The History of Food Packaging: A Timeline

Food packaging reflects people’s endless quest to keep food accessible, portable, fresh, and safe for consumption. However, today’s packaging is also expected to deliver convenience due to consumer demand and the rapid pace of life.

Before the invention of plastic food wrappers and containers, metal cans, and paper bags, our ancestors used materials found in nature, such as hollow gourds, leaves, barks, and animal skin and organs.

But food packaging has evolved and improved significantly over the course of human history. Today we use air-tight plastic containers and other innovative packaging designs to keep food fresh longer. Nowadays, packaging is also produced for brand differentiation and aesthetics, aside from mere functionality.

Read on to learn the evolution and remarkable historical events that shaped the food packaging industry into what it is today.

Primitive Food Packaging: Harnessing Nature’s Abundance

Around 2.5 million years ago, hunter-gatherer societies emerged as one of the earliest organized communities in human existence. During this period, people were nomadic hunters and foragers who needed ways to store and carry food.

• Leaves and Barks – Trees and plants with large leaves and rigid barks may have been the first food packaging materials humans used to store and transport food.
• Animal Skin and Organs – Early humans used tanned hide and stomach of large animals to store water and food.
• Hollow Wood – People used receptacles made from wood, plant fibers, and animal skin to store food and water, giving them some sort of food security.
• Clay – Early humans discovered clay pottery around 14,000 B.C. and used it to cook and store food.
• Bottle Gourds – Around 12,000 B.C., Africans domesticated hard-shelled fruits that could be turned into water and food receptacles. These “bottles” later spread to the Americas and Eurasia.

Ancient Civilization: Food Packaging to Support Human Settlements

The establishment of ancient civilization was made possible because of the Agriculture Revolution 12,000 years ago. With the new-found ability to consistently produce surplus food, human settlements enjoyed increased population and trade.

• Glass – Although glassmaking began in 7,000 B.C., the material was not widely used to store food and liquid because the process of creating it was expensive and time-consuming. However, things changed when the Phoenicians invented the blowpipe in 300 B.C., a technique that allowed them to mass-produce round containers.
• Paper – Considered one of the oldest flexible packaging, paper was invented in China around 105 A.D. It was made by mixing bamboo (or other plant fibers) and water to create a paste, which was then dried in wooden frames under the sun.
• Woven Baskets and Sacks – People used weaved baskets and sacks made from plant fibers and used these to store, transport, and trade goods.
• Ceramics – The discovery of new minerals paved the way for ceramics, which offer better hardness, corrosion and heat resistance, and aesthetic appeal than clay products. Ceramic vessels were not only used for storing food and water, but also for boiling meat for stews and cooking tubers long enough to destroy toxins.

The Middle Ages: Packaging for Long Journeys

The Middle Ages or medieval period began in the fifth century and ended around 1400. This period spanned roughly 1,000 years, between the fall of Rome and the beginning of the Renaissance in the 14th century.

• Wooden Barrels – These robust receptacles were widely used to transport food, rum, and water, especially for long journeys and sea trade between the 10th and 18th century Europe.
• Wooden Crates – Just like wooden barrels, the use of wooden crates made sea trade more efficient and profitable because it allowed people to package and transport large amounts of food via waterways.
• Linen and Wool Rags – In medieval Europe, people used these materials to wrap preserved fish, meats, beans, and flour.

Industrial Revolution: Packaging for Mass Production

During the Industrial Revolution, which happened between 1760 and 1840, people developed a wide range of mechanized methods of mass production. This transition from agriculture-focused societies to reliance on manufacturing had a significant impact on how food was packaged and consumed.

• Cardboard and Corrugated Boxes – In 1817, American merchant Thomas Gilpin set up the world’s first paper mill in Wilmington, Delaware. The mechanized production of paper replaced wooden barrels and crates for trading and packaging goods.
• Canning Jars – The first air-tight canning technique used glass containers sealed and boiled for sterilization. French chef and distiller Nicholas Appert developed this process to preserve food for Napoleon Bonaparte’s army in the early 19th century.
• Tin Cans – In 1820, after the Napoleonic Wars ended, English merchant Peter Durand started supplying food in tin cans to the Royal Navy in large quantities. Tin was later replaced by aluminum, which was cheaper and lighter.

