Olive oil is widely used for culinary and medicinal purposes and is popular for its tremendous health benefits and unique flavor. Olive oil packaging is the key to locking in the freshness, nutritional value and flavor of olive oil. So how do you get a reliable package? This article will discuss several perspectives such as types of packaging, packaging machines and so on.
What is Olive Oil Packaging?
Selecting right olive oil packaging is particularly important to maintain its quality and rich flavor. It can be made of materials such as plastic, tinplate and glass. In order to provide top-quality olive oil that is nutritious and delicious, appropriate olive oil packaging machines are also essential to ensure that they have good packaging quality.
Olive Oil Packaging Characteristics
Excellent Barrier Properties
The barrier properties of olive oil packaging are naturally a primary consideration, as olive oil products are susceptible to factors such as light and air.
- Light can damage the antioxidants in olive oil, such as phenols. Phenols are one of the most popular health components in olive oil. By reducing free radicals, antioxidants like phenols help protect the body from oxidation. Exposure to light can make olive oil more susceptible to oxidation, damaging its quality. Therefore, olive oil packaging should have light-blocking properties.
- Oxygen will oxidize olive oil, causing oxidation of the fat molecules in it and resulting in rancidity, which gives olive oil rancid smells and flavors. Therefore, olive oil packaging should have good air barrier properties and excellent sealing performance.
- Olive Packaging should also have the ability to protect the product from moisture. Because moisture can also promote oxidation and shorten shelf life.
Tamper-Evident Properties
The security, safety of olive oil is very important for consumers. The application of tamper-evident seals, QR codes, RFID, barcodes and other features make the packaging tamper-proof and provide a guarantee of the authenticity of the product.
Convenience
As a cooking oil or condiment used every day, it is important to control the amount used for customer dishes. Olive oil packaging with a nozzle or spout helps to control the pour quantity, reduce product waste and ensure that your dish achieves the best quality. The easy and precise use of olive oil is a point of great concern for consumers.
Resealability is also one of the things that attract consumers. Twist-off caps in bottles and spout pouches are representative of resealability, which maintains the quality of your olive oil and extends its shelf life. Simple and practical resealable features are extremely convenient for people to use.
Types of Olive Oil Packaging
Glass Container
Glass is a common material for olive oil packaging. It is an inert material that does not release substances into the olive oil and does not produce foreign odors. There are generally two types of glass materials. One is clear glass, which has extremely high transparency and a very good display effect. When customers can see the product in the bottle, they are more inclined to buy it. However, olive oil packaged in clear glass is easily affected by light that is more prone to oxidation, damaging the quality of the product. A label that covers almost the entire bottle can reduce the interference of light.
Another glass material is dark glass. It has the property of reducing light penetration, protecting the olive oil in the bottle from UV rays. It provides better protection from light than clear glass. Colors such as green and amber provide effective protection against light.
Glass is fragile, with low resistance to mechanical damage. And they are heavy, with higher transportation costs.
Tin Packaging
Tin packaging is made of tinplate. It can protect olive oil products from light and oxygen. And it has excellent mechanical strength, protecting the oil from damage during transport. However, over time, these containers can corrode and release compounds that accelerate oxidation and affect the quality and flavor of the oil.
Bag-In-Box Container
The bag-in-box packaging consists of two parts: an outer box and an internal bag.
The outer box is made of sturdy, customizable corrugated cardboard. It protects the inner bag and facilitates transportation and handling.
The inner bag is made of high-barrier multilayer plastic material. A tap is attached to the inner bag that consists of a one-way valve, which prevents oxygen and moisture from coming into contact with the olive oil. When the bag dispenses the olive oil through the tap, the bag collapses and keeps air away from your olive oil. The tap is very easy to use and prevents spillage and waste of olive oil. The tap is made of special fins inside the pouring hole to direct the flow of the oil better. A steady flow can be obtained by applying a small amount of pressure either on the winged piston or both.
The bag-in-box container can protect the olive oil from exposure to air upon opening. The olive oil in the bag-in-box can be stored for a longer time. What’s more, the volume formats of them are versatile, you can easily choose one to suit your needs.
