Our meat production since 1990, has been ranked first in the world, but the proportion of deep processing of meat products, meat production accounts for only 10 percent of the world’s developed countries generally have reached the proportion of about 50% in some countries even more than 70% , with a considerable gap between the advanced level . More importantly, the variety and quality of the meat is more behind the world ‘s advanced level , one of the key reasons is related to meat packaging technologies, mainly developing flexible packaging technology.
Nearly 30 years of experience in the meat industry, secondary larger development. The first time was in the early 1980s began , with the meat then the introduction of foreign advanced processing equipment and technology , led to the packaging of frozen meat division and the development of Western-style cooked meat ; second was from the 20th century, 90 start early 1990s decade , there has been a small package division chilled meat and sausage and meat products as the representative of Chinese products development.
In the 21st century , under the new situation of joining the WTO , China’s meat industry will be faced with yet another new period of development during this period in the development of the meat industry is not only reflected in the volume , but the main purpose is to reflect in terms of quality , high-quality, safe and secure meat products will continue to emerge , cold meats, fermented meat products, meat products , such as Chinese industrial production of high -tech new products will be the future direction of development.
Throughout the history of our meat products are all closely linked with the development of packaging technology , which is mainly associated with the flexible packaging technology , the meat industry ‘s technological innovations needed to support flexible packaging technology , whereas the emergence of new flexible packaging technology also contributed to the meat industry development. In the second period of development in the past , many domestic flexible packaging technology and equipment development lags behind the needs of the development of the meat , so that the domestic flexible packaging companies lost a lot of opportunity to make a considerable number of imported packaging materials and packaging machinery and equipment occupied the domestic market. The purpose of this study is to remind the domestic flexible packaging industry engaged in various aspects of attention, to avoid further missed opportunities facing Third , speed up technological progress and product development in the flexible packaging industry , the third major development to meet China’s meat industry. The following two aspects of the new fresh meat and meat products are as flexible packaging technology and its development direction of the relevant meat
Flexible packaging fresh meat
China is expected in the next 5-10 years, meat production will be 5% -10 % annual growth rate continues to grow. Chief among these is the development of fresh meat , fresh meat, how flexible packaging technology to keep up with this development is an issue of concern within the industry . Flexible packaging raw meat meat consumption is mainly to solve the safety shelf circulation problems . Meat slaughtered pigs , cattle and other live will produce a series of biochemical changes , the end of the period clear plastic packaging to maturity from stiff , quality of the meat is constantly changing, if not take a scientific package shelf technology , raw meat quickly would spoilage. Requirements for fresh meat shelf life , at home and abroad with a frozen, refrigerated , irradiation sterilization , chemical corrosion, vacuum packaging , inflatable packaging, packaging and shelf combination of technology .
The plastic packaging design early 1980s, China’s market accounted for a large proportion of frozen meat was introduced many advanced segmentation packaging frozen meat equipment and technology , the main packaging material is a single layer of polyethylene bags beginning , and later developed into nylon / polyethylene composite flexible packaging bags , packaging forms from simple to complex single- film plastic bags and vacuum-packed bags of soft film forming vacuum packaging. In addition to the domestic packaging equipment vacuum sealer, the introduction of the soft film forming filling and sealing machine (FFS machine ) is the most advanced flexible packaging equipment. Packaging products are mainly divided small package frozen legs, big row , a small row , meat and other products , which meet current market demand for play a role . But then the fresh meat at a low level overall flexible packaging , vac tray packaging materials polyethylene film mainly due to the water vapor transmission rate of large polyethylene material , frozen in dry- period consumption saving big bag severe frost , poor appearance and form of packaging , printing and decorating rough most of the products , so our 80 years of frozen raw meat packing group including lower commodity level.
Cooked meat flexible packaging
Cooked meat with rich protein , microbial very easy to breed , and storage of fat in the meat products easily oxidized , so the key is cooked meat flexible packaging technology can extend the shelf life of the product , to ensure food safety and quality .
Our Chinese cooked meats cooked meat can be divided into two categories and Western cooked meat , cooked meat over Chinese industrial production and packaging technology is relatively backward , products are divided into the traditional sauce stewed , grilled , bad drunk class , Western-style meat products higher degree of industrialization , the main products well- leg , round leg -based products as well as Western-style ham sausage , small sausage -based plastic trays products and bacon sausage , salami and other Western products ; dried products and other varieties . Due to the different types of products the processing conditions and shelf life requirements, these flexible packaging in the form of cooked meat and techniques vary, the following main cooked meat flexible packaging technology introduction.