Post World War II: The Rise of Plastic Packaging

Plastic production in the US during World War II increased by 300% because of its military applications and the need to preserve scarce natural resources. This material, which has molecules not present in nature, eventually found its way into the food packaging industry.

• Polyethylene (PE) – It was one of the first plastics used widely for food packaging. It replaced wax paper in bread packaging and later found its way into the food and beverage industry. Several types of PE are still used today for food packaging and preservation.
• Cellophane – This thin transparent material has revolutionized the way consumers shop for food at grocery stores, allowing them to see the products before purchase. Before its invention in 1908, people depended on the grocer or butcher to choose food for them.
• PVC – This type of plastic wrap was first synthesized in 1872 and was further developed for food packaging. The material remains popular today because it does not affect the taste of bottled drinks and packaged food.
• Styrofoam – Invented in 1941 to insulate buildings and build float docks, this synthetic material was later used for food packaging. Nowadays, many companies still use it as low-cost, disposable food containers.

Modern Food Packaging: Delivering Convenience to Consumers

Convenience is the most important factor for modern consumers, leading to the unprecedented boom of the grocery and meal delivery services in recent years. This trend favors on-the-go and lightweight packaging materials that keep food fresh and intact during delivery.

Furthermore, companies design food packaging with functional aesthetics in mind – i.e., the receptacle should provide ample protection and ensure freshness while creating brand differentiation.

• Active Packaging – First introduced in the early 1970s, its functions are not just to contain food but also to extend its shelf-life or to promote quick meal preparation. Examples include microwave foods (e.g., popcorn) and food containers with oxygen removers, carbon dioxide absorbers or emitters, and antimicrobial film.
• Aluminum Foils – They are light and flexible packaging material that can withstand moderate heat.
• Vacuum Packaging – This method prolongs shelf life and preserves flavors by removing air before sealing. Some manufacturers also introduce nitrogen or carbon dioxide into the container before sealing.
• Shrink Wrapping – This plastic film shrinks when exposed to heat, producing a tight and neat fit.
• Rigid Plastic – This lightweight and strong material has different applications in food packaging because of its affordability and customization – i.e., it is available in a variety of colors, shapes, sizes, and textures.
• Paper – This remains a staple material in food packaging because of its versatility and affordability. Paper packaging is also biodegradable and recyclable with a significantly lower environmental impact than other packaging materials. About 80% of US paper mills use or include recycled paper fibers in their products.
• Glass Containers – Glass jars offer several benefits, including extended shelf-life and sustainability (it can be re-used or recycled). It also comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and opaqueness.
• Cans – Many cans today are made of aluminum or some type of metal that can be formed into a cylinder and are resistant to rust and corrosion. Most cans are recyclable, allowing manufacturers to strip away the tin and other valuable parts to be later used as scrap metal.

The Future of Food Packaging

Over the past twenty years, there has been growing interest from the government, consumers, and manufacturers in making food packaging more sustainable. Here are some plausible scenarios and trends in the future.

• Bioplastics – Biodegradable plastics may replace conventional and single-use packaging to reduce the amount of non-biodegradable waste. These materials can break down naturally and work well with waste management systems.
• Edible Packaging – Cellulose derivatives, starches, animal and plant-based proteins, gums, and lipids can be incorporated into edible films to prolong shelf life. This type of sustainable packaging may become widely used in the future.
• Minimalist Packaging – This type of packaging uses the minimum amount of materials possible to package a product, resulting in less environmental impact.

Conclusion

The food packaging industry has drastically changed over the course of human history, shaping the way we store, transport, and consume food. It is still evolving to meet the changing needs of consumers and to combat the environmental problems stemming from plastic waste.

At NextDayFlyers, we are deeply committed to sustainability and efforts to minimize our carbon footprint. For this reason, we use cardboard materials that adhere to rigorous industry standards and print our products in North America so we can access locally sourced materials.

Resources:
The History and Future of Plastics - Science History Institute
A History of Packaging - Ohio State University
The History of Packaging - DigiMarc
Nicholas Appert Invents the Can - Can Manufacturers Institute
The Evolution of Packaging - Medium
Active Packaging - ScienceDirect
Food Packaging History and Innovations -ACS Publications
5 Ways Active Packaging Has Staying Power - Packaging Digest