Avaliação da eficiência de filmes multicamadas após a termoformagem para uso em embalagens do tipo cook in para presunto

Abstract

Flexible packaging has played an important role for the food industry. These follow the demands of society by making use of technologies to expand their functions. The multilayer films, produced by means of coextrusion, are an example of this, since they can integrate the properties of different thermoplastic materials in the same container. These films are commonly used to be processed, through thermoforming, into packaging for meat products. However, because this process can significantly alter the properties of the material, this work comes to evaluate the efficiency of a coextruded film, composed of seven layers, before and after the thermoforming, in the form of flexible containers in cook in type for ham, as for the profiles of total thickness, thickness of the individual layers through optical microscopy, oxygen permeability rate, drilling resistance and efficiency of the Surlyn ionomer in the inner layer. It can be verified that the conformation process is capable of significantly altering the properties of the films, and that the regions of the corners are the most affected, becoming vulnerable in relation to perforation and permeability to oxygen. It may further be noted that Surlyn, present in the composition of the inner layer of the film, assists in the non-change in the sealing force, even with the presence of animal fat. Through the analysis of the results, this work can propose changes in the processes so that the problems found were avoided.