30

Plastic Packaging
of Frozen Foods
Kwang Ho Lee
Korea Food and Drug Administration, Seoul, Korea

CONTENTS
I. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
II. Types of Plastic Materials for Frozen Foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A. Polyethylene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1. Low-Density Polyethylene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2. High-Density Polyethylene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B. Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Copolymer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
C. Polypropylene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D. Polyvinyl Chloride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
E. Polyvinylidene Chloride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
F. Polyethylene Terephthalate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
G. Polystyrene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
H. Nylon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
III. Types of Plastic Package . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
IV. Frozen Foods Packaged With Plastics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A. Frozen Meat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B. Frozen Poultry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
C. Frozen Fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
D. Frozen Fruits and Vegetables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
E. Other Frozen Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
V. Future Trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
VI. Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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I. INTRODUCTION
Freezing of foods is used to prevent the growth and activity of microorganisms in food, to retard
chemical reactions, and to prevent the action of enzymes at around 2188C [1,2]. However, to maintain frozen foods in perfect condition, packaging should provide the following protections [2]:
1. To avoid dehydration caused by moisture vapor evasion through the wall or seals of the
package. This moisture loss dehydrates surface areas of the frozen food and causes
desiccation such as freezer burn. The dehydrated surface layer can be very thin, but
may affect the appearance and ultimate quality of the product.
2. To limit oxidation promoted by enzymes not eliminated by blanching if air penetrates the
package.
3. To inhibit oxidation particularly in food with a high fat content, which can be accelerated by
light as heat can induce increased enzyme activity and chemical and bacterial deterioration.
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4. To avoid flavor or volatile loss and the absorption of airborne odors which are
unlikely to occur at the same time as prepackaged foods remain frozen. Special care is
necessary with precooked foods where evaporation of the volatile content could cause
flavor loss.
5. To control physical damage caused by compression during storage and transport. Special
care should be paid in handling cases containing packs of frozen products. Further damage
may occur to the bottom layers of package if the outer containers are dropped onto a hard
surface.
Therefore, frozen food packaging materials must withstand low temperatures and sometimes
high temperatures, such as microwave and boil-in-bag products. It should be nontoxic and
convey no odors or flavors to the food. It should also provide a barrier to the transmission of
water vapor or oxygen and be water-resistant, and it should be able to be handled with machine.
Package should have the ability for graphic decoration and be tamper-resistant. Furthermore,
the package should not disintegrate when it becomes moist on thawing, and in the retail cabinet
package should be free of defects such as deterioration or collapsing.
In this chapter plastic packaging materials for frozen foods are discussed in terms of physical
and chemical properties, package types, and commercial frozen foods packaged with the plastic.

II. TYPES OF PLASTIC MATERIALS FOR FROZEN FOODS

For frozen foods, various plastic packaging materials, such as polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate
copolymer, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene, and nylon are commercially used now and their chemical structures are shown
in Figure 30.1.

A. POLYETHYLENE
Polyethylene (PE) produced by coordination and radical polymerizations are mainly referred to as
low-density and high-density polyethylenes, respectively [3].
1. Low-Density Polyethylene
Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) was introduced commercially after World War II. LDPE is
made from ethylene at very high pressure (about 170 MPa) and temperature above 1508C and
under the control of free radical initiators. At these conditions, free radicals attack the double
bond and add to the monomer, leaving a free radical which repeats this addition action on more
monomer molecules.
After polymerization is complete, the pressure is reduced to atmospheric, residual raw materials
and solvents are recovered from the reactor, meanwhile, the polymer is isolated as solid particles.
These are then extruded through a die that cuts the extruded strands into pellets for shipping and
later processing.
During this procedure, many side chain branches also can be formed. These side chains hinder
crystallization and reduce key properties such as stiffness and impact toughness, however they
improve clarity and reduce density, which save the area cost of films made.
Packaging film made from LDPE for frozen foods, with a density of about 910 kg/m3 is typically soft, flexible, and readily stretched. It has good clearness and provides a good barrier to moisture but a poor barrier to oxygen. It gives no off-odors or flavors to foods and is readily heat-sealed to
itself. These desirable features, with its very low cost per unit area, have made LDPE one of the
most widely used plastic packaging materials. It also shows excellent cold resistance, withstanding
extreme low temperature of 2708C [4].

