Air permeability of food packaging papers

Abstract

Paper and board are the cellulose materials most used in food packaging. Cellulose materials can be used as primary package (direct contact with the foods) or as secondary package (that give mechanical resistance). Food packaging papers are characterised by specialty properties, that are given by fibrous composition, mechanical modification of cellulose fibres (beating), different surface or mass treatments or are obtained by pasting with plastic or metallic foils. These paper grades should provide the barrier for odours, water and greases and can be characterised by different methods, such as: air permeability. In this paper, the research were developed on the variety of food packaging paper grades (paper base for pasting with metallic foils, silicon papers, glassine papers, aluminium foil coated papers, polyethylene coated paper) that were evaluated regarding the grammage, density, thickness, and air permeability using above mentioned methods. Are outlined some aspects regarding the air permeability of coated and uncoated papers, as well as efficiency and reproducibility of analytical used methods. After the analyse of obtained results, was observed that the aluminium foil coated and polyethylene coated papers are the best materials for food packaging, being practically impermeable.