In the food industry, brands are looking for ways to be sustainable without compromising safety and performance. Find out how barrier papers are meeting this challenge.
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As the term &#;barrier&#; implies, these packaging papers have a coating that guarantees a physical barrier against moisture and grease, for example. These barriers have traditionally been achieved using plastics, but now barrier papers provide a renewable alternative for many end-uses, while offering protection for the product inside. Achieving these features while ensuring that the paper can still be recycled requires extensive R&D work and a high level of expertise in paper making.
Barrier papers are strong enough to withstand the demands of transporting the product from the production facility all the way to the consumer.
The water vapor barrier offered by barrier papers is impressive. The barrier layer helps to protect dry foods like flour by keeping moisture out of the packaging, while also keeping foods like toast fresh for longer by preventing moisture from leaving. For baked bread, the barrier layer even allows warm steam to escape, preventing a crisp loaf from going soggy before you eat it.
Another example of the barrier layer is that it prevents grease from penetrating the package. In muesli for example, nuts and dried fruit contain fats that could result in the paper looking and feeling greasy &#; the barrier layer keeps it from doing that.
Barrier papers start with the base functionalities mentioned above, but it&#;s possible to work with converters to further process the paper in order to develop packaging that has additional barriers to suit the needs of different end-uses.
This system of co-creation with brands and converters is needed to find the best packaging for different end-uses, while helping brand owners meet their target of introducing more sustainable packaging.
For example, packaging for muesli that contains nuts or dried berries could use UPM AsendoTM as a base, with more barrier layers added by the converter to improve its grease resistance.
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Fibre-based barrier papers offer one solution to the problem of plastic waste in the food packaging industry. In fact, one benefit of paper as a packaging material is that it can be recycled in existing recycling streams. To achieve barrier properties without compromising recyclability, a lot of development work and expertise in paper making is needed.
According to Cepi, over 70% of paper was recycled in , keeping fibres in the loop longer and extending the benefits of their renewable origin. If a package does not make it into the recycling bin, some barrier papers like UPM Asendo are biodegradable, acting as a &#;fail safe&#; in case they would end up in nature
Because barrier papers not only protect the product but also act as a print surface, they often eliminate the need for secondary and tertiary packaging for food items, further reducing waste.
For example, most frozen pizzas are currently packaged in a plastic film that is inside a cardboard box. If 70% of all frozen pizzas sold worldwide made the transition to barrier paper packaging, our experts estimate we could free the world from over 2 billion plastic packages in just one year.
d for shelf-appeal
Barrier papers offer brands the possibility to develop the best look and feel for their particular needs. Papers with two-sided coating like UPM AsendoTM Pro provide a printing surface that allows for sharp lettering, vivid colours and good visuality.
Additionally, barrier papers that are only coated on the inside presenting a surface that looks more natural and has an earthy feel.
UPM barrier papers comply with the most demanding requirements for direct food contact such as BfR and FDA
Barrier papers can also be used as a liner material when using recycled fibres in outer layer of packaging, for example in fruit trays. When newspapers and magazines are recycled traces of inks containing mineral oils may be present in those recycled fibres, meaning they can pose a health risk if they come in direct contact with food. UPM Specialty Papers has created two innovative technical solutions for preventing mineral oil migration: barrier papers UPM Asendo&#; Pro and UPM Asendo&#;.
When the local pizza shop delivers a large pie ensconced in a cardboard box, most people give very little thought to the box itself. How was it made? Is the cardboard coated in something to enhance its protective qualities? And why isn&#;t the box made from something sturdier than paper?
The truth is, paper packaging is an attractive solution for the food and beverage industry for a number of reasons: it&#;s readily available, it&#;s flexible, and it&#;s relatively cost-effective. Unfortunately, untreated cellulosic paper does not prevent the movement of vapor and liquids through its surface. That&#;s because paper has a porous structure, which makes it possible for even small molecules to pass rather easily through the material. At the same time, the hydroxyl groups of cellulosic fibers decrease paper&#;s water resistance. Upon contact with water, paper packaging can begin to deteriorate and lose strength. For food packaging, this makes paper and paperboard problematic because they can&#;t, by themselves, adequately protect what&#;s inside from contamination, spoilage or leakage.
