PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY
Live Long
and prosper A
n economic downturn, inflation, and a cost-of- living crisis have all conspired to see consumers re-evaluate their shopping habits and this is driving demand for baked goods with ever longer shelf lives. Added to this, the ongoing
consumer focus on wellness and health has posed bakery manufacturers with some big challenges. According to Simon Hill, Group Solution Specialist, Packaging at tna solutions, there are two ways that modern packaging equipment can help baked snack producers address the challenge of increasing the shelf life of their products. Firstly, he advises bakeries to take advantage of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) technology, which replaces oxygen in the pack with an inert gas, such as nitrogen, combined with an antimicrobially active gas, like carbon dioxide. “Providing an added barrier against spoilage, MAP can significantly extend the shelf life of baked products and can also enhance product safety.” Bakery products have traditionally had a short shelf-life
when compared to many other foodstuffs, being susceptible to mould growth and chemical breakdown. Filled bakery foods are prone to fermentation and iced buns can suffer ‘ice melt’ as the fat content in the icing sugar slowly dissolves. MAP is said to be well suited to the packaging of rye bread,
sweet bakery products and pies, where it can eliminate the risk of excess carbon dioxide – the cause of ‘ice melt’ for example – and can balance the carbon dioxide concentration with nitrogen, helping to retain the fresh appearance and texture of bakery products for longer.
Smart solutions Simon’s second tip is to utilise smart packaging solutions which can help create longer-lasting goods, increasing
38 Kennedy’s Bakery Production April/May 2023
Suzanne Callander reports on the role that packaging technology have to play in helping to increase the shelf life of baked goods and reduce product waste at the final stage of the production process.
“Bakery products have traditionally had a short shelf-life when compared to many other foodstuffs, being susceptible to mould growth and chemical breakdown”
product traceability and offering enhanced experiences for consumers. “Smart packaging solutions are basically split into two categories,” explains Simon. “Active and intelligent packaging. While active packaging interacts with the content of goods – such as MAP – intelligent packaging provides diagnostic functions. These can be indicators that monitor the condition of a product, including its storage time, temperature, and freshness, throughout the supply chain.” Sensors such as barcodes or RFID chips can now be integrated into packaging that can be scanned using smart devices and, using a mobile app, consumers, supply chain players, and retailers can access information about the product. “Thanks to the use of integrated sensors in packaging, retailers and consumers are now able to easily spot whether a critical limit has been exceeded. Intelligent packaging also helps producers track their products effectively for improved traceability,” continues Simon. Smart, digital technology is also offering benefits on the packaging line itself. For example, intelligent communication
bakeryproduction.co.uk
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