History of Packaging
ABE321
A Brief History of Packaging1
Kenneth R. Berger, reviewed by B. Welt2
Introduction
From the very earliest times, humans consumed food where it was found. Families and villages made or caught what they used. They were also self-sufficient, so there was little need for packaging of goods, either for storage or transportation. When containers were needed, nature provided gourds, shells, and leaves. Later, containers were fashioned from natural materials, such as hollowed logs, woven grasses and animal organs. As ores and chemical compounds were discovered, metals and pottery were developed, leading to other packaging forms. Packaging is used for several purposes: • Contain products, defining the amount the consumer will purchase. • Protects products from contamination, from environmental damage and from theft. • Facilitate transportation and storing of products. • Carry information and colorful designs that make attractive displays.
For each product 's needs, there are good packaging solutions. Though packages are often taken for granted, they are the result of many years of innovation -- in some cases accidental. A brief review of the more popular packaging developments are included in this fact sheet.
Paper and Paper Products
One way of placing packages into categories is to describe them as flexible, semi-flexible, or rigid. Flexible packaging includes the paper sacks that dog food comes in, the plastic bags that hold potato chips, and the paper or plastic sacks in which we carry home our purchases. An example of semi-flexible packaging is the paperboard boxes that cereal, many other food products, small household items, and many toys are packaged in. For many non-food items, the packaging is made more rigid by formed packing materials that slip inside the box and hold the product and its accessories or components in place. Forms of rigid packaging include crates, glass bottles, and metal cans. Cloth or paper may be the oldest forms of
A Brief History of Packaging1
Kenneth R. Berger, reviewed by B. Welt2
Introduction
From the very earliest times, humans consumed food where it was found. Families and villages made or caught what they used. They were also self-sufficient, so there was little need for packaging of goods, either for storage or transportation. When containers were needed, nature provided gourds, shells, and leaves. Later, containers were fashioned from natural materials, such as hollowed logs, woven grasses and animal organs. As ores and chemical compounds were discovered, metals and pottery were developed, leading to other packaging forms. Packaging is used for several purposes: • Contain products, defining the amount the consumer will purchase. • Protects products from contamination, from environmental damage and from theft. • Facilitate transportation and storing of products. • Carry information and colorful designs that make attractive displays.
For each product 's needs, there are good packaging solutions. Though packages are often taken for granted, they are the result of many years of innovation -- in some cases accidental. A brief review of the more popular packaging developments are included in this fact sheet.
Paper and Paper Products
One way of placing packages into categories is to describe them as flexible, semi-flexible, or rigid. Flexible packaging includes the paper sacks that dog food comes in, the plastic bags that hold potato chips, and the paper or plastic sacks in which we carry home our purchases. An example of semi-flexible packaging is the paperboard boxes that cereal, many other food products, small household items, and many toys are packaged in. For many non-food items, the packaging is made more rigid by formed packing materials that slip inside the box and hold the product and its accessories or components in place. Forms of rigid packaging include crates, glass bottles, and metal cans. Cloth or paper may be the oldest forms of
References: Walter Soroka, Fundamentals of Packaging Technology, Second Edition, 2000, published by Institute of Packaging Professionals. Paula Hook and Joe E. Heimlich, Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet, Community Development, 700 Ackerman Road, Suite 235, Columbus, OH 43202-1578, A History of Packaging, CDFS-133. Labels and Trademarks It now seems obvious that product containers will bear the identification of the maker alongside pictures, nutritional information, ingredients, etc. However, this seeminlgy obvious feature of packaging has its own history.