Application of Modern Polymer Packaging for Food

Abstract

The object of the study is a polymer combined C-PET packaging two-section, which consists of a polymer semi-rigid container-tray of multilayer PET /EVOH / CPP and multilayer polyethylene film S900775 PET / PE (for sealing containers). In the food industry can be used consumer polymer packaging of various types: hard, semi-hard, soft and others. In order for such packaging to be used for heat sterilization of products, it must have the necessary heat-resistant barrier layer. C-PET packaging is made of heat-resistant barrier material, which ensures its resistance to high temperatures. Therefore, such containers can be used for heat sterilization and guarantee long shelf life of food. Each polymeric material has certain indicators of heat resistance. One of the most problematic places on this issue is the lack of technological parameters of polymer C-PET packaging, such as the strength of the sealing of the package and the parameters of sterilization of packaging with the product for specific thermal equipment: temperature, time, back pressure. Without the values of such characteristics, it is impossible to use containers in food production to produce good quality products for long-term storage. The study used methods such as measuring the sealing strength or depressurization pressure of the container, which occurs during sterilization due to thermal expansion of the product; the standard membrane compensation method was used for this purpose. The development of sterilization regimes for food products was carried out in accordance with the approved regulations. The regulations include analytical calculation of the regime that ensures the production of industrially sterile canned food, laboratory testing of the selected regime and its production testing. Methods of calculating the sterilization regime are based on data on the heat resistance of the strain of microorganisms in the test culture. Studies have been carried out, which resulted in the value of the parameter of sealing strength or depressurization pressure of C-PET containers, without which it is impossible to carry out effective thermal sterilization of the product. Exceeding the required value of this pressure can lead to depressurization of the packaging and the emergence of physical defects, of substandard products. Also, scientifically based high-temperature sterilization regimes for meat and vegetable products in the studied form of polymer consumer packaging have been developed, which will allow companies to produce quality food safe for consumption, with high nutritional value and long shelf life