Knowledge

Plastic and foam is generally used more often than other packaging as it is cheap, Convenient and easy
to purchase, especially food container. Still there are limitations in plastic and foam in food packaging.
If plastic container is misused or reused as food container, chemical from plastic can be contaminated
with food.

According to plastic container standard Notification of the Ministry of Public Health No. 111
stated that food container shall be clean and shall give out no color or no other substances to
contaminate with food in a quantity that may be hazardous to health and shall have no
microorganism that causes deceases.

Plastic which is in sheets or bags form used as food container shall not be made from recycled
or used plastics. Heave metal or other substances such as lead, cadmium, tin and barium must
not exceed 50 mg/gm. Therefore reused plastics with colors including black colored plastics
are not allowed to use with food.

Ready to eat or ready to cook food such as marinated pork should be packed in food container that
contains no color. You can notice a sign of glass and fork indicating no. 5 at the bottom of the packaging
means that it is produced from polypropylene or PP.

Nonfood grade containers are not allowed to use with food. Recycled plastics reproduced as new container including plastics that contains nonfood grade colors are also not allowed. Food box, basket, plastic bucket and bowl which is in bright or black colors are not allowed to use with food. Sour food such as pickles and sauces that contain vinegar or tamarind sauces; oily food; from butter, oil and coconut milk; all these foods can pull out chemicals from plastic containers and the chemical can be contaminated with food therefore they  are not safe to be put in nonfood containers. Acid food should be packed in glass, tiles and stainless steel containers.

Food grade containers must not be easily scratched. You should not use cold food container with hot food items; for example, an ice cubes container is used to put hot rice or sticky rice to keep the heat. If you wish to maintain the heat you may put hot rice into a pot with cover then put the whole rice pot into plastic container so that ice will not touch plastic container directly and water drops from heat will not drop into food; laying a piece of cloth at the bottom of container does not stop food contamination.

Generally drinking water bottles are produced from PET or PETE (Polyethylene Terephthalate) in which no.1 is specified at the bottom with recycle triangle sign to identify that it should be used only once and you should not put the bottles in hot area. If you want to use plastic bottles for cooling purpose you should use plastic bottles that are specially produced for drinking water shown by the label that it is produced from Polyethylene with high density under label no. 2 with recycle triangle sign. Moreover you must change bottle at once if it is washed or used after sometime.
An example of misusing plastic bottles and drinking containers are that PET/PETE water bottles are left in a hot car. A lab test in Switzerland shown that the water bottle left in the heat at 60 degrees Celsius can be contaminated by DEHA substance in which is a chemical used in plasticizer.

Plastic bags are used in many kinds of work such as a carry bag, garbage bag, hot and cold bag. Choosing the right bag is important. Hot bag for hot food is made of Polyethylene which is clearer than cold bag. This bag can be used with hot food. Cold bag is made of Polyethylene with high density and that it should not be used with hot food.
A sample of misusing plastic bag are to put sticky rice, kanom tuay and meat balls in hot bags are to put sticky rice, kanom tuay and meat balls in hot bags and warm them directly in microwave without removing the plastic bag or using the unclear either colored or non-colored carry bags with hot food as this kind of plastic bags are not produced from food grade plastics when it is used with hot food it will become acid that again melt the chemicals and contaminated in food. Placing small piece of paper cannot stop contamination therefore you should put food in hot bag before putting them into carry bag.

Using foam box for hot food or oily food is dangerous as styrene may be contaminated with food. Styrene causes cancer and it is toxic to nervous system. If food is very fatty when fat remains in the heat, styrene can be easily melted and contaminated with food. Foam can be easily melted and contaminated with food. Foam can be easily scratched therefore it should not be reused.
 

Most of the so-called hot bags are made of polypropylene plastic resin.
The property of this kind of resin is that they are clear and rather hard.
They are good for packaging of hot stuffs, but not good for frozen food.
Another kind is made of High-density Polyethylene (HDPE) which is murky in property.
Cold bags are made of Low-density Polyethylene (LDPE) with property of rather-clear and flexible. 
They are good for all kinds of food including frozen food.  All of the above-mentioned food packaging
is non-degradable. 

Their shelf-fives are very short.  They are the causes of plastic waste problem now.
Even though there are plastic food packaging which are made of bio-plastic but they are still not ideal
for hot food as they are  resistant to food of high heat.

Bio-degradable plastic bags are plastic bags made of bio-plastic (i.e. .Polylatic Acid (PLA),
Polybuthylene Susinate (PBS), which are made of naturally substitute raw materials
such as corn, cassava).
They can be biologically degraded by bacteria in soil. Normally, we use land filling to
get rid ofused plastic bags. With bio-degradable plastic bags, once it is used and land filled,
carbon dioxide, water and bio-mass will be put back into nature with the carbon dioxide
and water being used by plants for their synthesis.  The entire process will take 2-3 years.
 

FVF (Fresh for Vegetables and fruits) that controls level of gases transmission through
the package and leave the gases inside the package at the level that could create equilibrium stage.
At this stage, fruits and vegetables inside the package would lessen their respirations to a level
that could extend their life and freshness while do not generate any perishable and maintain their flavor.

