelf-life extension has proved to be the main driver for packaging designers in recent times—and is undoubtedly still hugely important—attention within many companies is moving to recyclability and packaging reduction, according to Sven Sängerlaub, a packaging expert within Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging (IVV). New recyclability requirements, particularly in Europe, pose a significant hurdle that requires new R&D resources. He says that a better understand- ing of shelf life and how this affects packaging requirements is being discussed by both packag- ing companies and retailers. Better measurement and
prediction of shelf life is important in any attempt to redesign packag- ing for optimised shelf-life require- ments and recyclability. Fraunhofer has developed a simulation toolset for modeling shelf life of products that takes into account product quality properties (such as taste and odour), microbiological activity, processes in the packag- ing headspace, and material
70 COMPOUNDING WORLD | November 2019
Building light barriers High levels of titanium dioxide in packaging can impact on recycling, according to Ampacet. Mono-layer PET bottles are increasingly being used to package dairy-based drinks in some markets because of their better recyclability and cost-effec- tiveness. However, the growing quantity of opaque PET resulting from this move is affecting the PET recycling stream, the company says. Ampacet’s Safari White PET masterbatch is intended to provide a solution. The newly-intro- duced product is designed to reduce mineral loading while maintaining the level of opacity required to protect dairy products from photo- degradation. The masterbatch allows French voluntary guidelines of less than 4% of mineral loading in PET bottles to be met and, as it is NIR-transparent, it does not interfere with the NIR optical sensors used in many recycling facilities. It is claimed to protect the flavor and nutrients in dairy products from the harmful effects of sun exposure or artificial light. Meanwhile, US-based Stabiliza- tion Technologies has been focusing on product damage caused by blue light, typically in the wavelength range from 400 to 490nm. While generally considered a minor contributor to polymer degradation, com- pany President Dr Joe Webster says blue light can cause rancidity of oils and foods containing oils as well as accelerating growth of certain fungi. Webster says the company’s
UVITA SME 3811 additive is a broad permanent UV absorber (UVA) that acts both as a spectral enhancer and a synergist with
www.compoundingworld.com
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
PHOTO: AMPACET
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86
