Preserving Food Quality: The Critical Role of Packaging in Safeguarding Food Safety and Sustainability

By Sasha Matera-Vatnick 

Consumers perceive value in transparency from food and beverage companies, and one area that has become top of mind for consumers is the sustainability implications behind the packaging of food and beverage products they purchase. Packaging plays a critical role in food safety and preservation by acting as a physical barrier, prolonging shelf life and alleviating environmental impact by reducing food waste. Packaging sustainability is a multifaceted topic given the interplay of disciplines, such as material science, food chemistry, food microbiology, supply chain, government regulations, consumer behavior, and increasingly, information science, among others.