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FIGURE 30.1 Chemical structure of various polymers.

2. High-Density Polyethylene
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) originally polymerized at much lower pressures if a catalyst
used to initiate polymerization of ethylene dissolved or slurried in a hydrocarbon medium.
Later, gas-phase processes were also developed. HDPE has a slightly higher density of about
940 kg/m3 than LDPE, with very little long-chain branching and a greater level of crystallinity.
As a result, it is stronger in tension, stiffer, harder, and more gas-impermeable than LDPE;
however, it has reduced clarity and impact resistance resulting from its greater crystallinity.
Strength, perhaps its most important property, is a function of molecular weight.
HDPE is used for packaging films and for applications such as bottles, jars, and vials because of
the ease of converting HDPE to blow- or injection-molded containers where it is needed for greater
strength, stiffness, and lower clarity.

B. ETHYLENE VINYL ACETATE COPOLYMER

Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer is copolymerized vinyl acetate with ethylene, and the
resulting plastic resins are widely used as adhesives in coextrusion or to make films that have all
the desirable properties of LDPE but are much tougher. Generally up to 8% vinyl acetate
content copolymerized EVA is used for frozen foods where toughness is required [5]. Large
blocks of ice are packaged in EVA film because it can successfully resist puncturing by the
sharp corners of the block and hold the heavy weight [6].

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C. POLYPROPYLENE
When propylene molecules react to form long polymer chains at about 1.5 MPa in a hydrocarbon
solvent and without a catalyst, or in a gas-phase process, the CH3 side groups usually follow a
regular pattern, in which the polymer molecules are lined up head-to-tail, nearly parallel, and
packed together in a crystalline structure with a high degree of regularity called isotactic or syndiotactic. If a large number of the molecules do not follow this regular array, the polymer called
atactic is soft and sticky and is useful only as an adhesive (Figure 30.2). As a heat-seal layer in
multiple structures, polypropylene (PP) used to be copolymerized with 1 5% ethylene to give a
wider melting range [7].
PP, with a density of 900 kg/m3, is the lightest resin of all used for packaging. Oriented PP
film is clearer than LDPE or HDPE, stiffer and tougher than LDPE, and has lower permeability
to moisture and gases than either, and with its higher melting point it is better suited to elevated
temperature packaging applications. This combination of properties, including a stiff feel,
resembles those of coated cellophane much more closely than does any PE film. For high gas
barrier, it can be coated with polymers such as polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) for oxygensensitive products [8].
PP film is also used in some packaging applications, such as a heat-seal layer for retort pouch or
boil-in-bag. Like HDPE, PP is stiff enough to be used in rigid containers where its superior clarity
gives it an edge over HDPE [6].
However, the major factor, which makes PP one of the most widely used clear plastic for
packaging, is temperature. It is not strong enough to resist deformation at the temperatures used
to sterilize foods in retort processing or the high temperatures used to radiant oven. Unless it is
copolymerized with a maximum ethylene content of 20%, it tends to be brittle at low temperatures
for frozen foods [4].

CH3

CH3

CH3

CH3

isotactic
CH3

CH3

CH3

CH3

syndiotactic
CH3

CH3

CH3

atactic

FIGURE 30.2 Different structures of PP.

