Food packaging sealing techniques

==Food contact materials==

==Food contact materials==

[[File:TBA packaging components.svg|thumb|Multilayer packaging configuration, PET as inner layer in contact with food.]]

[[File:TBA packaging components.svg|thumb|Multilayer packaging configuration, PET as inner layer in contact with food.]]

[[Food packaging]] materials must be safe for [[Food contact materials|food contact]] without endangering the consumer's health. All materials that are meant to come into contact with food must be compliant with [[Regulation]] (EC) No. 1935/2004.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Regulation - 1935/2004 - EN - EUR-Lex |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2004/1935/oj/eng |access-date=2025-07-09 |website=eur-lex.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref> Usually, food packaging industry employes plastics as the inner layer in contact with food and are regulated by Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011<ref>{{Citation |title=Commission Regulation (EU) No 1282/2011 of 28 November 2011 amending and correcting Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food Text with EEA relevance |date=2011-11-28 |url=http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/1282/oj/eng |access-date=2025-07-09 |language=en}}</ref>, in which are specified requirements for plastic materials meant to come into contact with food. Specifically, plastics as [[polyethylene]] (PE), [[polypropylene]] (PP), and [[polyethylene terephthalate]] (PET) are considered safe, and are regularly used, in the food industry, as a layer in direct contact with food.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rijk |first=Rinus |title=Global legislation for food packaging materials |last2=Veraart |first2=Rob |date=2010 |publisher=Wiley-VCH |isbn=978-3-527-63005-9 |location=Weinheim [etc.]}}</ref> This is also where the sealing takes place, guaranteeing a hermetic closure and maintaining the hygienic safety of the packaged product. Even in the case of more complex multilayer materials like [[Aluminium|aluminum]] or cardboard multilayer packaging (as [[Tetra Pak|Tetra Brik Aseptic]]), the inner layer is made by [[plastic]] to guarantee the [[Food contact materials|food contact]] compliancy and the sealability of the material.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Merabtene |first=Mahdi |last2=Tanninen |first2=Panu |last3=Varis |first3=Juha |last4=Leminen |first4=Ville |date=2021-11-15 |title=Heat sealing evaluation and runnability issues of flexible paper materials in a vertical form fill seal packaging machine |url=https://bioresources.cnr.ncsu.edu/resources/heat-sealing-evaluation-and-runnability-issues-of-flexible-paper-materials-in-a-vertical-form-fill-seal-packaging-machine/ |journal=BioResources |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=223–242 |doi=10.15376/biores.17.1.223-242}}</ref>

[[Food packaging]] materials must be safe for [[Food contact materials|food contact]] without endangering the consumer's health. All materials that are meant to come into contact with food must be compliant with [[Regulation]] (EC) No. 1935/2004.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Regulation - 1935/2004 - EN - EUR-Lex |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2004/1935/oj/eng |access-date=2025-07-09 |website=eur-lex.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref> Usually, food packaging industry employes plastics as the inner layer in contact with food and are regulated by Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011<ref>{{Citation |title=Commission Regulation (EU) No 1282/2011 of 28 November 2011 amending and correcting Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food Text with EEA relevance |date=2011-11-28 |url=http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/1282/oj/eng |access-date=2025-07-09 |language=en}}</ref>, in which are specified requirements for plastic materials meant to come into contact with food. Specifically, plastics as [[polyethylene]] (PE), [[polypropylene]] (PP), and [[polyethylene terephthalate]] (PET) are considered safe, and are regularly used, in the food industry, as a layer in direct contact with food.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rijk |first=Rinus |title=Global legislation for food packaging materials |last2=Veraart |first2=Rob |date=2010 |publisher=Wiley-VCH |isbn=978-3-527-63005-9 |location=Weinheim [etc.]}}</ref> This is also where the sealing takes place, guaranteeing a hermetic closure and maintaining the hygienic safety of the packaged product. Even in the case of more complex multilayer materials like [[Aluminium|aluminum]] or paperboard multilayer packaging (as [[Tetra Pak|Tetra Brik Aseptic]]), the inner layer is made by [[plastic]] to guarantee the [[Food contact materials|food contact]] compliancy and the sealability of the material.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Merabtene |first=Mahdi |last2=Tanninen |first2=Panu |last3=Varis |first3=Juha |last4=Leminen |first4=Ville |date=2021-11-15 |title=Heat sealing evaluation and runnability issues of flexible paper materials in a vertical form fill seal packaging machine |url=https://bioresources.cnr.ncsu.edu/resources/heat-sealing-evaluation-and-runnability-issues-of-flexible-paper-materials-in-a-vertical-form-fill-seal-packaging-machine/ |journal=BioResources |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=223–242 |doi=10.15376/biores.17.1.223-242}}</ref>

==Sealing techniques==

==Sealing techniques==

The sealing technique is selected depending on the food packaging configuration, to guarantee the possibility to heat the inner layer of the packaging material, and perform the sealing in the best possible way, allowing the packaging [[Hermetic seal|hermetic]] closure.<ref name=":2" />

The sealing technique is selected depending on the food packaging configuration, to guarantee the possibility to heat the inner layer of the packaging material, and perform the sealing in the best possible way, allowing the packaging [[Hermetic seal|hermetic]] closure.<ref name=":2" />