LATEST TECHNOLOGIES IN FOOD PACKAGING

LATEST TECHNOLOGİES IN FOOD PACKAGING <o:p></o:p>

Dr. Ferid Aydın<o:p></o:p>

Atatürk University<o:p></o:p>

Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Food

Engineering<o:p></o:p>

ORCID: 0000-0002-9931-6202<o:p></o:p>

Areas of expertise: Food Industry,

Nutrition, Cereal Technology, Whey<o:p></o:p>

Packaging is a

complementary component of food. It not only protects food from external

factors, but also enables transportation, storage, and the preservation of

shelf life. In food and food packaging, the concept of food safety is also

taken into consideration. In its simplest terms, food safety refers to a

concept aimed at preventing consumed food from causing harm to human health. In

this context, the packaging of products has gained great importance. According

to Article 19, Clause A of the Turkish Food Codex, packaging is mandatory for

all food products.<o:p></o:p>

When examining the

estimated global food packaging consumption figures provided by the World

Packaging Organization, North America and Western European countries hold the

largest share. A noticeable growth trend is also observed in Middle Eastern

countries.<o:p></o:p>

Historically, the

packaging industry began with natural materials such as leaves and tree bark,

and today it is used as an indicator of countries’ levels of development. While

pottery, woven materials, wood, glass, and various plastics were used primarily

for transportation and storage purposes, the introduction of multifunctional

packaging has marked a new era. With the advent of modified atmosphere

packaging, active packaging, intelligent packaging, and the integration of nanotechnology,

packaging techniques that prioritize consumer health have become increasingly

widespread. Freshness indicators and biosensors enhance the reliability of

products throughout their shelf life, while also increasing consumer

satisfaction. Freshness indicators sensitive to microbial metabolites and

pathogen indicators have become integral components of the concept of safe

food. Although edible coatings have disadvantages such as higher costs and

limited recognition, ongoing developments that show promise for food safety are

finding increasing application opportunities each day.<o:p></o:p>

Key words: Food,

Food packaking, Nanotechnology, Indicators in packaking <o:p></o:p>