You have just made some of the best confections known to Candydom, but you also know that fresh-from-the-kitchen flavor doesn’t last forever. What’s a candy maker to do? Understanding how packaging affects the shelf life of your confections can help you better serve your customers and your bottom line. In part one of this three-week series, we’re sharing insight from RCI member Randy Hofberger of R&D Consultants on how packaging can positively or negatively affect the shelf life of your products.
While packaging is often selected for visual appeal, it can impact the shelf life of your products. When choosing packaging, factors like light, oxygen and moisture can significantly reduce the shelf life of your products. This week we’re exploring the effects of light and how two different types of packaging could be helping or hindering your fight for a longer shelf life.
How Light Affects Shelf-Life
Exposure to light can reduce the shelf life of confections by causing photolytic oxidation to occur when ultraviolet (UV) light reacts with unsaturated fats to develop off-flavors.
While the sun is the strongest source of UV radiation, fluorescent
lightbulbs produce a considerable amount of UV radiation—albeit far less in
comparison to sunlight. As a general rule, the hotter the filament, the more UV it produces.
Which Packaging Beats Harmful Rays?
Opaque packaging can offer some protection from the effects of light/UV, moisture and odors.
Clear packaging has the advantage of allowing
the consumer to see what they are buying; however, it has the disadvantage of
allowing photolytic oxidation to occur. Clear packaging will also, in certain
cases, cause bleaching/fading of colored coatings or white chocolate.
Ironically, the clear solution is not clear at all—because it's opaque! If you’re lucky enough to have lots of natural light in your retail shop, it may be in your best interest to invest in opaque packaging to protect your products from the sunlight. With that said, we're not against clear packaging by any means! If you do opt to use clear packaging, or packaging with a clear window, keep sunlight exposure to a minimum to help maximize the shelf life of your products.
Next week, we will explore how to utilize packaging
to slow the effects of oxygen exposure, plus a simple way to test the effectiveness
of your packaging.
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