Plastics are enjoying substantial growth as a packaging medium, at the expense of materials such as glass, metals and paper, and in spite of environmental pressures on plastics materials in general. The growth of plastics packaging is due in no small part to the technologies available to convert available materials into packs of different forms - flexible, semi-flexible and rigid - at high speed. This has had a crucial role in minimising the cost of plastics packaging. High quality packs can be produced, with the option of including decoration as part of the moulding process. This volume acquaints the reader with the technologies that can be used to convert a limited number of polymers into a myriad of packaging formats. Designed as a companion volume to Materials and Development of Plastics Packaging for the Consumer Market (eds G A Giles and D R Bain), it covers the manufacture of plastics packaging for the food, beverage, household and personal care products markets worldwide. Chapter authors have been drawn from industry or from sources close to industry. The volume is directed at packaging technologists and those involved in the design and development of packaging. It will also be of interest to those involved in specifying or purchasing packaging.

This volume acquaints the reader with the technologies that can be used to convert a limited number of polymers into a myriad of packaging formats. It is directed at packaging technologists and those involved in the design and development of packaging.

This report reviews the current use of plastics for packaging both by technology and market covering the world in consumption and growth terms as well as material and process developments.

This report provides an overview of the plastic packaging supply chain from materials to disposal. Information is included on market sizes and trends relevant to this chain. It includes a review of key factors affecting the industry, such as the need for recycling, and new developments in plastics used in packaging. This report includes a description of plastic material types and properties relevant to packaging. Tables of comparative data are included.

The second edition of the Food Processing Handbook presents a comprehensive review of technologies, procedures and innovations in food processing, stressing topics vital to the food industry today and pinpointing the trends in future research and development. Focusing on the technology involved, this handbook describes the principles and the equipment used as well as the changes - physical, chemical, microbiological and organoleptic - that occur during food preservation. In so doing, the text covers in detail such techniques as post-harvest handling, thermal processing, evaporation and dehydration, freezing, irradiation, high-pressure processing, emerging technologies and packaging. Separation and conversion operations widely used in the food industry are also covered as are the processes of baking, extrusion and frying. In addition, it addresses current concerns about the safety of processed foods (including HACCP systems, traceability and hygienic design of plant) and control of food processes, as well as the impact of processing on the environment, water and waste treatment, lean manufacturing and the roles of nanotechnology and fermentation in food processing. This two-volume set is a must-have for scientists and engineers involved in food manufacture, research and development in both industry and academia, as well as students of food-related topics at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. From Reviews on the First Edition: "This work should become a standard text for students of food technology, and is worthy of a place on the bookshelf of anybody involved in the production of foods." Journal of Dairy Technology, August 2008 "This work will serve well as an excellent course resource or reference as it has well-written explanations for those new to the field and detailed equations for those needing greater depth." CHOICE, September 2006

As the complexity of the food supply system increases, the focus on processes used to convert raw food materials and ingredients into consumer food products becomes more important. The Handbook of Food Engineering, Third Edition, continues to provide students and food engineering professionals with the latest information needed to improve the efficiency of the food supply system. As with the previous editions, this book contains the latest information on the thermophysical properties of foods and kinetic constants needed to estimate changes in key components of foods during manufacturing and distribution. Illustrations are used to demonstrate the applications of the information to process design. Researchers should be able to use the information to pursue new directions in process development and design, and to identify future directions for research on the physical properties of foods and kinetics of changes in the food throughout the supply system. Features Covers basic concepts of transport and storage of liquids and solids, heating and cooling of foods, and food ingredients New chapter covers nanoscale science in food systems Includes chapters on mass transfer in foods and membrane processes for liquid concentration and other applications Discusses specific unit operations on freezing, concentration, dehydration, thermal processing, and extrusion The first four chapters of the Third Edition focus primarily on the properties of foods and food ingredients with a new chapter on nanoscale applications in foods. Each of the eleven chapters that follow has a focus on one of the more traditional unit operations used throughout the food supply system. Major revisions and/or updates have been incorporated into chapters on heating and cooling processes, membrane processes, extrusion processes, and cleaning operations.

Bio-Based Packaging Bio-Based Packaging An authoritative and up-to-date review of sustainable packaging development and applications Bio-Based Packaging explores using renewable and biodegradable materials as sustainable alternatives to non-renewable, petroleum-based packaging. This comprehensive volume surveys the properties of biopolymers, the environmental and economic impact of bio-based packaging, and new and emerging technologies that are increasing the number of potential applications of green materials in the packaging industry. Contributions address the advantages and challenges of bio-based packaging, discuss new materials to be used for food packaging, and highlight cutting-edge research on polymers such as starch, protein, polylactic acid (PLA), pectin, nanocellulose, and their nanocomposites. In-depth yet accessible chapters provide balanced coverage of a broad range of practical topics, including life cycle assessment (LCA) of bio-based packaging products, consumer perceptions and preferences, supply chains, business strategies and markets in biodegradable food packaging, manufacturing of bio-based packaging materials, and regulations for food packaging materials. Detailed discussions provide valuable insight into the opportunities for biopolymers in end-use sectors, the barriers to biopolymer-based concepts in the packaging market, recent advances made in the field of biopolymeric composite materials, the future of bio-plastics in commercial food packaging, and more. This book: Provides deep coverage of the bio-based packaging development, characterization, regulations and environmental and socio-economic impact Contains real-world case studies of bio-based packaging applications Includes an overview of recent advances and emerging aspects of nanotechnology for development of sustainable composites for packaging Discusses renewable sources for packaging material and the reuse and recycling of bio-based packaging products Bio-Based Packaging is essential reading for academics, researchers, and industry professionals working in packaging materials, renewable resources, sustainability, polymerization technology, food technology, material engineering, and related fields. For more information on the Wiley Series in Renewable Resources, visit www.wiley.com/go/rrs