Brasil Pack Trends 2020

BrasilPackTrends2020 146 qual ity and new technologies products used as raw materials, the use of food additives is not allowed. In those cases, the incorporation of antioxidants into the packaging material would be a way to protect the food, with controled release of that active compound, which would work in the headspace and/or over the product surface in an active package system. Various formulations of antioxidants for incorporation into plastic packages have been studied, such as synthetic antioxidants as BHT (3.5-Di- tert-butyl-4-hydroxytoluene), BHA (2-tert-butyl-4- hydroxyanisole), TBHQ (tertiary butylhydroquinone) and propyl gallate. Immobilized enzymes in plastic packages can also actively work as antioxidants. Although, in the manufacturing of plastic packages, one part of the antioxidant loses its scavenging functionality and another part may be lost to the environment during the thermal process due to its high volatility. The antioxidant concentration in polymeric films also decreases, even before the packaging use, during storage, due to its oxidation and by diffusion of the compound to the film surface, followed by evaporation. Therefore, the emitter packages have to be normally formulated with a higher than usual concentration to preserve the product. On the other hand, the addition of high quantities of additive in the polymer may alter the optical and mechanical properties of the packaging. Related to the humidity control, the active packages segment shows two distinct lines: one of them seeks to reduce the relative humidity to the maximum around dry products (food or pharmaceuticals) and electronics components, which is obtained by the use of moisture absorbers (desiccant). The other line aims to control the relative humidity level around fruits, vegetables and fresh meat, generally above 75%, using the moisture regulators or liquid absorbers. The most common desiccants can be divided into the following categories: physical (silica gel – SiO 2 , clay, molecular sieve); hydrated salts; hygroscopic salts; superabsorbents polymers (polyacrylate sodium, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and copolymer amide); and chemically active desiccants – CaO. The use of moisture absorbing sachets is a widely used and established technology in the pharmaceutical market. However, the use of desiccants incorporated into the package may grow with the development of new technologies. As an example, the company Amcor developed a desiccant incorporated into a laminated film to be used in packages for pharmaceuticals that are moisture sensitive, extending the product shelf life and increasing its stability. The desiccant is incorporated into the sealing layer of the blister, eliminating the need of an extra accessory or material (Figure 6.3). FIGURE 6.3 Desiccant incorporated into the Amcor package material Source: Press Release The CSP Technologies holds a technology to the incorporation of active materials into polymers, resulting in the family ACTIV-POLYMER. A desiccant material (molecular sieve or silica gel) is incorporated into the polymer, associated with an agent that promotes microscopic channels inside the polymer structure which favor the diffusion of substances such as water through the polymer. This family of products, commercially called ACTIVE-PAK, has three components: a polymer (hydrophobic): PP or PE; a channel former agent Moisture absorbers and controllers