Tear open a bag of fresh milk in the morning, take out a bag of crisp potato chips in the afternoon, and heat a convenient instant rice in the evening-modern people's eating life has long been inseparable from soft packaging. This packaging form made of composite film material, with its advantages of portability, durability and low cost, quietly changed the way of food preservation and circulation, and became an indispensable "guardian" of food industry.
The technical core of flexible packaging lies in its multi-layer composite structure. Usually made of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), aluminum foil and other materials, different material layers have their own functions: some block oxygen, some prevent moisture penetration, and some enhance mechanical strength. For example, common potato chip packaging bags often contain 7-9 layers of different materials. Through accurate thickness ratio, not only can the product be crisp, but also the shelf life can be effectively extended. Vacuum packaging technology goes further, by removing oxygen from the packaging, the shelf life of perishable foods such as meat is extended several times.
Driven by the concept of sustainable development, the flexible packaging industry is undergoing green changes. The proportion of biodegradable materials such as polylactic acid (PLA) and starch-based materials is increasing year by year. In 2022, the global degradable flexible packaging market has reached 18.7 billion US dollars. At the same time, the lightweight packaging design reduces the material consumption by more than 30%, which significantly reduces the environmental load. It is noteworthy that intelligent packaging technology has begun to emerge. Through innovative designs such as time-temperature indicator labels and freshness indicators, packaging can "actively tell" consumers about food status.
From the consumer's point of view, flexible packaging has brought unprecedented convenience experience. The easy-to-tear design solves the opening problem, the transparent window realizes the visualization of the contents, and the microwave heating function simplifies the cooking process. However, experts also reminded that when using soft-packed food, attention should be paid to the storage conditions to avoid high temperature or sharp objects from damaging the integrity of the packaging. In the future, with the integration of material science and digital technology, soft packaging will become an intelligent food housekeeper integrating preservation, identification and interaction, and continue to protect people's food safety and quality life.
