FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

PACKAGING
TECHNOLOGY
BUTTER PACKAGING

NAME: MEHREEN JABEEN

CLASS: BS 4TH YEAR 2021

SEAT #: EP-1855023

COURSE TITLE: PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY

COURSE #: FST-619

COURSE INCHARGE: DR MARYAM SHEIKH

DEPART: FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

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INDEX:

s. no CONTENT Page no

01 BUTTER 4-5

02 PACKAGING PROPERTIES FOR BUTTER 5

03 PACKAGING MATERIALS FOR BUTTER 6

i. VEGETABLE PARCHMENT 6-7

ii. FLEXIBLE FILM/ CELLOPHANE 7

iii. FOIL 7-8

iv. WOODEN BARRELS/CARDBOARD BOXES AND TEAK 8-9

WOOD DRUMS WITH FOOD GRADE PLASTIC.

vi. BUTTER CONTAINER 12-13

04 SUGGESTION 13-15

04 REFERENCES 15

BUTTER:

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Butter is a high fat product and contains about 80% fat, 15-16% moisture, 2-3%

salt and 1.5% curd. The natural flavor of butter is unique but it is prone to

oxidative deterioration. Therefore, a packaging material must protect the flavor of

butter against spoilage. In presence of sunlight and metallic contamination, it

develops flavor defect like rancidity. Also, butter absorbs the taste and odor of

other articles in the surroundings and develops defects. Therefore, it is preferred to

use only such material in contact with butter, which has a low metallic content and

provides adequate protection to flavor.

In addition, it should also provide protection to its body & texture and color &

appearance against any deterioration. Microbial, enzymatic and chemical reactions

also affect the quality of butter leading to its limited shelf life. Thus, it is obvious

that the prevention or delay of certain reactions and the maintenance of the

physical properties are necessary to store butter in a good condition for longer

period. This can only be achieved by using an appropriate material for packaging

of butter. Packaging material must be non-toxic, non-greasy, non-sticky and

amenable to packaging systems. In addition, it should offer:

Butter has long been recognized as a rich source of the fat-soluble vitamin A and

its precursor, carotene, from which vitamin A originates. Butter also contains some

vitamin D, which is significant inasmuch as this vitamin occurs in but few

commonly used foods.

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PACKAGING PROPERTIES FOR BUTTER:

Packaging material for butter should have excellent barrier properties such as:

 It should be moisture proof.

 It should be grease proof.

 It should be impervious to light.

 It should have good strength.

  Protection against external environments like light, humidity, gases and

odors, etc.

  Protection against loss or gain of water vapor and moisture;

  Protection against contamination with yeast, mould and bacteria;

  Protection against mechanical damage (sufficient strength);

  Resistance to corrosion and de-lamination;

  Ease and safety of transport;

  Convenience to retailers and consumers;

  Convenience to identify the product;

  Appeal to the consumers.

PACKAGING MATERIALS FOR BUTTER:

Some of the packaging materials used for butter packaging are:

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i. Parchment paper also known as butter paper.

ii. Wax coated paper.

iii. Aluminum foil laminates.

iv. Lacquered tin cans.

v. Flexible films/ Cellophane.

vi. Wood/ Cardboard boxes and teak wood drums lined with food grade plastic.

VEGETABLE PARCHMENT:

i. Water vapor, gas and light transmitting materials-

Vegetable parchment is the common packaging material in this group, which is

most commonly used for butter. It is impermeable to water and fat but it does not

provide protection against water vapor, light, and oxygen. Vegetable parchment

paper used should not have more than 9% moisture and excessive numbers of

microscopic pinholes. The paper should be stored in a dust free place where the

humidity ranges between 50-80% and above the ground on shelves. The place

should be free from mould. For better results, sterile plasticized grade of vegetable

parchment paper is used and is also suitable for use in high-speed packaging

machines.