To overcome these issues, paper manufacturers and converters coat their paperboard products in materials that improve their barrier performance; in essence, the papermakers block the pores of the paper to prevent the transmission of air, water and vapor. These so-called barrier coatings play an important role in ensuring a product&#;s shelf life by protecting food from the decaying influences of chemical, physical and microbiological elements. Packaging must also remain stable, not interacting with the food so that the appearance, smell, taste and texture of the food remain unchanged by the packaging. Depending on the intended use, coatings may have to meet standards set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
It is possible to make a physical barrier by laminating plastic or aluminum onto paper or paperboard, but this creates some challenges. Papermaking plants must have laminating machines, which can add costs to the packaging. Also, laminated packaging material can be difficult to repulp and recycle. A better solution are synthetic polymer products, which provide an efficient barrier but are much easier to apply and still allow the paper to be repulped and recycled.
The performance of a polymer as a barrier coating is affected by a number of factors, including the choice of monomers and the polymerization process. This blog examines the barrier properties of polymers, how the performance of barrier coatings is measured and how papermakers and converters apply polymer coatings to paper and paperboard.
Barrier Properties of Polymers &#; Best Types of Polymers for Food Packaging Material
Early barrier coatings for food packaging were made from synthetic polymeric chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are a diverse class of compounds characterized by having a hydrophobic (water-hating), fluorine-saturated carbon chain joined to a hydrophilic (water-loving) functional group. This unique structure gives PFAS the ability to repel both water and fat readily. Unfortunately, PFAS can&#;t be separated from the paper easily, which means the paper can&#;t be recycled or repulped. The whole family of compounds has also been shown to have harmful effects on human health.
Another class of synthetic polymers, known as emulsion polymers, can also be used as barrier coatings. Like PFAS, emulsion polymers can help extend the shelf life of foods by providing a barrier to moisture vapor and oxygen, and they can provide oil, grease and water resistance. They are also highly flexible materials that can be modified in many different ways. For example, different combinations of monomers, surfactants and other ingredients can affect a key property known as film formation, which describes what happens to an emulsion polymer after it is applied, and the water evaporates. When this occurs, the particles making up the polymer crowd close together, or coalesce, to create a uniform film. Clearly, for a barrier coating to function properly, the polymer film must be sturdy and adhered firmly to the paper surface. It also needs to be somewhat pliable so it can flex when the paper or board flexes.
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Film formation is affected by glass transition temperature, or Tg, which describes the range of temperatures over which a polymer becomes less glassy and more rubber-like. A low Tg polymer will be soft at room temperature and form a film more easily. A polymer with a higher Tg will be harder and will not form a film as readily. Consider Rovene® and Tykote® , two polymers manufactured by Mallard Creek Polymers for use as barrier coatings. Both are styrene-butadiene polymers, but their ratios and formulations are slightly tweaked to change their final functional characteristics. Rovene® has a Tg of -5°C and is recommended for use as a boxboard coating and in some publication-grade papers. Tykote® has a Tg of 14°C and exhibits excellent film strength properties, which makes it ideal for use in paper and paperboard coatings where a high degree of water and water vapor resistance is needed, especially in applications requiring FDA clearance.
Emulsion polymers can also be compounded with other materials to enhance barrier performance. For example, formulators might add chemicals that can take advantage of the carboxyl sites on the polymer backbone for crosslinking. Crosslinking, which occurs when adjacent polymer chains link together, can add abrasion resistance to the final coating. Waxes may be added to boost the water resistance of the finished coating.
The barrier properties of packaging materials most important to the food packaging industry are moisture vapor transmission, liquid water resistance and oil and grease resistance. Chemists use a variety of tests to measure the functional performance of barrier coatings:
Moisture vapor transmission is the transfer of water vapor from one side of a package to the other. The water vapor transmission in a specified time range is measured by the moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR), also known as the water vapor transmission rate. Standards for measuring MVTR are set by ASTM International and TAPPI, and the units are expressed as either grams/100 in2/day or as grams/m2/day. The lower the MVTR, the better the moisture barrier properties. A properly formulated barrier coating for paperboard can achieve an MVTR measurement of < 10 grams/100 in2/day or < 150 grams/m2/day.
