Blister packaging consists of formable films and foils, which gives an impenetrable shield to the products while enabling the buyers to see what is inside. This particular packaging technology enhances product shelf life, enhances the freshness of the products and assists in dosing, allows for tamper proofing of the packaging and enhances portability as compared to other packaging types. Blister packaging provides substantial benefits to industries that involve products that need to be sterile or perishable such as the pharmaceutical and the food industries.
Controlling Drug Stability and Sterility
Blister packs or blister cards effectively store pharmaceutical pills, capsules and medical devices since they help protect them from moisture, oxygen and light. The pockets created in the blister film or card, as well as the lidding foil or film that covers each pocket protect the contents from rapid changes in temperature and humidity that can adversely affect the stability of drug products.
Desiccant incorporated in the blister is capable of drawing moisture from the environment whereas MAP removes air to minimize the chances of oxidation. Light sensitive formulations are shielded from UV radiation by light-blocking aluminum foils. As drugs are protected from destabilizing forces, blister packages increase the shelf-life of medications by years more than less permeable bottles or pouches. Tamper-resistant heat seals also provide an indication if the pills have been accessed in the wrong way.
The blister packaging materials, films and construction also go through extensive compatibility tests to ensure that the package does not leach out moisture, react chemically with the drug or absorb volatile compounds of the drug with the polymer used. This means that the proper configuration maintains the dose with films that can be peeled from an individual blister cavity without any problem. It is also compounded by sterility considerations in hospital usage where each blister pack acts as a dose dispenser free from contamination by multiple openings of medication bottles.
Maintaining the Freshness and Safety of Foods
For perishable products like cookies, fruits, meat, milk products and frozen foods, blister pack enhances the time of shelf life while handling and transporting the products. The barrier films regulate permeability of oxygen and moisture that fast deteriorate foods containing fats and oil. Gas packs once more replace air inside with gases suitable for the food, sometimes nitrogen to slow down chemical processes.
In the case of produce, breakdowns in the film allows for the management of the internal humidity to avoid wilting and at the same time, disallows microbial invasion from the outside. Other food packages employ tyvek membrane lidding that permits oxygen and carbon dioxide to flow through for respiring foods such as fruits and vegetables to help in increasing shelf life. Some meat packages are designed to aseptically take in liquids and to release gases to create the best environment.
It can therefore be seen that blister packaging can offer a significant increase in acceptable shelf life over wraps and bags due to the special environment it offers to the food contents. Heat seals are also secure from tampering since they also indicate whether foods that were packaged were handled or opened improperly. Retail-ready designs also enhance the protection of foods through various distribution channels up to the consumer level.
Key Benefits Summary
Since barrier and sealing films developed are resistant to moisture and gases and light, the blister packaging offers the best stability to the industries where sterility of the product is needed or where the product is perishing in nature. It also enhances safety for perishable commodities that require protection against the environment and degradation. If well applied, blister packaging can offer shelf lives of several years more than fragile bottles, pouches and paper wraps to minimize product spoilage, damage and wastage. They come with convenient, tamper-proof, easy to open single-serve retail packaging for consumers, and institutional use for hygiene purposes.