Rise of high barrier packaging films in the food packaging industry
The journey of food from farm to plate can be a tricky one, with the chances of food spoilage in the course of being picked, packaged, transported, and stored. In handling food products for such a long period of time without compromising the quality, the most important factor is its packaging. It is of utmost importance to provide all relevant barrier properties (Moisture, Gas and Aroma), to keep the products integrity intact. Barrier Films play a major role to extend the shelflife of the product, also helping to make the structure completely recyclable with all layers belonging to the same family of polymers. Barrier films have an impermeable coextruded & flexible structure (single or multiple layers) which is solventfree, and doesn't react with the packaged food. It helps prevent contact with oxygen, carbon dioxide or moisture, while restraining migration of mineral oil and UV light. This stringent barrier, crafted using specialized materials, also retains the properties of food such as color, taste, texture, aroma and flavor.
Why Barrier Films? Some of the major reasons for the rise of barrier films are given below: • Replacement of aluminum foil from a multilayer laminated structure as it offers an exceptional MVTR (Moisture Vapour Transmission Rate) and OTR (Oxygen Transmission Rate) < 0.1 cc. • Corona treated films for products that demand moisture for preservation. • Excellent aroma barrier specially designed to provide aroma preservation for products like tea and coffee. • Excellent moisture and gas barrier properties. • High yield because of the low density of the film. • Improved productivity by enabling FFS machines to run at a higher speed with High Hot Tack and Low SIT properties. • An outstanding metal appearance which is a good barrier to gas and light. • Excellent dimensional stability and stiffness. • Amazing machinability with good gloss, transparency and low seal threshold quality. • Extremely flexible packaging films which are heatsealed. • Manufactured by hightemperature tenter frame process so the film can be prepared for future stretching, puncturing and tearing. • Can be used for a huge range of products in comparison to cellulose films. Cosmo Films have engineered BOPP based Barrier Films, which not only extends the shelflife of food products but also protects them against intrinsic (food itself, nutrients, water activity, pH, redox potential) and extrinsic factors (atmospheric gases, temperature, other microbial flora, relative humidity).
Type of Barrier Films Cosmo Films’ range of barrier films can be categorized as below: Metalized Barrier Films: [a] High Moisture Barrier Films (HMB): These are metalized BOPP barrier films that are corona treated on both sides and can be used for duplex as well as for sandwich lamination in snack foods, shampoo sachets, dry milk powder and powdered drinks sachets/packs, where loss of moisture is a concern. [b] High Speed Barrier Films with High Hot Tack (HSB): These BOPP metalized moisture and oxygen barrier films have a High Hot Tack and Low SIT which enables FFS machines to run at a higher speed, thus helping improve productivity. [c] High Seal Strength Barrier Films (HSS): These BOPP metalized moisture and oxygen barrier films have been specially designed for packaging applications requiring high seal strengths. [d] Ultra High Barrier Films (UHB): These BOPP metalized moisture and oxygen barrier films can be used to substitute aluminium foil since they offer a MVTR < 0.15 g/m2.day and OTR< 0.1 cc/m2.day [e] High Metal Bond CPP Films (HMBS): These metalized Cast Polypropylene (CPP) films have been specially designed for packaging applications requiring high interlayer bond strength for making multilayer laminate structures. The film offers high metal bond strength (>400gf/inch). [f] High Barrier CPP Films (HB): These metalized CPP films have been designed for applications requiring OTR<30cc/m2.day, MVTR<0.3g/m2.day, high heat seal and hot tack strength. Transparent Barrier Films: [a] Aroma Barrier Films (AB): These are transparent barrier films typically used for coffee/tea, spices, chewing gum and perfume boxes overwrapping. [b] Aroma & Oxygen Barrier Films (AOB): These transparent films have both excellent moisture and gas barrier properties and are used for packaging of cream biscuits, chocolates, chips and snacks with some dose of fatty content. [c] Ultra High Barrier Films (UHB): These transparent films have excellent moisture, aroma and gas barrier properties and are used to convert 3 layer laminates to 2 layers
for packaging of aromatic and fat content rich products like dry fruits, nuts, spices etc. These films also offer mineral oil resistance. Be it the stress on food wastage or the irrational consumption of packaging material, barrier films have got it all covered. Its key features like laminate rationalization, corona treatment, tenter frame processing, aroma preservation, multilayer laminated structure, high oxygen barrier, high hot tack and low SIT, metal appearance and much more have undoubtedly made it stand out as the best range of food packaging films in the market.