Nowadays, globalization has increased the demand of fresh fruits and vegetables Dramatically.
owever, transporting fresh produces throughout the world still impede the growth of the industry
Although several improved methods and developments for maintaining food quality and extending
shelf-life have been introduced including packaging technology.

A significant development in the packaging technology is Active Packaging that has the ability to
create a "Modified Atmosphere" inside the package. Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)
can reduce respiration rate, loss of moisture production of metabolic heat, yellowing, browning,
decay and sensitivity of ethylene.

The goal of MAP for fresh produce is to create an equilibrium atmosphere with right percentage
Of O2 and CO2 at the level most suitable and beneficial to the produce. This is accomplished through
the balance of several variables that affect package atmosphere.
 

Fresh fruits and vegetables must be cleaned and dried before being placed in the bag.
he bag must then be sealed or closed tightly and kept in a refrigerator.
Results may vary depending on type and condition of fresh produce.

Plastic packaging is commonly use, one popular packaging uses among producers is
plastic pack for snacks.It is used in instant noodles, potato chips, rice crackers, cookies,
opcorn and all kinds of crackers. 
Sometimes we purchase snacks and found that the products inside becomes soften
and smelly when it should be fresh and crispy.
The products become soft even the packaging looks properly sealed. 

Food  and snack  pack is  made  of plastic films and the product are often covered with many or
different types of plastic sheets such as Polyethylene film attached with Polypropylene or
Polyethylene film attached with Metalized film.
The reason is to improve food packaging quality by way of strength. Sealing  ability and
another purpose which has direct affect of those food and snack quality that is the permeability
such as water vapor and gas ermeability especially oxygen.

Normally, many plastic films cannot guard against fluid and gas at hundred percent and each
plastic type does not have the same permeability. Some films do not protect oxygen well enough
for examples Oriented Polypropylene and Polyethylene. Some plastic is well guarding against
oxygen but not steam or water such as nylon while some films can protect both such as
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)  and some are not at all prevent both such as PVC.

Therefore, producers try to choose a few outstanding plastic sheets and put them together to
make suitable packages for their products according to products shelve timing.
Though many films are adjoined, there are still permeable of steam and oxygen at certain
level therefore when we purchase snacks from shop sometimes, We find that the food is not crispy
because there is permeable of steam which has gradually entered the food until it gets moisture
and small because if the gradual permeable of oxygen and the oxidation with food until it smell
as mentioned above.

Inevitably, plastic today has become a necessity item in life. The strength of plastic lies with its 
light weight and cheap price and consequently promotes the increase of the volume of used plastic
packaging.  Nevertheless, we do have means to reduce this kind of used packaging by ‘recycling’.

The process of recycling plastic starts with firstly classifying plastic into their 7 categories.
They cannot be interchangeably mixed in recycling process. The simplest classification is to 
observe the recycle' mark  under or at the side of the containers. 
It is symbolized by number 1 - 7 digits circled by 'recycle' symbol. Once different kinds of plastic
are separated, each  kind is to be pressed flat into one chunk to be sent to factories of  recycled resin 
manufacturing. The chunks will then be put through recycling processes.

The process to turn plastic packaging to recycled plastic is simple. It takes 7 Steps to
do7 Steps to recycle the plastics.
Step 1 Inspection
This is the step to take off tainted materials from plastic packaging. They can be marbles, sands, etc.
Un-recyclable plastic ‘are also considered tainted materials and they need to be taken off.
Step 2   Chopping and Washing
Plastic  will  be  chopped  into  small  pieces  and  washed  clean  at  this  step.
Step 3   Floatation Tank
With plastic being tainted with many kinds of  materials,It is advisable to float the plastic
in the water to differentiate kinds of plastic as different plastic possesses difference density level.
Step 4   Drying
To blow dry the plastic after float.
Step 5   Melting
Re-melt the plastic with heat at the right temperature and pressure Meant for each specific kind of plastic.
Step 6 Filtering
Melted plastic will be filtered to single out tainted materials. Then, they are put through ironing into sticks.
Step 7 Palletizing
Stick plastic will be cut into small pieces (palletizes) and sent to factory for re-molding.

With the above 7 simple steps, plastics can be derived and reused. Through recycling,
It not only cuts down the mountains of used plastic packaging, it also can help preserve
atural resources being used as raw materials for production.

Nowadays, globalization has increased the demand of fresh fruits and vegetables Dramatically.
However, transporting fresh produces throughout the world still impede the growth of the industry 
Although several improved methods and developments for maintaining food quality and extending
shelf-life have been introduced including packaging technology.

A significant development in the packaging technology is Active Packaging that has the ability to
reate a "Modified Atmosphere" inside the package. Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) can
reduce respiration rate, loss of moisture production of metabolic heat, yellowing, browning,
decay and sensitivity of ethylene.

The goal of MAP for fresh produce is to create an equilibrium atmosphere with right percentage Of
O2 and CO2 at the level most suitable and beneficial to the produce.
This is accomplished through the balance of several  variables that affect package atmosphere.
 

Plastic packaging is commonly use, one popular packaging uses among producers is plastic pack
for snacks. It is used in instant noodles, potato chips, rice crackers, cookies, popcorn and
all kinds of crackers, Sometimes we purchase snacks and found that the products inside becomes
soften and smelly when it should be fresh and crispy.
The products become soft even the packaging looks properly sealed.