Packaging materials

Packaging materials are the substances from which food packaging is constructed, including plastics, paper and board, glass, metals, and emerging bio-based films. Each brings characteristic barrier, mechanical, and sealing properties: plastics offer versatile oxygen and moisture barriers, glass is inert and impermeable, metals block light completely, and paperboard provides stiffness and printability. Their defining food-safety requirement is that no harmful substances migrate into the food above legal limits, a compliance demonstrated through migration testing under regulated conditions. Selection balances protection, cost, machinability, and environmental impact, with active and intelligent variants now adding oxygen scavenging, antimicrobial action, or freshness indicators to extend shelf life and inform consumers.