Durability and sustainability: the influence of packaging on shelf life

Author: Rachel Rawson

19th October 2021

Sciantec

Agriculture

In a world more concerned with sustainability than ever before, pet parents and livestock farmers are taking a closer look at the environmental impact of the products they buy. This extends to how they are packaged. As any pet owner knows, this means figuring out how to recycle big bags of dry food and many individually packaged sachets of wet food. Buying biodegradable or recyclable packaged products to help achieve net-zero waste is therefore the easiest and most responsible solution for consumers. Balancing these growing needs with maintaining the quality and safety of products is a real challenge for feed manufacturers.

Packaging and shelf life

Whilst in the past we have looked at the durability of packaging, it is only recently we have been examining the type of packaging used. With nearly three-quarters (74%) of people saying they would pay more for sustainable packaging, and 7 in 10 buying more or as many environmentally friendly products as they did before COVID-19, it is worth manufacturers considering how they package their products.

Plastic packaging is more durable and can have better graphics but is not sustainable. By using packaging that is fully biodegradable, recyclable, or compostable, or is made from plant-based products, manufacturers can reduce their carbon pawprint and satisfy the green needs of their customers. Optimising weight, size and thickness also means that the space needed for transport is reduced, lowering CO₂ emissions. But what about the shelf life of the feed itself?

Packaging study

Features such as resealable closures help to extend shelf life. Sciantec tests both the nutritional value and shelf life of feed, as well as a range of different packaging products such as bags, glues, printing media, and seals to see how packaging behaves over time, which will affect its contents.

Step 1: The desired external factors are determined in a 1-1 consultation, such as the temperature and humidity, as well as the length of the study. Conditions can be designed to mimic the environment the packaging and the product inside will experience in transit or over time once purchased.

Step 2: The customer sends in their packaging products for testing, such as bags made of paper type A at sizes 500g, 1kg, 5kg and 12kg. The same sizes of bags all made of paper type B are sent alongside to compare how different packaging behaves in the same conditions.

These differences in behaviour could include: the printing on the packaging fading; the seal breaking; oil from the product leaching out through the packaging; or air moisture seeping through the packaging to alter the product inside.

Step 3: If requested, analysis is carried out to establish at which point the nutritional value or fat content, for example, begins to degrade. The customer can then draw comparisons between their packaging types.

Step 4: Photographs can also be taken at designated intervals to record how the packaging and the product change over time.

Step 5: Once the study is complete, a comprehensive final report including results is presented in a table and graph format.

Step 6: The customer can then either: declare their product and packaging is safe and of satisfactory quality for the time and conditions tested; change the storage conditions to see if their products react differently; or change the product or packaging and test again to suit the required shelf life date.

Our shelf life package includes a 1-1 consultation and bespoke design to suit your analysis parameters for full visibility throughout the study. We also provide a Certificate of Analysis at every time point with optional photographic records, and a comprehensive final report.

For more information on our services, please visit our website or email customer.services@sciantec.uk.com.