In recent years, the topic of environmental sustainability of packaging has generated numerous reflections on good practices to be applied in everyday life, both at the design and development stages. New regulations of European and national caliber have often overlapped, with technical standards and guidelines developed independently by individual entities or companies (and sometimes misinterpreted by their respective communication campaigns) often generating confusion: a non-organic and scientific approach to topics that, instead, would require expertise and professionalism. Of course, market logics should not be ignored, but in such a complex context it becomes risky for entrepreneurs to pander to prejudices or just follow the Market.

Change is always frightening, always has been. Yet, climate disasters and pandemic emergencies have taught us that change is already here and, therefore, we need to know how to deal with and manage it, making use of suppliers who can measure and cope with transformation, in accordance with market demands.

Take, as an example, a cashew nut: roasted, crispy, salty. In the common imagination when one thinks of a cashew package, one visualizes a metallic baggie necessary to preserve its fragrance and crunchiness for a long time. Little does it matter if such packaging is not recyclable, it is seen as the price to pay to preserve the nutritional characteristics of the product over time, protect the brand, and ensure proper storage.

But is that really the case?

Anacardio Packaging Case Study

The cashew tree has a very distinctive shape, resembling a di- bean or, rather, a kidney or miniature heart (in fact, lit. from the Greek kardia, heart).

Cashews can be classified as a high-calorie food, with a lipid content ranging from 42 to 46 percent. Going to plumb the lipid fraction, however, we see that it is composed of a very high percentage of so-called “good fats.”

• Monoinsaturi totali (%): 24,9
• Polinsaturi totali (%): 8,2

A review conducted by EFSA, the European food safety body, concluded that adequate intake of mono- and polyunsaturated fats promotes increased levels of HDL cholesterol, commonly called good cholesterol. This means that one should not only consider the caloric contribution of the food, but rather assess the quality of the nutrients it contains and relate the quantities to the portion of consumption[1].

The classic packaging technology of this product involves sealing it inside a flexible plastic film composed of three layers; PP + PETmetallized +PE (STD).

This type of polyacrylate, which we call standard, by its very nature is not recyclable. With about a year’s worth of experimental work, we have certified a new packaging solution that, by standardizing the raw materials underlying the poly-coupled product, makes the final packaging comply with all recyclability criteria.

The following are the results of the experiment, which show that the product’s shelf life and nutritional characteristics are not affected by the change in structure.

All the data from the Flessofab trial

The performance of the standard type of packaging was compared with two new types of single-material PP-based polycoated films. The first consists of three layers of PP but with a core of metallized PP (METAL), and the second consists of only two layers of PP without any metallization but with a barrier (TPS). The choice to test two films with a different optical barrier was not accidental but aimed at testing the impact of oxidative phenomena on light radiation. The study we were involved in lasted one year with monthly monitoring and the monitoring parameters were, residual oxygen, acidity (expressed as oleic acid), number of peroxides (meq =O2/kg product) and sensory profile, all to have an eye not only on classic parameters of rancidity and oxidation, but above all to assess and objectify the evolution of the organoleptic characteristics of the product at time zero (just bagged) up to the TMC (minimum storage term set at 12 months)

Below is the detail of the structures tested:

Structure	Code	Labeling	Material recyclability
COES+PETM+PE	Standard (STD)	Plastic 7	No
COES+COESmet+CPP	Tiplice (METAL)	PP 5	No
COES+CPPbarrier*	Duplex (TPS)	PP5	Yes (UNI 10667-3)

* for details contact us here

It is important to point out that the “families” of structures listed here represent only the final part of a series of evaluations designed to define the best combinations of materials, thicknesses, types of barriers, adhesives and additives. Each of these components is characterized by numerous variables, so it is essential to wisely manage all these factors in order to obtain the best solution for the needs sought.

The results of this study proved to be interesting, especially when considering the “history” in terms of time and spread of use of the structure that we considered standard in our brief treatise.

