Food Packaging Science and Technology

Food packaging is partly art and partly science—both are important for the development of effective and efficient food packages or packaging systems. Nevertheless, many commercial food packages are developed largely by empirical or trial-and-error methods. The practice of packaging art alone, with little consideration of the relevant science, frequently leads to ineffective designs and poor products, especially when dealing with complex food packaging systems. In this book, the authors attempt to strike a healthy balance between art and science, hoping to equip the reader with the necessary knowledge and tools to tackle food packaging problems. This book is unique in several aspects. Most noticeably is its richness in examples, discussion questions, and case studies, which are useful learning tools but are either absent or few in quantity in other packaging books. Another unique aspect is the breath of materials, covering not only the basic principles and technologies, but also the more advanced topics such as active packaging, intelligent packaging, and sustainable packaging. Also, this book is unique because its authors are from Asia, United States, and Europe, who have local and global perspectives about food packaging.