2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

CH3

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D. POLYVINYL CHLORIDE
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the so-called vinyl, was introduced commercially in the late 1920s. It
is synthesized by the low-pressure free radical polymerization of vinyl chloride at temperatures in
the range of 38 718C. Vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) contains a double bond that can be broken
to allow head-to-tail polymerization to produce the polymer. However, various types of polymerization processes can be used to make polymers for specific applications [6].
PVC is a naturally brittle material and requires the addition of large amounts of other chemical
compounds called plasticizers to make it useful as packaging film. Plasticized PVC packaging
materials are tough and clear, provide a moderate barrier to oxygen and moisture, and can be
processed to produce films, such as PP and LDPE, with good shrink properties.
However, concerns about the dangers involved in municipal incinerators have focused particularly on chlorine-containing plastics such as PVC and PVDC because it is supposed that the formation of dioxin, a complex chlorinated toxic molecule, is due to the inflow of these chlorinated
plastics into the incinerator [9]. Regardless of the truth of this statement, it nevertheless casts
another shadow over PVC and contributes to its growing unpopularity all over the world. It will
probably be gradually replaced in some food packaging applications by lower-cost films such as
PE, PP, or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) that can match its functional characteristics.

E. POLYVINYLIDENE CHLORIDE
PVDC is made by copolymerizing vinylidene chloride (VDC) with other comonomers such as
VCM. Although the product is normally referred to as PVDC, it is always used in the copolymer
form in packaging applications [7]. This material finds wide use in packaging because PVDC
films are clear, soft, and high barrier materials with excellent cling characteristics. PVDC coatings
can be readily applied to plastics when dissolved in solvents or dispersed as emulsions.
These coatings have the lowest permeability to oxygen at high humidity compared with any
other polymers used in large-volume food-packaging applications. Ethylene vinyl alcohol
(EVOH) can only compete with PVDC for high oxygen barrier; however, its oxygen barrier property is very poor at high humidity due to the swelling of the polar polymer with the moisture
molecules.

F. POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE
PET is one of polyester polymers made by the condensation polymerization which are formed by
ester bonding and generating a small molecule, like water, from two different reactants, leaving
bonding sites being able for the two reactants to join together into long chains.
PET is produced under the catalytic melt polymerization of ethylene glycol and either dimethyl
terephthalate (DMT) or terephthalic acid (TPA) [7]. It is important to note that all these monomers
have two reacting groups such as 22OH on the glycol, 22COOH on the TPA, or 22COOCH3 on
DMT. This is necessary because the formation of a long chain depends on H2O or CH3OH
being split out from the both end functional groups of reacting molecules.
The clarity and the mechanical properties of PET improve dramatically when it is biaxially
oriented. This is done by stretching the film in both the longitudinal and transverse directions.
Tenter frame process is usually used for this purpose, although tubular process equipped with
biaxial orientation features can also be used. Unoriented PET, with its inferior properties, is
hardly ever used in packaging.
PET is a commercially very important food packaging material because at elevated temperatures, it has excellent mechanical properties with inertness to food for reheated frozen foods. Its
excellent high-temperature properties led its early use to boil-in-bag packaging and packaging
for readymade meals where products are warmed up for consumption without removing them

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Plastic Packaging of Frozen Foods

from their package. The latter feature makes it one of the few plastics approved by Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) for contact with food at high temperatures.
Especially oriented PET has very excellent strength and toughness, and possesses better oxygen
barrier property, especially for fatty foods, and better CO2 barrier property than any of the common
polyolefins such as PE and PP.
A copolymer of PET with cyclohexane dimethanol, called PETG, is tough but not as clear in the
unoriented state. Despite its high cost, it is used in some thermoforming applications.
A crystallized form of PET, called CPET, is frequently used for dual-ovenable frozen
precooked dinner and entree plates that must withstand radiant oven temperatures and microwave
without deformation [6,10].

G. POLYSTYRENE
Polystyrene (PS) is made by bulk or suspension polymerization of styrene via the double bond in
the ethylene group attached to the benzene ring. Polymerization is produced at low pressure and
temperature in the range of 120 2008C. PS is an amorphous, crystal clear, hard, brittle, lowstrength material with a relatively low melting point of 908C and poor impact strength.
However, it is readily thermoformed and injection molded but PS films have poor moisture and
gas barrier properties [6].
Copolymerization with synthetic rubber, such as polybutadiene or styrene butadiene rubber,
up to 10% by total volume improves its impact resistance, and such PS is called high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) [4]. HIPS is widely used for deep-draw food packaging such as egg trays, ice cream
containers, and drinking cups.
PS can be foamed by adding foaming agents such as hexane to the reaction mixture during the
suspension polymerization step. Its foamed form with 10 : 60 ratio is called expanded polystyrene
(EPS), which has a very low density but is still a rigid material that is widely used for trays for egg,
meat, poultry, and other products. It also has poor ability in conducting, providing insulation against
high and low temperature for frozen foods, and can act as heat shock absorbent [4]. The drawback
of EPS for the food packaging is its total lack of gas barrier, requiring packagers to overwraps with
barrier films when this property is required.