Liquid water resistance is measured by what is known as the Cobb test. A product&#;s Cobb value reflects the amount of water that is absorbed from one-sided contact of a defined area of paper or cardboard with water in a specified time. The lower the Cobb value, expressed in grams/m2, the more resistant the packaging is to water. A properly formulated barrier coating for paperboard can achieve a Cobb value of <1 grams/m2.
Oil and grease resistance in a barrier coating was traditionally measured by what is known as the Kit test. This test involves applying varying mixtures of castor oil, toluene, heptane and turpentine to a product for 15 seconds. Each mixture is scored a number on a scale of 0 to 12, from least aggressive to most aggressive. The highest numbered mixture that does not stain the surface is reported as the &#;kit rating.&#; Hot oils and greases are also used for testing, which better reflect how well a synthetic polymer-based barrier coating resists actual greases that food packaging typically contacts.
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In the food industry, brands are looking for ways to be sustainable without compromising safety and performance. Find out how barrier papers are meeting this challenge.
As the term &#;barrier&#; implies, these packaging papers have a coating that guarantees a physical barrier against moisture and grease, for example. These barriers have traditionally been achieved using plastics, but now barrier papers provide a renewable alternative for many end-uses, while offering protection for the product inside. Achieving these features while ensuring that the paper can still be recycled requires extensive R&D work and a high level of expertise in paper making.
Barrier papers are strong enough to withstand the demands of transporting the product from the production facility all the way to the consumer.
The water vapor barrier offered by barrier papers is impressive. The barrier layer helps to protect dry foods like flour by keeping moisture out of the packaging, while also keeping foods like toast fresh for longer by preventing moisture from leaving. For baked bread, the barrier layer even allows warm steam to escape, preventing a crisp loaf from going soggy before you eat it.
Another example of the barrier layer is that it prevents grease from penetrating the package. In muesli for example, nuts and dried fruit contain fats that could result in the paper looking and feeling greasy &#; the barrier layer keeps it from doing that.
Barrier papers start with the base functionalities mentioned above, but it&#;s possible to work with converters to further process the paper in order to develop packaging that has additional barriers to suit the needs of different end-uses.
This system of co-creation with brands and converters is needed to find the best packaging for different end-uses, while helping brand owners meet their target of introducing more sustainable packaging.
For example, packaging for muesli that contains nuts or dried berries could use UPM AsendoTM as a base, with more barrier layers added by the converter to improve its grease resistance.
Fibre-based barrier papers offer one solution to the problem of plastic waste in the food packaging industry. In fact, one benefit of paper as a packaging material is that it can be recycled in existing recycling streams. To achieve barrier properties without compromising recyclability, a lot of development work and expertise in paper making is needed.
According to Cepi, over 70% of paper was recycled in , keeping fibres in the loop longer and extending the benefits of their renewable origin. If a package does not make it into the recycling bin, some barrier papers like UPM Asendo are biodegradable, acting as a &#;fail safe&#; in case they would end up in nature
Because barrier papers not only protect the product but also act as a print surface, they often eliminate the need for secondary and tertiary packaging for food items, further reducing waste.
For example, most frozen pizzas are currently packaged in a plastic film that is inside a cardboard box. If 70% of all frozen pizzas sold worldwide made the transition to barrier paper packaging, our experts estimate we could free the world from over 2 billion plastic packages in just one year.
d for shelf-appeal
Barrier papers offer brands the possibility to develop the best look and feel for their particular needs. Papers with two-sided coating like UPM AsendoTM Pro provide a printing surface that allows for sharp lettering, vivid colours and good visuality.
Additionally, barrier papers that are only coated on the inside presenting a surface that looks more natural and has an earthy feel.
UPM barrier papers comply with the most demanding requirements for direct food contact such as BfR and FDA
Barrier papers can also be used as a liner material when using recycled fibres in outer layer of packaging, for example in fruit trays. When newspapers and magazines are recycled traces of inks containing mineral oils may be present in those recycled fibres, meaning they can pose a health risk if they come in direct contact with food. UPM Specialty Papers has created two innovative technical solutions for preventing mineral oil migration: barrier papers UPM Asendo&#; Pro and UPM Asendo&#;.
Text: Lara McCoy
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