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FLEXIBLE FILM/ CELLOPHANE:

ii. Water vapor tight, but light transmitting material (film) –

Examples of these materials are cellophane coated with wax or polyethylene. Tubs

or cups made of poly-vinyl-chloride, polyethylene and polystyrene/poly-

vinyledene-chloride laminate come under this group. This helps in transparency of

the product.

FOIL:

iii. Water vapor, gas and light tight material (foil) –

Typical example of this group is Aluminum-foil laminated with parchment or

imitation parchment and provided with protective coating of lacquer on the outer

surface of the foil. In order to avoid de-lamination, two component lacquer

laminated or polyethylene coated material instead of wax laminated material has

been developed and used. The air in fridge carries faint scents and odors from

foods we have stored, and porous foods like butter, fruit, and bread can pick up

those scents if they're not properly protected. Aluminum foil wrappings are less

penetrable than the parchment and wax paper wrapping. That means the butter in

the package stays fresher longer and is less likely to pick up unwanted odors.

The block butter foil is not recyclable; it is made of aluminum and paper.

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ALUMINUM:

Aluminum is generally used for beverage cans, foils, tubes, trays, pouches, and

coffee capsules. It has good resistance to temperature fluctuations and acts as an

excellent gas barrier, which extends the food’s shelf-life. It has outstanding

malleability and formability and can be easily embossed. It is relatively harmless,

lightweight, and can be recycled indefinitely. Alloying elements, such as

magnesium and manganese, are sometimes added to aluminum to enhance its

strength. Aluminum can be used in rigid, flexible, and semi-flexible packaging. It

helps maintain the freshness and aroma of the foods, and is good for protection

from radiation, oxygen, moisture, oils, and microorganisms. Soft-drinks, seafood,

and pet-food are commonly enclosed by aluminum packages.

WOODEN BARRELS/ CARDBOARD BOXES:

iv. Large Packages-

In earlier days, butter was packaged in wooden barrels or boxes in 50 kg lots. With

a view to better handling, easier storage, more efficient use of storage space and

for reasons of economy, fiber-board boxes have been introduced which can

generally hold 25 kg of butter. Before the box is filled it is lined with parchment or

other suitable materials. Boxes may be filled directly from the churn using a butter

pump or from the discharge line of a continuous butter-maker. It is, of course, also

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possible for the boxes to be filled manually from a butter trolley but it is more

hygienic to use butter pump. The following factors should be considered while

selecting material for butter boxes:

  Thickness and type of fiber-board,

  Water repellant properties,

  Basic weight of the material in g/sq. m.,

  Moisture absorption in a specified period at a predetermined relative

humidity and temperature,

  The use of paper coating,

  Bursting strength,

  Compression strength,

  Design of the insert, top and bottom sheets.

Nowadays a large number of flexible packaging materials like films, foils and

laminates, which meet the requirements, are available. These films and laminates

have the components such as Al. foil, polyethylene, cellophane, poly-vinylidene

cellophane, polyester, polyamide, vegetable parchment, wax, adhesive, lacquer and

hot melting and heat seal-able coating. Also, in order to offer protection against

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light multi-pack tub shaped containers, made from stackable plastic (polystyrene)

trays with formed tubs (PVC) into which coated board segments can be inserted,

are also available. Butter can also be packaged safely in Al. foil/parchment paper

laminate. Such laminates are impermeable to air, gases, light and moisture. It also

has sufficient mechanical strength and provides protection against microbial

contamination. It is non-toxic, opaque and can make airtight containers. The

packaging material consisting of aluminum and parchment or grease-proof material

is usually produced from a thin aluminum foil (0.009 mm thick) which is treated

on the surface with lacquer to afford protection against corrosion. The aluminum

foil is laminated to parchment or 40/42 g greaseproof paper or other suitable

materials. It is very important to avoid de-lamination of the material. There is only

limited market for butter packed in cups produced from Poly-vinyledene chloride

or cardboard boxes with insert of parchment.

