The Role of Food Packaging in Physical Contamination

Food contamination comes in many forms, from biological contaminants to physical hazards. With so many entry points for contamination, food manufacturing facilities need to have procedures in place to prevent all types of contamination, including contamination from food packaging.

While less common than other types of contamination, food packaging can still be a source of foreign materials that find their way into the food supply chain. Because it is less common, this threat is one that food manufacturers can easily overlook. However, putting procedures in place to safeguard against physical contamination from food packaging is an important part of a strong culture of food safety.

Problems with Food Packaging

While measures can be taken to screen for physical contamination that occurs during the food production process, manufacturers should also be aware that foreign materials can enter food as a result of the packaging used once production is completed.

According to the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IOPP), certain types of packaging can make food more susceptible to contamination from foreign objects. The IOPP’s report, “Potential Food Safety Risks and Possible Controls for Food Packaging Materials,” addresses how certain types of packaging contribute to contamination.

Sources of Contamination From Food Packaging

Among the types of food packaging found to be at greatest risk for physical contamination are:

1. Printed Paperboard Cartons

Paperboard products can be recycled numerous times, keeping cardboard and paperboard out of landfills. While that’s a great benefit to the environment, it can pose risks if the recycled pulp contains foreign material.

2. Rigid Plastic Containers and Lids

The injection molding process for creating containers and lids involves using high pressure to inject hot resin into a mold, and then cutting away the excess plastic. During this process, there can be excess pieces of plastic that are cut away but remain in the container.

Another way that plastic containers become contaminated is through metals that are either part of the packaging materials or come through screens or filters designed to catch such objects, but instead, come loose and become contaminants themselves.

3. Glass Jars or Containers

Glass packaging can contribute to physical contamination in different ways. Containers may break during the manufacturing process, leading to contamination of the product. They may also break during the palletizing process, potentially creating a risk for the extraneous glass to cause injury to consumers.

The Best Way to Detect Packaging Contamination

As with any type of foreign material, the first and best line of defense is detecting the problem before the product reaches consumers. Failing to discover physical contamination and allowing products to reach shelves can have costly and disastrous consequences.

In addition to lost consumer confidence, contaminated foods can lead to costly recalls and lawsuits. With the introduction of metal detectors to the food industry more than 50 years ago, contaminants like glass and plastic won’t be found through such screening. That’s where X-ray inspection can make all the difference.

Third-party X-ray technology can detect microscopic particles. It can find wood, glass, plastic, rubber, metal, stones and other contaminants as small as 0.8 mm (and even smaller in some cases).

X-ray food inspection is one of the most effective forms of physical contaminant detection available today. In addition to detecting contaminants, X-ray inspection can detect container defects, missing components and incorrect fill levels.

While packaging does not pose the greatest threat to food contamination, it still requires monitoring to ensure that consumers get a safe product every time.