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Home , Amphora, Modified atmosphere

Exhibition Packstory

Packaging throughout the ages

Guided tour

The history of packaging cannot be separated from human history. As the prehistoric movements of people and trade began to spread and mankind took supplies with them, some means of packaging had to be invented to transport, protect and preserve these supplies.

Since then, there have been more and more innovations. Our plastics can now be manufactured from plants ; smart show us when a product is past its use-by date ; the atmosphere within our packaging is modified in order to keep our products fresher for longer, and radio frequency identification systems can guarantee the traceability of a product while including a mass of additional information.

Showcases

The origins of packaging lie buried in pre-history when leaves, fruits, barks, animal skins, or horns were used to carry water and food.

The appeared around 6000 BC. In ancient times, these clay were the most commonly used vessel to carry , oil, and fish sauces. They were often recycled by crushing for the production of mortar or reusing the pieces for lining a watercourse.

The wooden using iron hoops is a Gallic invention. Stronger than an amphora, it was used to preserve beer and to transport liquids such as drinking water.

The first flasks and jewels made of date from ancient Egypt, sometime around 1,000 years BC. The technique of blowing glass appeared around 50 years BC.

Tin-coated iron was first used in the 13th century. Following evolutions in metal manufacturing, steel appeared in 1786. In 1795, during the French revolution, Nicolas Appert invented ‘appertization’, a sterilization process. This marked the beginning of the cans.

Aluminium was discovered in 1827. It was initially used for manufacturing and, from 1850, also for soft paint tubes. This enabled painters to roam the countryside, thus fostering the rise of Impressionism.

As early as the 1930s, certain drinks were sold in the USA in circular boxes made of tin-coated iron. Because their appearance was similar to cans, people started calling them ‘tin cans’. The aluminium can made its first appearance in 1959.

The Chinese invented modern during the Han dynasty in 105 AD. Old rags were first used but from 1850 onwards, wood pulp became the primary component. That year also saw the first multi-layer cardboard manufacturing machine appear. Modern cardboard packaging integrates safety systems and Braille writing.

The first drink for milk appeared at the beginning of the 20th century in America. In 1961, a Swedish manufacturer enabled the sanitized packaging of milk, thus enabling a longer preservation period.

Vacuum packaging prevents the proliferation of . The first vacuum-packed instant coffee was marketed in Belgium in 1961

The history of plastic goes back to ancient Egypt, where gelatine-based glues were employed. The first artificial plastic was celluloid (1856), which was manufactured to serve as an alternative to ivory in the production of snooker balls. The first industrial plastic based on a synthetic polymer was Bakelite, discovered in 1907 by Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland. Numerous polymers were synthesized throughout the 20th century, including HDPE in 1953. The first PET appeared in the early 90s. Since the end of the 90s, PET bottles also incorporate recycled PET. In 2009, the first containing PET produced from sugarcane was marketed. In certain types of packaging, the atmosphere is modified in order to increase the of food that would otherwise perish quickly.

A world without packaging: A dream or a nightmare ?

Let us imagine for a minute what would happen if the products we use were not presented in packaging devised to assure their transport, their protection and their hygiene !

For producers, packaging must protect, help and inform consumers and present the product in an attractive way. For distributors, packaging must have a shape suited to the space available on a , in a , or in a truck. For retailers, packaging must enable them to put products on the shelves quickly and functionally. For consumers, packaging should make handling, transport, use and identification of the products as easy as possible. Biomimicry Marketing

Nature creates packaging …

In Madagascar, only the Xhantopan morganii praedicta, a moth which has a sufficiently long proboscis, is able to gather the nectar which is concentrated on the inside of the orchid called Angraecum sesquipedal. So, at nightfall, the flower emits a particularly strong perfume. Its bright white colour is an added attraction for this particular moth. The orchid has a very selective strategy: it targets and attracts only the insect suitable for its pollination.

… which inspires man

The packaging of cosmetic products uses graphic means and designs to selectively attract us. Cold and often dark colors, combined with clean lines, are generally used for products intended for men. Conversely, packaging intended for women is often more colorful and skillfully decorated.

Biomimicry Schockproof protection

Nature creates packaging …

Macadamia nuts have an extremely hard and resistant shell. Few animals – with the exception of rats, orangutans, and one species of parrot, the hyacinthe – can crack them open to eat them. And yet the nut will split open naturally once it’s dry and when environmental are favorable to release its seed and let it develop into a new plant. The shell thus fulfils its mechanical protective role. Packaging ensures the survival of the species !

… which inspires man

A can is a unique type of packaging with very specific qualities. It provides maximum mechanical protection to its content. Thanks to the can, the food products can also be subjected to special high-temperature treatments. These destroy all pathogenic microorganisms that may be present and ensure prolonged preservation of the product over time.

