COVID-19 Impact on Food Packaging in Food and Beverage Industry | DBMR

Posted by Prakash on April 23rd, 2021

COVID-19 Impact on Food Packaging in Food and Beverage Industry

The pandemic have impacted the food packaging industry globally. Food packaging offers protection to food products by maintaining all essential properties of food with their physical and biological appearance.

Though, there is no evidence associated with transmission of infection through packaging as of now but precautions regarding handling food products with their packages have been raised. Further, World Health Organization (WHO) and local health authorities have provided guidelines for handling the food packages such as:

• Washing all packaging instantly when it enters the household with water and soap.
• Transfer packaged food to cleaned containers for storage.
• Quarantine the food items having large quantity for up to three days in the household before they used.

Lockdown have been drastically impacted in all over world including North America and Europe. However, this lockdown have been created opportunity to the packaged food sector due to their demand because of taste, high storage shelf life and attractive availability.

However, there is raising concern regarding transmission of infection through food packaging which impacting on the demand for packaging which is eventually impacting on packaging manufacturing in negative manner.

For instance,

• According to one of the survey conducted in April 2020, 79% of global respondent stated that they are particularly safe packaging particularly they are looking for biodegradable packaging.

Further, there is increasing evidence regarding transmission of infection through food packaging. Imported or exported frozen food tested positive in several countries.

For instance,

• According to NCB News, China has reported cases through of packaging contamination which were found in screening of imported goods related to food across the country.
• According to Chinese Health Officials, Coronavirus has been traced on frozen goods which were imported into the cities of Pingxiang, Dalian and Xiamen. Same cases were found in Wuhan and Shenzhen. This case was previously linked with import of frozen shrimp and chicken wings from Brazil and Ecuador.

Though, there is risk and several cases were found, but there is less risk associated with trasmisation of infection through packaging. For instance, according to T. Jacob John, a retired virologist at Christian Medical College, there is less risk associated with spreading of virus through packaging of frozen food.

Further, people are more aware regarding the handling of food packaging. Hence, they are taking precautionary steps regarding handling of frozen food and other packaged food products. Due to the extended lockdown consumers have more dependent on the processed food including. Consumers preferably turns to packaged food for their comfort, before COVID-19 have fueled number of food and service sector. Hence, it is still providing better opportunity for packaging manufacturers to grow with substantial rate.

In addition, many of health authorities and other governmental association have taken initiatives providing guidelines and other principal for handling of food packages.

For instance,

• In September 2020, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has published report for providing challenges and opportunities of biodegradable and compostable plastics. Further, this report provides suggestions of using plastics which are bio-based, oxo-degradable, and biodegradable.

Hence, owing to this initiatives food packaging market is still in considerable growth

INITIATIVES

Outbreak of Coronavirus has affected every sector in the food industry including food packaging market. The industry has affected as the supply and demand are badly disrupted.

For instance,

• In April 2020, Cargill Incorporated has started working by following safety practices at site. Including additional precautions at manufacturing facility, including temperature testing and prohibiting international travelling, among others. Read more…