About Primary Packaging
Primary Food and Beverage Packaging serves several functions. Physical protection of the product from vibration, compression, and temperature is one function. Packaging offers Barrier Protection from things like oxygen, water, dust, etc. Some packages contain desiccants or oxygen absorbers to help keep contents fresh, safe, and extend shelf life. Packaging also allows for Containment or Agglomeration, which means packaging small items typically grouped together such as liquids, powders, and granular materials. Packages and labels also provide Information Transmission, helping users obtain information on opening, use, recycle, or disposal of the packaging or product. Packaging materials also provide space for Marketing Messages. Tamper resistance packaging helps maintain product Security. Innovations in packaging also add to Customer Convenience and Portion Control.
Primary packaging is the term used to define the layer of packaging in immediate contact with the product. The most obvious and important function of primary packaging is to keep the product absolutely sealed off from its environment. Primary packaging is designed to protect and preserve the product from damage, external contamination, spoiling and chemical imbalances.
Examples of primary packaging include blister packs, strip packs, clamshell packaging, shrink wrapping, paperboard packaging, unit dose packs, stand-up pouches, glass bottles and jars, gable-top cartons, aluminum trays, metal bottles, and more. Primary packaging materials include metal, cardboard, glass, ridged plastics, which include high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and jars.
A critical component in food and beverage packaging is Aseptic packaging. Aseptic packaging is the process by which a sterile food or beverage product is packaged in a sterile container in a way to maintain the sterility. Aseptic packaging allows food and beverages to be stored for long periods of time without preservatives, as long as the packages aren't opened.