H. NYLON
Nylon belongs to the class of polyamide made by the condensation polymerization of an organic
acid and an amine. Nylon was the brand name for the most common of these polymers and is
now widely used as a general name for them all [6].
In packaging application, nylon 6 and nylon 6.6 are important. Nylon 6 is made by polymerizing a single monomer called caprolactam, which has both the acid group and the amino group on the
same molecule. Nylon 6.6 is made by reacting hexamethylene diamine and adipic acid to form an
organic salt by eliminating water and form the long chain polymer. Many other nylons made from
acids and amines with different structures are used for nonpackaging applications.
Nylon 6 is more common than Nylon 6.6 in food packaging, because it has a lower softening
point and wider melting range and is thus easier to heat-seal and coextrude with other thermoplastic
resins. Although its optical and mechanical properties are somewhat inferior to nylon 6.6, both
uniaxial and biaxial orientations are used to enhance the barrier and mechanical properties of
nylon 6 [11].
Nylon 6 is a clear film with pretty good gas and aroma barrier but has poor moisture barrier
properties; it also has superior strength and outstanding tear and puncture resistance at low temperature. Furthermore, it maintains its mechanical properties well at elevated temperatures [7,11].
Table 30.1 lists the properties, such as water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), O2 permeability,
and service temperature, of the above-mentioned major plastic packaging materials for frozen
foods [6,12].

2006 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Density (kg/m3)
Yield (m2/kg)
Tensile strength (GPa)
Tensile modulus
[1% secant (GPa)]
Elongation at break (%)
Tear strength (Graves) (kg/m)
Tear strength (Elmendorf)(kg/m)
WVTR at 388C and
90%RH [g/(m2 day)]
O2 permeability at 258C and
0% RH [ml/(m2 day atm)]
Haze (%)
Light transmission (%)
Heat-seal temperature range (8C)
Service temperature (8C)

HDPE

LDPE

EVA

PP

PET

PVC

PVDC

PS

Nylon

945967
41.2
0.020.04
0.86

910 925
42.6
0.01 0.03
0.14 0.28

930
41.9
0.010.02
0.060.14

900
44
0.14 0.20
2.41

1400
28.4
0.170.23
4.83

12201360
28
0.030.06
2.414.14

16001700
24
0.060.11
0.351.03

1050
38
0.060.08
2.763.28

1140
35
0.170.26
1.722.07

200600

800014000
6

200 600
1800 8900
4000 8000
16 31

500800
18008900
20008000
3147

50 275
17900 26800
13000
6

70130
1790035700
8004000
1623

100400
18005400
1600028000
31 465

50100
40
4004000
0.85

230
540017900
100 600
109 155

70120
890014300
6001200
155

15503100

7750

1085013950

15502480

5090

4659300

216

31005430

1530

140150
240120

5 10
65
120 180
26080

210
5575
70180
27070

3
80
90 150
240 120

2
88
140180
270150

12
90
140180
230 70

15
90
120150
220135

1
92
120180
260 80

1.5
88
120180
270200

Handbook of Frozen Food Processing and Packaging

TABLE 30.1
Properties of Major Packaging Materials for Frozen Foods (Data Based on 25 mm Film Thickness)

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III. TYPES OF PLASTIC PACKAGE

