Trends in Beverage Packaging

Innovation seems to be the eminence of success within the beverage industry. Beverage packaging has enjoyed a rich history, providing easy access to nutritious, shelf-stable food, and beverages for many decades. As seems to happen in every process of developing new products, beverage-makers are searching for original closures and caps to seal and protect their products while also being appealing to consumers, both aesthetically and in their simplicity in use. Beverage packaging is coming out with new trends which are focusing on the structural modification of packaging materials and the expansion of new active and/or intelligent systems. Improvement in packaging can lead to better interaction with the product and its environment, enhancing the preservation of beverages, such as milk, juice, wine, or beer, customer acceptability as well as food security. Glass, metals (laminates or foils, aluminum covers, aluminum, tin-free steel, and tinplates), plastic, paper, and paperboards were the traditionally used materials for food packaging. It is very important to select the right packaging material as it plays a key role in maintaining product quality and freshness at the time of distribution and storage. It is a matter of concern that most of the materials currently employed for food packaging are nondegradable, causing environmental issues. A number of biopolymers have been put to use in order to produce materials for eco-friendly food packaging. Nowadays, nanoparticles are used to improve mechanical as well as barrier properties of packaging materials. Polymer nanocomposites strikingly upgraded packaging properties because of their nanometer size dispersion. These enhancements include increased modulus and strength along with water resistance and decreased gas permeability. Furthermore, it is possible to add biologically active ingredients to confer the desired functional properties to the packaging materials. The packaging system, supported by a correct alternative of the packaging materials blessed with applicable gas (e.g., O2, CO2) and vapor barrier and mechanical properties, prevents product deterioration because of chemical science or biological factors and maintains the general quality throughout storage and handling. In today’s world of worldwide markets and rigid competition in each product alongside increasing client demand, it becomes important for corporations to explore ways in which to boost their production by maintaining safety, improving packaging materials, implementing versatile and standardized technology, and adopting tested management principles.