Potato chips are among the most convenient snack options around the world. Potato chips only require potatoes, oil, and salt as the basic ingredients. The market provides these products readily, making chips a very suitable business to venture into for profits. However, just like any other business, potato chip packaging also faces many challenges such as sustainable packaging challenges, increased cost of raw materials, changes in packaging technology, and production efficiency, etc. 

This post highlights the basic potato chips packaging materials and potato chip packaging machines that are most suitable and safe for packaging chips. Buckle up as we dive in.

Nitrogen for Potato Chips Packaging

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As a potato chips lover, you may have noticed that potato chips packaging has air in it. The air is usually nitrogen-sealed to prevent the chips from spoiling. Nitrogen is an inert gas, meaning it will not react with the contents inside a packaging, making it an appropriate packaging gas. Nitrogen is used for many packaging solutions, and potato chips are not left out. Nitrogen packaging works through a process called nitrogen flush packaging.

So how does this process work? In simple terms, nitrogen displaces oxygen from the packaging before it is sealed. Oxygen is the mastermind behind food spoilage through oxidation and microorganisms’ growth that contribute to food spoilage. Moreover, there are other several reasons for using nitrogen as a potato packaging solution; they are as follows;

• Nitrogen is very easy to obtain since it is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere.
• It is light, making transportation easier and less costly.
• It is colorless and has no taste, hence a good packaging gas.
• Nitrogen maintains the quality of potato chips.
• The pressure that nitrogen provides prevents the packaging from collapsing and crushing its contents. 

Potato Chips Packaging Material

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Potato chips are commonly packaged in bags, pouches and cans, depending on the manufacturer and packaging company. These chip packaging types have unique features and benefits to the food. Below is an overview of the different packaging materials.

Chips Bag/Pouch

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Potato chip bag materials are mostly plastic materials. It is usually made in layers to offer additional protection and functionality to the packaging. The polymer material is commonly BOPP, LDPE, and surlyn put in layers with different functions. BOPP functions as moisture and oil-resistant preventing any moisture from reaching the chips while preventing the oil from the chips from penetrating the packaging.

LDPE and Surlyn offer additional assistance to BOPP in oil resistance and also serve as protection from breakages. And the chips bags packaging is made to open easily.

Potato Chips Cans

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Cans are a very common way of snack packaging, especially potato chips. Chips cans are made of various materials like paper, steel, tin, aluminum, and so on. Packaging companies will choose the material depending on the type of food to be packaged. Why are cans suitable for potato chip packaging? Chips cans have suitable features and benefits for snacks packaging; they are as follows;

• Chip cans are very durable: the material used to make cans undergo various processes to ensure they last long without any breakages.
• Impermeable: potato chips need to be consumed when still crunchy and not soggy. Chip cans do not allow any moisture from entering the package; hence keep the chips in perfect condition.
• The materials used in making cans promote the integrity of the products inside the packaging.
• Cans are easier to transport without worrying about the products.
• Cans are more well-sealed than other packaging materials.

Nitrogen Can Seamer

Potato chip containers such as chip cans utilize nitrogen in chips packaging. Nitrogen can seamer machine has the following components;

• Seaming rollers: function by connecting the lid to the can body. Some nitrogen can seamers have two rollers to make the work more efficient.
• Chuck: The chuck is the seamer head; it holds the lid tightly, giving it support.
• Base plates: it is also known as the turntables. It is a spinning disk that gives support to the can body.
• Vacuum room: this is where oxygen is removed from the chips container, ready to be sealed.
• Sealing chamber: it is a chamber in the machine that fills nitrogen and seals the can.
• PLC control panel: it is the point where the machine settings are located.

There are two major types; semi-automatic chip packing machines and automatic chip packaging machines.

Semi-auto Chips Packing Machine

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A semi-auto chip packing machine is a nitrogen can sealing machine that is both machine and manual operated. Semi-automatic machines are efficient, although they are limited in some aspects necessitating manual handling of the sealing process. For instance, the machine cannot adjust to the size of the packaging chips container meaning the operator will have to adjust the machine themselves. 

Semi-auto chip packing machines have some benefits like; they are inexpensive to acquire than the automatic machine and consume less power meaning fewer electricity expenses. Although they are beneficial, they also have some drawbacks; they are not faster than automatic machines. Due to this reason, most packaging companies will prefer the automatic machine since it will save both time and money in the long run. 

Automatic Chips Packing Machine

Source: Levapack

The fully automatic chips packaging machine, on the other hand, is a gem in the industry. The machine can handle high-volume operations without wearing off. Automatic nitrogen can seamer machines do not need human intervention; you simply adjust the settings and let them do all the work. Automatic machines have several advantages;

• They are fully automated, meaning the process will be faster and easier.
• The machine offers a very tight seal.
• The machine is durable since its components are made with top-notch materials.
• Automatic machines can handle large quantities of chip packaging within a short period.
• Automatic machines adjust the size of the packaging cans by themselves.
• The machine works with very high precision and can be easily adjusted.

Even with a higher purchasing cost than semi-automatic, the benefits outweigh the cost. The machine will eventually save you money through faster, efficient operations plus minimal wastage of materials.

Conclusion 

The packaging industry is a necessary sector of our economy. In any shopping mall or store, every product is packaged; this shows that the products are safe for consumption and use. In the food industry, packaging is vital to prevent any contamination of the food. Levapack is a packaging industry with experience in different sectors, and for snacks like potato chips, our chip packaging solutions are the best. 

If you are looking for a solution to how to package potato chips, you can get your inspiration for chip packaging containers and high-speed chip packaging machines from this blog. Reach out to us for more information about food packaging, especially potato chips packaging. We work with other businesses to realize their vision in potato chip packaging. Don’t be left out.