For frozen food plastic packages, bags, containers, trays, and stretch wrap types are commonly used
(Figure 30.3). Bag materials vary from unsupported PE and PP films to laminates of PE, PP, PET, or
nylon. Coating the films such as PP or PET with PVDC increases the barrier properties for fatty
foods. In boil-in-bags the products are packaged in bags in which they are intended to be cooked
before opening. Foods, which produce a strong flavor during cooking, can be cooked very
conveniently.
Examples of various materials which can be used for boil-in-bag products are HDPE and PP,
which can give a reasonable shelf-life, although the packaging materials are fairly permeable to
gases. Laminated materials are used to give a longer shelf-life. More expensive materials are
PP/PE, PET/PE, PET/nylon/PP, and a laminated PP/PE or PET/PE coated with PVDC. For containers, HIPS materials are used for frozen desserts and EPS trays, which look whiter and cleaner
with stretch wraps such as PVC or PE being used as alternative for paper mold product.
Thus, there is a wide range of package types available for frozen foods. However, the choice of
package types has to be made carefully, bearing in mind the cost and storage performance, and the
nature of the frozen product.

Tray and stretch wrap for fish

Tray and stretch wrap for shrimp

Containers for ready-made meals

Container for icecream

Bag for fruits

Bag for meat

FIGURE 30.3 Various types of plastic package for frozen foods.

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IV. FROZEN FOODS PACKAGED WITH PLASTICS

A. FROZEN MEAT
The spoilage of meat is reduced when the temperature falls below freezing at around 288C and
bacteria and molds stop developing although some still grow at around 2108C. The physical
and chemical changes in meat take place more slowly as the temperature falls down; however,
they are not completely stopped even when stored at 2308C [1].
The fat in frozen foods will eventually turn to be rancid and, if exposed to light, the red pigment
of myoglobin in the lean tissue will be fade. Irreversible dehydration will also occur at the surface
of the meat unless it is packaged in air-tight, vapor-resistant material, for example, plastic bags or
trays in conjunction with stretch wraps. Special equipment is available for this operation and the
film used must combine good water vapor resistance with an oxygen barrier. To maintain the
quality in frozen meat stored over long periods, a low temperature is essential. This must be a
minimum of 2188C, which is the normal running temperature of the domestic freezer, but
temperatures of 2258C or below, which is used for commercial cold store, is better.
Freezer burn is due to the dehydration of the surface of unpackaged or badly packaged frozen
meat. Freezer burn becomes progressively worse when badly wrapped frozen meat is stored for a
long time and grayish-white marks appear on the lean surfaces of the meat. To protect frozen meat
from rancid and freezer burn, PE bags and PVC or PVDC films are used with EPS trays [7].

B. FROZEN POULTRY
With the development of the skintight PVDC film package, prepared poultry are inserted into bags
and transferred to a rotary vacuumizing machine which packages the product with clip closures and
bag neck trimming. When shrunk, the bags form a second skin around the exact contours of the
birds, which are then either frozen in brine or in blast freezers, according to the preference of
the particular processor.
The tight vacuumized and shrunk bags protect the birds in the brine bath and prevent freezer
burn during prolonged storage. Bags are available in a variety of films and colors. Water absorption
is negligible and the function of oxygen barrier is sufficient to prevent fats from becoming rancid.
Materials used for packaging include PVDC film and a range of laminates with PE. Considerable
developments have taken place in recent years with the introduction of, for example, frozen
uncooked and precooked poultry portions [1,6].

C. FROZEN FISH
Most fish begin to freeze at about 218C and multiplication of putrefactive bacteria is stopped at
298C. Although bacterial spoilage is suspended, not all bacteria are destroyed. Protection of
frozen fish is needed against evaporation in cold storage caused by the transfer of moisture. This
is now usually taken care of by glazing based on dipping the frozen fish in water to ice coat the
surface or else by sealing the fish in a water and water-vapor-resistant wrapper. Thus the packed
weight of the product is maintained, visible-surface dehydration, such as freezer burn, is avoided,
and rancidity is retarded.
For packaging frozen fish, PVDC is used in vacuum-packaging some fish such as whole frozen
salmon. This system provides a better alternative to glazing process. It eliminates moisture loss on
initial freezing, drip loss on thawing, weight loss on glaze, and reduces labor and time needed for
traditional glazing. The lightly vacuumized package enables the salmon to retain its fresh characteristics throughout the entire distribution system [6].
Packaging material, such as PET film, is also used for fish cakes in pillow pack style on horizontal form-fill-seal machines. The film is reverse printed on the treated side and laminated
with PE. This laminate possesses barrier properties and is puncture-resistant over a wide range
of temperatures, giving protection during transportation.