PET Container
Plastics are lightweight, durable and low cost. PET is commonly used, and is more resistant to oxygen and fat permeability than other plastic materials. Adding radical scavengers and/or oxygen barriers to PET will enhance protection of your olive oil. However, light can affect the quality of olive oil through PET materials. Dark-colored PET can reduce light penetration. Another disadvantage of PET is that their porosity allows air and moisture to penetrate, which can affect the quality of olive oil.
Stand Up Pouch
Stand-up pouches for olive oil are lightweight and durable. It has certain barrier properties. The packaging surface can be printed over a large area which can enhance the attractiveness of your product and better display product information. There is usually a narrow spout or nozzle at the corner or in the middle of the pouch to facilitate the dispensing of olive oil.
Ceramic Container
Ceramic containers have attractive designs and make olive oil look very high-end, and they are often used for premium products. However, they are fragile and expensive.
Types of Olive Oil Filling Machine
Piston Filling Machine
If you are a small to medium-sized olive oil packaging facility, then piston filling machines are a good solution for you.
Piston fillers are affordable, easy to maintain and suitable for most olive oil viscosities. It enables fast, precise and steady filling. At the beginning, the valve is linked to the hopper and the piston cylinder, the piston extracts the olive oil from the hopper into the cylinder. And then the valve turns to the filling nozzle (the valve is linked to the piston cylinder and the filling nozzle). The piston pushes the olive oil from the cylinder to the filling nozzle and fills it into the container. You can adjust the filling volume by setting the stroke length of the piston.
Pump Filling Machine
If you need more flexibility and need to expand your production line to other sauce products with different viscosities, choose pump filling machines.
Like piston filling machines, pump filling machines can also fill products of various viscosities. Pump filling machines can be classified according to the type of pump. Common pumps include lobe pumps, internal gear pumps, external gear pumps, peristaltic pumps, plunger pumps, diaphragm pumps, etc.
Pressure Filling Machine
The pressure filling machine will also do for thicker liquids, and it’s good for producing on a large scale.
Simply put, The hopper located at the top has high pressure while packaging containers are at low pressure. Due to the difference in pressure, the olive oil flows from the hopper down in the packaging containers through the filling nozzle.
Labeling Requirements for Olive Oil Packaging
Characteristics of Olive Oil
It is obligatory to include information about olive oil, like extra virgin olive oil or virgin olive oil. The denomination must be reported in clear and memorable characters.
These two types of olive oil are very different. Extra virgin olive oil is pure olive oil and is the highest grade of olive oil. Great care is taken during the extraction and pressing process. Extra virgin olive oils have undergone the least processing and are not processed with chemicals or heat. Virgin olive oil is also pure olive oil, but it contains some impurities, so it is a grade below extra virgin olive oil.
Net Volume
The total quantity of olive oil should be described on the front label followed by a unit, such as 500ml, 1 liter, 5 liters. A clear net volume label can directly show you the capacity of the olive oil product. People who can cook can find the net volume label more quickly.
Country of Origin
The country or countries in which olives are harvested, extracted and pressed is another important piece of information.
Best Before Date
The best before date or expiry date also need to be denoted on the olive oil packaging label.
Nutrition Facts
The percentage of the various essential nutrients and the total calories per serving must be denoted.
Name and Address of Manufacturing Business
It is mandatory to indicate the company’s name and address that sells the product.
Batch Number
This is another piece of information that must be included on the label. The batch number denotes the lot to which olive oil belongs.
Storage or Use Conditions
Olive oil is a sensitive product that is susceptible to interference from light, oxygen, heat and other factors. Proper storage instructions must be indicated on the container. For example, store in a dark, cool and dry place, away from light and heat sources.
Conclusion
A good olive oil packaging cannot be separated from excellent materials, clear labels and suitable packaging machines. Only by grasping every link can you effectively guarantee the quality of your olive oil. Meanwhile, beautiful packaging has a strong attraction to customers. If you want to know more about olive packaging, please contact us.
