Hi all. I am back with more stuff on masterbatches, the coloring and special function imparting agents in plastics. Thanks for the encouragement and comments, they are really justifying my efforts, which honestly I thought had gone down the drain.
In my last two posts I talked about the types of masterbatches and the points to consider while manufacturing them. Now I will discuss the role of colorants and additives in food & beverage packaging.
Plastic packaging is boon for food and beverage industry. Not only does it keep the contents fresh for long but also attractive packaging makes them irresistible for the consumers. But is the packaging really beneficial to the consumers? No point arguing that the plastic packaged content is usable for long (let’s not go to the pros and cons of that) but plastic, especially colored plastic does something to the food and all, doesn’t it?
Plastic packaging can alter the taste and odor. More often than not it is subtle, but sometimes the change can be major and irritating. Take a neutral product like bottled water; it is really susceptible to organoleptic influences.
Given the resources that go in creating compelling products, the last thing manufacturer need is to have a plastic package skew the taste and odor of their offerings.
From the knowledge gleaned from interaction with RP Industries functionaries (the guys I approached to research for my doomed school magazine article) I can safely say that understanding the interaction between resins, colorants, and functional additives and product taste and odor is essential to being able to limit the organoleptic interaction between the plastic package and its contents. It is especially necessary for UV Masterbatch suppliers and others involved in compound formulation.
The best approach is to choose an “organoleptic-friendly” colorant and avoid the use of functional additives. Moreover colorants require careful selection because of their certain chemical composition which might be more problematic than others when it comes to taste and odor. Many masterbatch manufacturers avoid or at the very least put strict limits on compounds that contain either chlorine or sulfur due to their potential to cause sensory issues.
Several other factors can effect the organoleptic integrity of a package such as the choice of carrier resins used in masterbatches. These should be neat resins that are free of low-molecular-weight components.
Amazing, isn’t it! Just a little (to be frank hell lot of it!) research and we know why our plastic packaged food tastes bad. Now it is up to the plastic manufacturers and the masterbatch suppliers to ensure that plastic packaging just alter the looks of a product not its taste.