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D. FROZEN FRUITS

AND

VEGETABLES

Many fruits suffer substantial damage on freezing. Osmotic changes occur as a result of ice formation that destroys the cell membrane. Generally fruits do not require blanching before freezing
and can be packaged in sugar or syrup of pureed before freezing. Vegetables, however, need to be
blanched before freezing to ensure enzyme inactivation, which would otherwise result in objectionable flavors and loss of nutritional value and color. Most vegetables benefit from quick freezing,
which gives a crisper final product.
The majority of frozen fruits and vegetables are packaged in plastics films, such as deep
freeze grades of PE, made into pillow-type packs on vertical form-fill-seal machines. Vegetables
are packaged commonly with LDPE as moisture barriers. Larger quantities, such as one pound
or more, are packaged in EVA bags that are strong enough to carry the weight, offer the necessary
moisture barrier, have good heat-seal properties, and remain pliable at freezer temperatures. As the
contents of these larger packages are not generally consumed all at once, a reclosable feature on
the package is often used. Some soft fruits, such as raspberries, are packaged in lidded plastic
containers [1,6].

E. OTHER FROZEN PRODUCTS

One effective way to inhibit mold growth and greatly extend shelf-life for baked goods is to freeze
the product. Frozen bread is packaged in LDPE bags. For frozen desserts such as ice cream, frozen
sorbets, mousses, and puddings, thermoformed HIPS containers are often used [6,9].

V. FUTURE TRENDS
Frozen foods depend on the low temperature at which they are kept after being rapidly frozen to
preserve them in the best quality condition and their packaging is required to prevent such as dehydration and oxidation of fats, which is often promoted by light, flavor, and aroma loss or gain and
physical damage during handling and transport. For this purpose, a variety of primary packaging are
currently employed including plain, coated, metallized, laminated plastic films, lidded plastic trays
and thermoforms often contained in paperboard sleeves or cartons.
However, to extend keeping times and better quality of frozen food at 225 to 2308C, it
requires the capability of withstanding these significantly lower temperatures without embrittlement. In case of merchandizing transparent packaging, antifogging bags are required, which can
give an advantage to chilled foods on display, whereas frozen foods will spoil the transparency
due to deposits of frost, because of the below-zero temperatures.
The development of ready meals for microwave is not so easy as might be supposed because
different meal components require different times for heating unless their processing has taken
account of this. The use of susceptors to provide browning and crisping of pizza or fish
stick cases has received much attention and is a field that has still to be developed further.
Much emphasis will also be placed on environmental protections. Considerations should be
given during the design and development of plastic packaging for frozen foods for the best packaging material to meet not only the protective needs of the food, but also environmental protections
in terms of material resources, energy conservation, and most importantly, recyclability, which will
result in minimizing the growing landfill problem [2,9,13,14].

VI. CONCLUSIONS
Plastic packaging materials, such as PE, PP, PET, PS, and nylon, are widely used for frozen foods.
These packaging materials should have proper barrier properties such as moisture vapor, oxygen,

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and flavor or volatile compounds and impact strength and puncture resistant to be used at low temperature, while keeping acceptable food quality of frozen products during processing, storage, and
handling of the foods.
Frozen meat, poultry, fish, fruits and vegetables, and desserts such as ice cream are some of
frozen products commonly packaged with plastics. In the future, plastic packaging materials will
be developed to meet not only functional protective needs of foods, but also material resources,
energy conservations, and especially recyclability to handle waste management for environmental
protection.

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