In the book Food Processing and Packaging Technologies by Jaya Shankar Tumuluru, it is mentioned that the most important role of food packaging is to provide a complete barrier to the packaged food.

Now, mechanical attributes are essential for food packaging because it enables protection during transportation and storage. 50% of the participants of the WhatPackaging? poll vouched for mechanical stability since packaging materials must be mechanically strong and extensible enough to withstand manufacturing and consumer stresses.

Besides the primary function of packaging, which is to protect, preserving the product plays a crucial role in food packaging, also pharma packaging. Options including deep freeze and retort received 20% responses each, owing to their perk of extending the shelf-life of the product.

10% candidates held the opinion that the dynamics of printed material affected food packaging. The third-p of packaging, presentation, should inform and appeal to the consumer but not interfere with the package. Given that food items are sensitive to temperature change, say if the consumable is fried then it will release oil, which in turn shall react with the packing material.

According to an ISO standard, the suitability of packaging material for any particular requirements and conditions can only be ascertained through detailed packaging and stability studies on the product concerned. While, all three P’s (protection, preservation, presentation) of packaging are critical.