If you’re going to manufacture a food product, you need to ensure the food stays safe to eat and stays at its best quality for as long as possible. Proper storage is essential, of course, but the temperature and location of the storage are only two factors. One more factor you need to take into account is packaging. That food needs to be sealed and protected, and lidding films are the perfect solution. So many other companies have used lidding film, and your product could be seen as questionable if you don’t use lidding film. So, it’s time to learn about these films and why your product needs them.
What Are Lidding Films, and How Do They Work?
Lidding films are those films you see on top of just about every microwave meal or ready-made salad in the supermarket. They’re also those films that cover many containers like those used in to-go cups of oatmeal and other foods. These films cover the opening to the package completely, and they’re meant to exclude dust, bugs, moisture, and more. A lidding film is sealed to the edge of the container all the way around, and you can usually open it by pulling on one corner. Those films are also known as easy-peel films. Some lidding films are known as lock-tight films, and those are the ones that you can’t peel off. Instead, you have to puncture the film and take it off in sections. The films can be microwave-safe, but not all of them are. The films are often made of clear plastic, but many are more like foil or even paper.
Maintaining Product Integrity With Tamper-Evident Seals
One of the best uses of lidding film is to show whether a product has been tampered with. No doubt you’ve come across a microwave meal, for example, that had a corner lifted up, exposing some of the food in the container to the outside environment. In many cases, those lifts and holes are accidental, a product of poor sealing or rough handling. But sometimes they can indicate that another person has tried to open the package, and you know that the food in there may no longer be safe to eat.
But if the film is properly sealed all the way around the edge of the container’s opening, you know that the food should still be good to eat, assuming it was processed and stored correctly. That film is really one of the fastest ways to indicate whether the food is still OK.
Barrier Properties of Lidding Films: Keeping Products Fresh
Another advantage to using lidding film is that it helps keep products fresh. The films keep out bugs, and they can prevent moisture from intruding into the container, if the right storage instructions are followed. You can contact food packaging film manufacturers to find out which films would work best for your particular product and its storage and temperature requirements.
Temperature Resistance and Its Role in Shelf-Life Extension
One more thing you need to know if you’re going to use lidding film is that the type you use has to have the right type of temperature resistance in order to keep the food safe for a longer time. For a microwave meal, for example, you need film that’s heat- and cold-resistant so that it stays good in the freezer and so that the film won’t melt in the microwave (remember that the film can be used to help steam-cook the food in the microwave). If the film is heat-resistant but not cold-resistant, the food could suffer if you store it in the freezer after coming home from the store.
If you want to check out the types of lidding films available, contact RTG Films. Keep your food products safe and at their best quality by sealing them in their containers with the right film. Give your customers the best food experience possible.
