TOPPAN USA Inc. Blog

Barrier Packaging Films – What You Should Know

Over the past decade, barrier packaging films have been established as the go-to packaging for food and beverages although they are quite costly. The popularity of high barrier packaging films can be attributed to the fact that they are chemical resistant and can prevent the entry of air into the packaging material to cause contamination and degradation of the contents. The consumer trends around the world that are driven by the increasing need to protect the environment from contamination and reduce the burden of waste also promote the culture of utilizing barrier films for food packaging when compared to other materials of the same utility. ‘

However, concerns have been raised about the use of plastics in general because of the supposed effects of depositing plastic materials into water sources and landfills. But there is also an increasing need to develop storage materials that protect the contents from external degradative elements. This has led to the development of even better packaging materials such as high barrier films which are essential for the food and beverage industries.

The increasing need for top-quality packaging materials has led to the commercialization of the technologies used to develop high-end packaging materials that can optimize the shelf life of a product and guarantee its protection and preservation.

How has the high barrier packaging technology influenced the consumer market?

Technology trends and consumer preferences grow simultaneously and impact each other significantly. These trends have led to the development of flexible packaging and high barrier films to meet the demands of the busier lifestyles of consumers who only have time to settle for convenience products. The need to produce recyclable products also informs the nature of products being developed. For instance, multilayer structures that contain more than one type of plastic are difficult to recycle, sometimes even impossible to recycle. This has led to the creation of alternative methods of degradation such as incineration, or pyrolysis. In other instances, products such as PET plastics that are 100 percent recyclable are engineered to meet the consumer needs in the food and beverage industry. PET plastics have been approved as safe for food and beverage by several regulatory bodies around the world including the American FDA.

Conclusion

High barrier packaging is increasingly being used as brands and retailers look into producing products that are friendly to the environment and do not predispose humans to significant health risks.