Food Packaging in Poland

Agnieszka Borusiewicz

Introduction

Protection of the product from the moment of packaging through distribution until consumption by the final consumer is a basic function of packaging. Generally protection is considered in three different areas: protection of the product, protection of the environment from harmful effects of the product, and protection of the product user. Maintaining food quality and safety mainly refers to protection from changes in color, taste, odor, texture, moisture, and losses in nutritive value, and from biological, chemical and physical contamination, spoilage and mechanical damage. However, packaging may impact on food safety by transfer of undesirable constituents from the packaging into the food.

Food Packaging Requirements

Food packaging in Poland needs to meet legal requirements introduced in Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 October 2004 on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food (EC 2004b), Regulation (EC) No 2023/2006 of 22 December 2006 on good manufacturing practice for materials and articles intended to come into contact with food (EC 2006), and also in Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of foods (EC 2004a). Basic requirements concern:

• packaging manufactured in compliance with good manufacturing practice;
• under normal or foreseeable conditions of use, they do not transfer their constituents to food in quantities which could endanger human health, bring about an unacceptable change in the composition of the food, or bring about a deterioration in the organoleptic characteristics thereof;
• packaging materials are to be stored and manipulated in such a manner that they are not exposed to a risk of contamination;
• food packaging which is placed on the market in the [European] Community shall be identifiable by an appropriate system which allows their traceability by means of labelling or relevant documentation or information.

Polish legislation requires that materials intended to come into contact with foods are accompanied by a written declaration stating that they comply with the rules applicable to them. Appropriate documentation shall be available to demonstrate such compliance. That documentation shall be made available to the competent authorities on demand.

Surveillance on the market of food contact materials is performed by sanitary inspection. Information concerning unsafe products is transferred to all European Union members by a Rapid Alert System of Food and Feed which was established in order to ensure the proper functioning of the internal market and to protect human health.

Market

The food industries within the eight countries that became member states of the European Union in 2004 had sales growth of 72% between 2001 and 2006. Comparative growth in the packaged foods and soft drinks markets of the original 15 EU member states was recorded at 63% and 71%, respectively. Of the region’s markets, Poland was found to have developed the most in terms of sales and innovation over recent years. Sales of packaged food and beverages within the country for 2006 reached E10B and E1.9B, respectively. Moreover, growth in food markets of 2004 ascension countries such as Poland are predicted to dramatically slow over the next few years. As a result, sales of packaged foods are expected to grow by around only 2% between 2006 and 2011.

The share of food packaging averaged 61% of the global packaging industry in Poland, while in Europe this share averaged 55%. Detailed data of the packaging industry in Poland, Europe and the world are presented in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Structure of the packaging industry in Poland, Europe and the World from 2005 (from Wasiak 2009)

Trends in Food Packaging on the Polish Market

Widely discussed new trends in food packaging are intelligent and active packaging. Active packaging is a concept that extends the shelf-life and maintains or improves the condition of packaged food. Intelligent packaging is packaging that contains an external or internal indicator to provide information about aspects of the history of the package and/or the quality of the food. Requirements concerning intelligent and active packaging were introduced by Commission Regulation (EC) No 450/2009 of 29 May 2009 (EC 2009) and demonstrates the significant interest in this topic. Consumers also declare demand for this new kind of packaging. It is expected that growth for intelligent packaging will be significant; developments include mostly time-temperature indicators and the emergence of other smart packaging systems offering product traceability or various interactive features at more cost-competitive prices.

Changes in society such as an increasing number of single-person households, smaller families and dual-income households has driven innovations in convenient packaged food such as microwaveable food, ready-to-eat meals, heat-and-eat meals or self-heating packages. Convenience is an important function to satisfy the busy consumer lifestyle. Examples of convenience features are microwaveability, easy opening and ergonomics. A positive reception in the market has been given to new packaging technologies such as aseptic packaging, modified atmosphere packaging and features such as tamper-evident packaging which enhances food safety.

Environmentally friendly trends in food packaging has led to development of compostable, bio-based packaging materials, as well as weight and size reduction of packaging, which are important activities to reduce the volume of packaging wastes. Polish society, despite low environmental awareness, declares an interest in environmentally friendly packaging. Innovations in packaging are desirable but Polish consumers are seeking modern, convenient solutions which do not increase the price of integrated food products.

Conclusions

Packaging is a tool of protection without which food may become unappetising, less nutritious or unsafe for consumers. Food packaging, besides its primary functions which are containment and protection, fulfills an important role in communication with clients. Packaging is called the “silent salesman” and is a powerful instrument of marketing. They are drivers in competition on the food products market by creating brand identity and influencing consumer buying decisions.

References

European Commission (2004a) Regulation No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs. Official J. L139.

European Commission (2004b) Regulation No 1935/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 October 2004 on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food and repealing Directives 80/590/EEC and 89/109/EEC. Official J. L 338.

European Commission (2006) Regulation No 2023/2006 of 22 December 2006 on good manufacturing practice for materials and articles intended to come into contact with food. Official J. L 384.

European Commission (2009) Regulation No 450/2009 of 29 May 2009 on active and intelligent materials and articles intended to come into contact with food. Official J. L 135.

Wasiak, W (2009) The packaging industry and market in Poland. 15th Anniversary of the Polish Chamber of Packaging, September 2009. Polish Chamber of Packaging: 62-69.

Dr Agnieszka Borusiewicz is a Researcher and Academic Teacher in the Packaging Department, Krakow University of Economics, Krakow, Poland; E-mail: agnieszka.borusiewicz@uek.krakow.pl