Whether coffee, tea or cheese - the aroma characterizes numerous foods and gives them their characteristic taste. This makes it all the more important to preserve this aroma. Particularly loose and aromatic foods such as coffee, tea or spices reliably retain their aroma if they are stored in aroma protection bags.

Special features of food packaging

When packaging food, various aspects must be taken into account. The food should be reliably packaged so that its freshness, consistency and flavor are preserved. The packaging should not be harmful to health, ideally sustainable and aesthetic.

The top priority when packaging food is product safety. Many food products are stored in their packaging for weeks or months - and the contents must not be adversely affected in any way.

The packaging must reliably withstand environmental influences, of which there are many. Moisture, mold, bacteria, dust or dirt must not be allowed to reach the food through leaky packaging.

What are typical packaging materials for food?

There are different ways to package food, such as:

• Plastic
• Cans
• Glass
• Cardboard
• Metal
• Aluminum

Depending on what food is to be packaged, a particular packaging is best suited due to its advantages. For example, aluminum foil is well suited for food preservation because it is malleable and reliably protects against air and environmental influences.

Glass is a popular packaging material for food because it offers high protection and can be shaped as needed.

The disadvantage is that glass can easily break during transport. Especially due to its high dead weight, disposable glass as a packaging material does not have a good eco-balance.

It is not possible to make glass arbitrarily thick - especially as food packaging. Otherwise, the glass would break too easily. Also, glass contains sodium hydroxide. If you store glass for more than a year, trace particles can mix with distilled water in the container.

Cardboard packaging is often used as a decoration, while the food inside the carton is still kept in another package made of plastic. Plastic enjoys great popularity as a packaging material because it is inexpensive, practical and aesthetic.

The disadvantage is the large amount of waste that is generated. Uncoated cardboard is not a barrier to oxygen or moisture, so food cannot be packaged exclusively in it. Recycled paperboard often contains mineral oil components from newspaper inks, which can contaminate it. This makes the use of recycled paper for food packaging in direct contact with the contents critical.

Metal has been used for food packaging for a long time. It is mainly used in the production of beverage and food cans. Metal is robust and stable, so it offers a long service life as a packaging material. If salt or acid gets to the metal, its components and coatings can detach and pass into the food.

Therefore, today the inside of the metal containers is sealed with a film made of epoxy plastic. Mostly the foil contains bisphenol-A (BPA), which can get into the food during the sterilization process.

What is an aroma protection bag?

An aroma protection bag is a special bag for storing food. It consists of a multilayer barrier protection film that provides reliable protection for the food and preserves its freshness. The bag is food safe and has an additional aroma protection valve.

Aromatic foods such as coffee, tea or spices retain their strong aroma for a long time in the aroma protection bag. The bag is also suitable for packaging liquid foods that tend to lose their aroma. In a Stand-up pouch liquid food is reliably and aesthetically packaged, which is why this bag is also well suited for product presentation.

If the food produces gases during storage, an aroma protection bag with aroma protection valve is suitable for storage. This allows the gases to escape and the packaging is not inflated. However, the valve prevents the outside air from entering, so there is no loss of aroma.

Barriers for aroma protection

Aroma protection bags are used to store sensitive foodstuffs in particular, which can easily lose their aroma, taste or color and freshness if they are stored incorrectly. During transport and storage, the food is exposed to additional aroma-damaging influences that can adversely affect its quality.

The solution for maintaining food quality is the composite film used for the production of aroma protection bags. One of the different film layers of the bags usually consists of a barrier film.

This prevents the penetration of bacteria and oxygen. But also water and light do not get through the film. This means that the food can be stored for longer. If required, the contents can also be vacuumed.

Advantages of the aroma protection bag compared to other packages

Aroma bags offer numerous advantages when packaging aromatic foods, such as:

• food safe materials
• light and handy packaging
• Stability and tear strength
• Possibility of vacuuming
• reliable preservation of the aroma over a long period of time
• optimal enjoyment experience
• aesthetic presentation of the goods
• different designs and types of packaging

To what extent have aroma protection bags revolutionized the market?

Before the aroma protection bag was invented, cans were a widely used packaging material for food. Food could be stored in them for a very long time, but their aroma was not preserved for such a long time. So the aroma protection bag replaced the can because of the aroma protection.

In an aroma protection bag, the contents are well protected. Barrier protection layers have a positive effect on the shelf life of the food while warding off harmful external influences. Doypacks, for example, are securely sealed until they are opened for the first time.

The handling of an aroma protection bag is far easier than that of a jar or can. Even in larger versions, an aroma bag with a stand-up bottom, for example, weighs only a few grams. The material used is used sparingly.

Despite its low weight, the bag is robust and stable. Especially compared to glass, you save a lot of weight and costs here in logistics. Aroma protection bags are more robust than cardboard and, unlike glass, do not break. They do not soften with moisture and withstand pressure better.

Aroma protection bags like Doypacks are resealable. This keeps the food contained in them fresh for longer. In comparison, with glass and cartons, secure sealing is often no longer possible after the first opening.

Aroma protection bags are sustainable - even though they are mostly made of plastic. The walls of a Doypack, for example, are usually 95 to 112 µm (micrometers) thick - they are very thin. By contrast, cardboard or glass packaging materials are often several millimeters to centimeters thick.

Accordingly, aroma protection bags have a low raw material requirement. The packaging material can be recycled after use.

In sales, an appealing presentation is decisive for sales. Aroma protection bags such as Stand-up pouch, block bottom bags, gusseted bags or doypacks can be printed with the manufacturer's logo and showcased well.

Aroma protection bags are a versatile, lightweight and flexible packaging material. They reliably keep food fresh and aromatic and protect it from negative environmental influences.

Conclusion

Aroma protection bags are a handy and flexible packaging option that can be used in a variety of ways. The bags are particularly suitable for packaging food whose aroma should be preserved. There are different designs of the bags that meet the different requirements of the food.

For example, there are bags with an aroma protection valve, for foods that produce gases during storage. The gases can escape through the valve, but air cannot enter the packaging. This preserves the aroma of the contents and the packaging is not inflated by the gases.

Aroma protection bags are also a good decision for the environment. Although they are often made of plastic, unlike other packaging materials, very little material is needed to make an aroma protection bag. The material can usually be recycled after use.

FAQ

1. What material are aroma protection bags made of?

   Aroma protection bags are made of an aluminum composite foil. The composite film consists of different layers. One of the layers is a barrier protection layer. This prevents oxygen, moisture or UV rays from reaching the contents of the bag, thus preserving the freshness and shelf life of the food. The film is robust and durable. This facilitates the transport and storage of food in the aroma protection bag. Although the film used is made of plastic, it can be recycled after use.

2. Why are aroma bags a good choice for food packaging?

   Many foods tend to lose their aroma after some time. This effect is intensified if the packaging is permeable to light and air. Especially with coffee, tea or spices, a good aroma is essential for enjoyment. The use of aroma protection bags saves weight in the packaging.

   The bags are more stable and robust than glass or cardboard, for example. Less packaging weight also means lower costs in logistics. In addition, aroma protection pouches are particularly suitable for storing aromatic foods. Coffee, tea, herbs, etc. retain their aroma for a long time in this packaging. Some aroma protection bags are resealable, so that the food remains fresh for a long time even after the first opening.

3. What is an aroma protection valve?

   An aroma protection valve allows the escape of gas that some foods produce during storage. The gas generated can safely escape through the valve and the packaging is not inflated as a result. At the same time, the aroma protection valve prevents the entry of air and other environmental influences, so that the bag contents retain their aroma and quality.