Let’s comment on them:

Residual Oxygen %: Packaging of dried fruit is done through the use of an inert gas: Nitrogen. This is an inert gas that is usually used to displace air, that is, specifically atmospheric oxygen, in food packaging. This prevents oxidation of food and inhibits the growth of aerobic microorganisms. And often used as a backing or filling gas, as it diffuses very slowly through plastic films and thus remains longer in the package. Well, starting from comparable % O2 values of the three films at time 0, after the 12-month test period the three films presented similar values in terms of residual oxygen, these values being very interesting especially considering that among the structures under test there is one structure (duplex) whose performance in terms of barrier proved to be comparable to metallization.

Acidity %: The acidity of a fat is given by the amount of free fatty acids, which are formed as a result of lipolysis and is expressed in grams of oleic acid/100 grams of oil. Lipolysis is a hydrolysis reaction involving the structure of triglycerides, triggered in the presence of water and catalyzed by metals, light and heat generating free fatty acids which, essentially, cause rancidity in foods. Again, the data show that of the three structures analyzed, the one that shows the best interaction is with the metallized PP/MET film, followed by the transparent structure and finally the standard structure. Interestingly, the transparent duplex structure with barrier shows samples with respectable degree of rancidity at month 12.

Peroxides meq O2/Kg: The peroxide content, indicates the degree of primary oxidation of a fat. From a chemical point of view, rancidity is a spontaneous reaction of fats, that is, an oxidation due to free radicals of unsaturated acids in contact with oxygen in the air. Again, we are talking about a reaction that leads over time to rancidity and reduction of the organoleptic characteristics of the product. From the data collected, the three structures present at month 12 of evaluation very similar peroxide values demonstrating, in fact, that a barrier material chosen with knowledge of the facts, over time proves to have performance comparable to a metallization in terms of product protection

Sensory Analysis: While the values considered above are standard quality control parameters, sensory analysis takes on a different and proportionally more important weight as it is closer to the experience of the end user of the product, i.e., the consumer. From the observations collected, the product at maturity (12 months) is pleasant to taste, and the indicators chosen for evaluation do not appear to be significantly different depending on the type of packaging. This evidence confirms that “plastic,” if properly designed, is a key tool for reducing food waste and maintaining nutritional characteristics. It is noted that for the same organoleptic quality at the end of the shelf life, the alternative structures to the standard one have significantly better yield values, translated: savings and efficiency

Flessofab sustainability

The challenge that Flessofab Research is called upon to answer every day is as compelling as it is complex: what is the common thread that holds Food Technology, Nutrition, Packaging together from a sustainability perspective?

First, we need clarity on the concept of “product” or “sustainable development.” There are many possible definitions, but the one we consider most appropriate is “development that is able to meet the needs of present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Gro Harlem Brundtland, 1987).

We are faced with complex issues, with no easy or unambiguous solutions. What we believe to be correct, in fact, is that it is necessary to frame the packaging system by going beyond the mere concept of “sustainability” seen as an objective, to be considered instead as a context in which to move during the design phase, while taking care of the aspects inherent to the nutritional sphere and the preservation of the food product: environmental sustainability of packaging associated with technological functionality is the added value that Flessofab attributes to its products with a Technological – multidisciplinary approach. A vision that is the result of study, dedication and experience.

In recent years, Flessofab has focused much of its research work on the study of raw materials that could generate sustainable packaging.

This was the starting point for a comprehensive development project aimed at identifying packaging solutions that are lighter, recyclable or biodegradable, always keeping in mind the intended use of the products, that is, the ability to ensure the shelf life of the packaged product. The added value of a container, in fact, is to maintain unchanged or even improve the food waste issue.

Foods are complex systems in which very labile balances coexist and can shift in directions that could compromise their quality. The nutrients of which any food is composed could be subjected to unacceptable changes or otherwise debase the value of the food if the development had not well thought out the system in which it is to be packaged and handled. They would, in short, be very limited Food Technologies if not viewed symbiotically with Packaging Technologies. Here, then, are the three areas connected: Food Technology – Nutrition – Packaging

As in the case of Anacardio Studio, often the real business needs that clients submit to us on a daily basis, and which we make our own, broaden our viewpoints, becoming drivers of change and growth.

Anacardio is just the first of the Flessofab case studies that will be presented in the coming months on this blog. For further insights and any questions, please contact us → go to contact form