Mankind has evolved from growing crops and rearing animals for daily consumption. As the human race population exploded, there was a need to find a way to preserve food for a later time. This led to the creation of different packaging materials. These packaging materials needed to protect the food from external conditions that could cause deterioration and spoilage. When this was successfully done, packaging materials were modified to allow nutritional and ingredient information to be labelled on the package. There are different types of packaging materials in use.
One of the most popular types of food packaging material is a metal box.
Types of food packaging
There are different types of materials used in packaging food. Since each food has different chemical properties and deterioration rate, chosen packaging material must be able to protect the food properly. A good way to explain this is with a practical example. Let’s assume the food is easily destroyed by light or moisture, the packaging material must be impermeable and not allow water through it, and dark enough to prevent light penetration.
With a food type explained in the example, a metal box would be ideal as a packaging material rather than glass.
Metal box
When it comes to the use of metal for packaging food, the two most preferred metals are steel and aluminum. A primary reason why they’re chosen is because their surfaces do not react with the food in any way.
- Aluminum: One of the properties of aluminum that makes it a good food package material is its high temperature resistance. It is a lightweight material with high malleability. When manufacturers want to make aluminum stronger for food packaging, they make an alloy of it. Magnesium and manganese are good alloy elements of aluminum to make it stronger. Aluminum and its alloy is used to package food items like beverage cans, seafood, capsules, soft drinks, tubes, pet food, etc.
- Steel: Steel is known to be corrosion-resistant. Rust can be harmful to food items, so by being corrosion-resistant, food integrity isn’t compromised. It is made from tinplate and is more affordable to use as a packaging material than tinplate itself. It is used in making caps, cans, and other types of packaging designs.
Other packaging materials
Although metal works effectively in food packaging, it is not the only used packaging material. Paper, paperboard, plastic, and glass are also popular food packaging materials. Glass is often less appreciated as a packaging material, maybe because of its fragility. However, there are several other types of reinforced glass that can be used for short-term food packaging.
Conclusion
To eliminate food wastage, humans developed different preserving and packaging techniques. One of the most popular of them is the use of a metal box. When it comes to metal packaging, aluminum and steel are best preferred because of their intrinsic properties. When the metal box needs to be reinforced for strength, it’s common to see the alloys of these metals used. The benefits of a metal box makes them have a wide range of applications.