1 . Cooking bags and canned soft packaging
Country in the 1970s began to use cooking bags, soft canned cooked meat and other research on packaging technology , soft canned material mainly consists of PET / AL / CPP three composite , and transparent retort pouches from PET / CPP or PA / CPP based. As good canned soft barrier properties of aluminum foil and dark , soft canned meat vacuum-packed can be stored at room temperature for 6-12 months after high-temperature sterilization . Plus convenient packaging to carry, easy to open , so there is a certain consumer market , the product has a knuckle , chicken , duck and other Chinese traditional meat and poultry products . Due to the high temperature sterilization , the flavor deterioration , texture Sulan , canned flavor is cooking bags and soft canned a common problem , to some extent, limit the development of such markets packaging products . PET / CPP or PA / CPP Layer retort pouch transparent clamshell packaging material of the barrier is not high , the packaging of meat products susceptible to oxidation deterioration , the shelf life is not long . Currently transparent high barrier packaging materials is the focus of international development , such as MXD6 nylon , EVOH composite film and silicon oxide (SiOx) film deposition development series , so that the display and protection of goods greatly improved, ultra-high temperature sterilization development and application of high pressure sterilization and irradiation , microwave sterilization and other new technologies to provide useless for the application of these materials , we should pay attention to the development of these good transparency, high barrier flexible packaging material in the gaps .
2 . Aseptic packaging and semi- aseptic packaging
Aseptic packaging and semi- aseptic packaging technology first developed in the Western-style meat products, using sterile flexible packaging materials , in the sterile environment of processed meat products after sterilization packaging can keep food in the maximum the original flavor of the product under conditions of low flow of Western-style round legs, square legs and sliced ??meat products due to the aseptic processing of solid Western food more difficult, so they plastic packaging box use a semi- aseptic packaging technology , packaging materials EVOH, PVDC , composite materials PE, PA , etc. made ??of co-extruded high barrier multilayer film or sheet , such as sterile , shrink film also use more complex in sterile packaging. Chinese meat aseptic packaging , semi- aseptic packaging technology needs further development and research . Such technology breakthroughs , will remain authentic Chinese meat flavor, extend shelf life, has a very broad application prospects .
3 . Pasteurization packaging
The next few years China plastic packaging will vigorously develop the low-temperature meat , which is a key technology LTMP shelf technology , low temperature meat products due to maintain maximum nutrition and flavor , more favored by the market .
One of the key LTMP shelf packaging pasteurization technique is that the product again after heating pasteurization rapid cooling after packaging to eliminate microbial contamination in the packaging process . Such meat packing applicable to most of the Western meat , high barrier flexible packaging material composite film and sheet transparency based, and can heat sterilized by heat-shrinkable materials will also be pasteurized there are a very wide application , in addition to vacuum packaging, a high degree of mechanization and automation of forming a sealing system of a filling will be a great development.
4 . Sausage packing
80s polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) -based film casings filled with sausage , ham processed by high-temperature sterilization appeared in China began to develop during the 1990s unexpectedly to occupy half of the domestic meat production of competitive products , however, PVDC sausage and ham filling packaging machine punch card but rely mainly on Japanese imports , the introduction of the production line is repeated up to 600 . Ham popularity has its actual market conditions and circumstances , our flexible packaging industry at the time of the missed opportunity , but as a high-temperature meat sausage is no longer the direction of future development, and low-temperature meat sausage casings class flexible packaging , fermentation meat , high salt water expansion products will be the direction of development, technology casings of various man-made fibers , high barrier composite casings , shrink casings and other flexible packaging materials and the corresponding filling and packaging equipment has a huge potential for development.
Outlook
21st century China ‘s meat industry is facing a new development the former , for the flexible packaging industry is full of challenges and opportunities of the timing , the world of great concern to food safety issues , HACCP systems in the food sector in the promotion , plus tech, diversified structure , convenience food of the meat industry for flexible packaging industry put forward new demands , hoping to strengthen domestic enterprises technology investment and new product development in order to meet growing market
Shelf and shelf life extension aspects of food, medicines show a very excellent performance for decades PVDC high barrier packaging materials plastic box as always in a dominant position , although there EV-OH and PAN two materials , but they are in a high humidity environment barrier properties decreased significantly and has not been further developed. Similarly PA ( barrier material can not be considered under the strict definition ) can not replace high barrier PVDC excellent package for contents protection, and usually also need to practice with PVDC coating process to improve its packaging performance .