Biomimicry Prolonged life

Nature creates packaging …

An egg mut be able to help the embryo to develop into a chick. The embryo needs to capture and ejects its waste in the form of . The microporous calcium structure of the egg shell enables the exchanges to take place while providing a sufficiently solid protection around the growing chick.

… which inspires man

Certain specially designed plastic films enable a specific level of oxygen and CO2 exchange between a product and the external world. This type of packaging is used, for example, with fresh vegetables, providing them with an ideal atmosphere. Products are thus preserved for a much longer period.

Biomimicry Ease of storage

Nature creates packaging …

A sunflower contains an impressive nomber of seeds. This is because the seeds are packed in diamond-shaped husks, which makes for optimal storage. The arrangements of the sunflower seeds has been the object of mathematical researches.

… which inspires man

A bottle is a simple example of artificial packaging whose function is the optimal storage of its content. Here, the hexagonal compartments optimize storage for 28 bottles within a minimum amount of space and a maximum amount of schokproof protection. Stacking of the is also optimized, allowing up to 90 crates to be stacked on top of each other.

Biomimicry Information of the state of a product

Nature creates packaging …

After it has been picked, a banana continues to mature. Cold preservation slows down this process. Once it has been marketed, the process is no longer curbed. The skin of the banana informs us about the state oh the maturing process through its aspect and color.

… which inspires man

So called smart packaging informs us about the freshness of perishable goods. Some of these packaging items have a using thermochromic inks to verify the continuity of the and control the state of preservation of the product on an accurate and unfalsifiable way. The color of the label evolves along with the freshness of the product.

Biomimicry Easy closing system

Nature creates packaging …

Mussels are generally covered by sea water at high tide and exposed to the ambiant air at low tide. When they are exposed to air, they are in a stressful environment : consequently, their shells close tighly and a little sea water is retained inside. Mussels are thus protected from lack of oxygen, which they can only access when it is dissolved in water. They are also proteccted from the fall in salinity and dehydration.

… which inspires man

In today’s supermarkets we find many types of packaging which are easy to open and close, according to the consumer’s needs. A good example is grated cheese in plastic . It often come with a zipper system to open and close the bag several times. This system maintains the texture and the flavor of the cheese, prolonging its preservation and reducing therefore the food waste.

Food wastage Belgians throw away 15 kg of food per person per year

Why such waste?

More and more people live alone, while in households, people increasingly have different lifestyles and live according to a different rhythm, making it difficult to plan purchase. This translates into excess food left over. Our culture no longer stimulates us to use these left-overs. We have become much more demanding, we lack space, we do not take the time, and sometimes we interpret the use-by date in the wrong way.

How to reduce food wastage?

Comply with cold chain Make a shopping list requirements

Put things away in the fridge and When out shopping, check that freezer while taking into the packaging is not damaged account the different cooling areas

Buy food in suitable portions for Plan meals around what is left in your household consumption the fridge

Use up the left-overs, put them Check use-by dates into the freezer, or share them with others

Food wastage Packaging and its role against wastage

Packaging plays an important role in the fight against food wastage:

• It prevents degradation of food due to shock and • It presents products in a range of portion sizes to enable their optimal use in different situations and by different population segments : single, families, at home, outdoors, etc. • It extends the life of a product (vacuum packaging, packaging, ) • It provides information on storage and use conditions (temperature/use-by date)

Active packaging: An answer to wastage ?

Active packaging means that the components of the packaging actively interact with the food to increase food security and prolong its shelf life, thus reducing the amount of food that goes to waste.

Modified atmosphere packaging extends the life of fresh food products. The reduced oxygen level in packaging prevents from spoiling too fast. They remain fresher and keep their color and consistency for much longer.

Packaging and the environment Energy necessary for the weekly consumption of food (MJ)

Production

Home Home storage cooking Transport Packaging Transport from Transport packaging factory Retailing shop - household

Source: INCPEN – the Industry Council for Packaging & the Environment Table for One: the energy http://www.incpen.org/displayarticle.asp?a=49&c=3

Packaging and the environment Energy necessary for the weekly consumption of potatoes (MJ)

Home cooking

Home Production Transport Transport storage Packaging Transport from Retailing shop - packaging factory household

Source: INCPEN – the Industry Council for Packaging & the Environment Table for One: the energy http://www.incpen.org/displayarticle.asp?a=49&c=3

Packaging and the environment Energy necessary for the weekly consumption of meat (MJ)

Production

Home Home storage cooking Packaging Transport Transport Retailing Transport packaging from shop - factory household

Source: INCPEN – the Industry Council for Packaging & the Environment Table for One: the energy http://www.incpen.org/displayarticle.asp?a=49&c=3

Packaging and the environment Impact Impact of on eq.CO2 emissions

There are many who think that packaging is unnecessary and represents an important source of environmental nuisance. However, by conserving food and protecting it, packaging helps to avoid spoilage and the useless production of food products, which are in fact responsible for 95% of CO2 emissions as opposed to 5% for packaging.