About - CFTRI

Food products, both fresh produce and processed foods, are transported, distributed and stored within the country, and a considerable quantum is also exported. Proper packaging of these commodities is a pre-requisite to maintain the quality attributes, as well as to reduce wastage caused by physical , mechanical, chemical and biological factors. The need for research and development in food packaging being felt seriously everywhere in the present age of processed foods was realised by the founders of CFTRI, decades ago. Accordingly, they established a nodal department for packaging and containers in 1956, and this has evolved into the present Department of Food Packaging Technology.

· Design and development of suitable packages based on product
characteristics and performance properties of packaging materials,
and finished package forms

· Development of economical, flexible packages for vegetable oils and
fats, fruit and vegetables, spice products, savouries and beverages

· Development of indigenous aluminium containers for foods and
beverages

· Pre-packaging and bulk-packaging of fresh produce

· Safety evaluation of packaging components and plastic packaging
materials for food contact applications

· Development of environment-friendly packaging materials

Utilization of agricultural waste materials and eco-friendly natural and synthetic materials
Development of bio-film from secretion of insects
Design and fabrication of packaging machinery such as bio-plate making machine
Development of vacuum packaging equipment; volumetric machine for filling free-flowing solid materials; continuous heat sealers for flexible films; and vibration testers with variable amplitude
Functional and economical (and suitable for marketing and
distribution) package design for a variety of processed food products including traditional foods, infant foods, bakery and confectionery products
Design of transport packages for fresh produce and processed foods, and development of cost-reduction techniques in transport package design
Development of computer-aided package design techniques
Modelling and computer simulation of package performance
Standardisation of process schedules for thermal processing of foods in cans, glass, tin-free steel and aluminium containers, and retortable pouches based on heat penetration studies and
sterilization value
Development of quality standards and government regulation

Major Projects Completed

· Technology packages for convenient and ready-to-eat foods

· Economical and functional packages to contain edible oils and fats

· Shelf-life prediction methods and generation of data
on flexible packaging materials

· Process modification and in-retort exhaust-cum-sterilization system
for heat processing of food products in plastic containers

· Transport package from traditional indigenous materials

· Improvements in metal containers for processed food products and
beverages

· Migration aspects of plastic constituents into food simulants under
use conditions

· Development of rigid aluminium containers for packaging of
processed foods and beverages

· Development of bulk packages for storage and transportation of
commercially important fruit and vegetables

· Studies on the suitability of alternatives to tin plate containers for
packing processed food products

Technical Services Offered for:

Unit packages, transport packages, fresh-produce packages; packaging materials; computer-aided and graphic package designs; fabrication of canning and other packaging machinery
Sorption isotherm studies and shelf-life studies in controlled
environments for inland and export markets
Thermal processing of foods: Establishment of processes and
evaluation of containers
Testing of packaging materials for their physico-chemical properties, safety and transport worthiness
Migration testing for food-grade quality of plastic packaging materials
Evaluation of finished packages for performance under simulated storage and distribution conditions
Routine quality control services