WAX COATED PAPER:

Technical features wax paper 

 Material: wax paper

 Coated paper with natural, untreated wax 

 Water-vapor barrier 

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 Easy opening

 Gravure print (with up to 8 colors)

 Product versions with polymers and additives

Benefits for converters

 Attractive product presentation: high gloss and optimized sealing due to

modification with polymers and additives 

 Excellent machinability – high production speed possible 

 Excellent barrier properties

 High form stability and ideal folding properties 

 Better biological degradation than paraffin-based solutions

 High-quality printing possible 

 Short cycle and delivery times, short time-to-market

Benefits for consumers

 Attractive look: conveys attributes such as tradition and handcraft

 Natural feel: feels soft and pleasant

 Convenience: easy to open, does not tear 

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 Extended shelf life

 Preserves taste and aroma 

BUTTER CONTAINER:

The butter crock, also known as a butter bell or butter keeper, is a two-piece

contraption that keeps butter fresh on the counter for up to 30 days. The butter goes

in the “bell,” which you place in the water-filled crock. This device keeps butter

smooth and spreadable for whenever you need it.

Butter used to be sold in paper tubs, like cottage cheese, back in the olden days but

butter readily takes on the aromas around it and those tubs didn't exactly seal very

well. If you had fresh fish in the fridge, you also had fishy butter. The innovative

“stick and brick” packaging alleviated that considerably by using special waxed

paper that effectively isolated the butter from refrigerator odors.

The packaging was very convenient, providing quarter pound portions, a

commonly used amount in baking, and later adding gradations on the wrapper for

cutting lesser amounts as well. That packaging became so well accepted that

special covered “butter dishes” were developed to hold exactly one quarter pound

stick of butter for table use. Cutting a small patty (or “pat”) of butter from the

butter dish proved to be so much easier than trying to scoop a bit of the hard butter

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out of the tub that the butter dish became a ubiquitous piece of tableware

throughout the country.

SUGGESTION:

Why butter doesn’t sell in other packaging forms?

POUCH:

Butter cannot sell in pouches as it has the highest viscosity and it is semisolid food

and it cannot be filled in pouches as pouches are for powder or for liquids which

have any flow property, another reason of not selling in pouch as because we

spread butter on bread evenly so it is more convenient that we take butter as much

we required for bread to spread through knife.

PLASTIC:

Butter cannot be in only plastic wrap as alone plastic is not a very good barrier for

moisture, oxygen and due to oxygen butter can deteriorate due to rancidity because

butter contains fat. Plastic is used as a laminate in butter packaging.

CARDBOARD BOX:

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Butter cannot be sold in cardboard waxes as paper itself alone is not a good barrier

for moisture paper can absorb water and decrease the shelf life and consumer

acceptance. Although it is used for the distribution of butter products which are

packed in wax paper, parchment, aluminum foil and tub/container as a secondary

package.

GLASS:

Butter cannot be packed in glass because Glass is heavier than plastic, and breaks

much easier during transit. This means it produces more emissions in

transportation than plastic, and costs more to transport. Yet another thing to

consider is most glass isn't actually recycled.

Which packaging is more suitable for butter?

ALUMINUM FOIL:

The most suitable packaging for butter are aluminum foil which has great

resistance against oxygen, moisture vapor, light, gas transmission which doesn’t

cause butter to lose its flavor, aroma and taste which is adsorbent for water and

doesn’t let water to react with butter. Aluminum doesn’t let oxygen enter in butter

and cause rancidity or initiate oxidation but is suitable for butter in small quantity

to pack.

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CONTAINER/TUB:

Another suitable packaging for butter is butter container/tub which is best for

packing large quantity of butter and made from wide range of polymer and s butter

is semi rigid food so it is best for butter in this respect too. This tub comes along

with its lid so safety of butter increases as closed container/ tub don’t let oxygen,

water vapor, light react with butter which also increases its consumer acceptability.

REFERNCES:

 https://www.slideshare.net/AbhinavVivek1/packaging-materials-for-dairy-

products.

 https://www.schurflexibles.com/products/wraps-cheese-and-dairy-

products/wax-paper-cheese-and-dairy-products.

 http://dairy-technology.blogspot.com/2014/01/packaging-materials.html

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