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The increasing demand in today's market for glassine paper - particularly for products in the food industry - has improved the industry's sales prospects. Today, glassine paper is a lucrative opportunity thanks to cheap labor, accessible raw materials, and low production cost.
As of 2022, due to the expansion of the food industry in such emerging markets as Brazil, Ecuador, and other Latin American nations, glassine paper has arisen as an MVP, fueling part of those nations' financial health as per a report by the IMF.
Glassine paper demand increases globally
Based on material type, good quality glassine paper is expected to give over $766.4 million in industry profit opportunities over the next three years. In terms of application - cups, wrappers, food containers - glassine paper is expected to hold 27,5% of the market share — trailing behind plastic and other classics in the field.
In the forthcoming years, due to adoption rates in the pharmaceutical industry of glassine paper, producers of this material are expected to earn a combined total of $440.9 million. Emerging markets in Latin America and East Asia are predicted to see a high demand for glassine paper - to the point where production won't be able to fill it locally, and they'll have to import it from other countries.
The use of ready-to-eat meals is expected to increase by 22% by the year 2023, transforming top-quality glassine paper into one of the best options when it comes to recyclability, eco-friendliness, affordability, and, overall, sustainability.
Glassine paper in food packaging continues to spur demand globally. As other industries such as conventional packaging and big pharma migrate to this safe storage material, it is essential to understand as consumers what makes a good glassine paper — how to identify high-quality glassine paper.
Composition of glassine paper
Most of the time, Glassine comes from pulp extracted from hardwood trees, particularly aspen, birch, oak, and gum, is treated several times to achieve that finish and thickness. Glassine paper is made mainly by taking these wood pulps and excessively beating them.
Afterward, it is submitted to various processes in manufacturing, which render it acid-free as well as pH neutral.
The thickness, its weight, even its color - some glassine paper can be made opaque through the use of additives like calcium carbonate, clay, or titanium dioxide - depends on the way it is treated. This final step is called supercalendering, and it will determine most of a certain glassine paper's characteristics.
Appearance
Aside from being dyed-through additives, good glassine paper should look smooth and glossy. High-quality glassine paper is air, grease, and water-resistant and in its natural state; before colors or other materials are added to change its hue or opaqueness, it is translucent.
Top-quality glassine paper is smooth — anything else means it is impure with other agents besides wood pulp mixed into it. A lack of smooth appearance might also mean that the manufacturing process was not up to par.
It's also important to note that most high-quality glassine paper is also manufactured to be pH neutral.
Grammage and Thickness test
Glassine paper is normally available in densities between 40- 90 grams. Adjustment in the supercalendering step also determines the weight, caliber, strength, and final grade of the product. The thickness you need depends on the industry you're going to use the glassine paper for.
Glassine manufacturing is done with precise tech and incredibly exacting machines with a low tolerance for deviations; this means that thickness levels are highly accurate — with a 0.01-millimeter error margin.
Strength test
High-quality glassine paper is hardwearing. This makes it an ideal choice for packaging, especially for foods. This is the main reason why glassine paper is the industry standard in the latter's case. Glassine paper typically absorbs water vapor from the surrounding atmosphere; this causes it to expand and contract to the relative humidity.
It's also critical to highlight that glassine paper's higher density gives it great tensile strength, as well as folding endurance and stiffness when compared to similar papers of the same weight. This super density, more than twice as much as other papers, makes it a superstar when it comes to preserving products and shortening packing space when delivering said products.
Glossy/Transparency inspection
Very few materials are as versatile and offer such widespread benefits as glassine paper. Generally, glassine is used in its translucent form, mainly because designers desire to show consumers what is underneath the paper. Still, adjustment to the supercalendering process can reduce the amount of light that is transmitted through the glassine paper — changing its color and making it more opaque.
Glassine paper surface is suitable for printing like offset, flexo, rotogravure, and digital printing. One key feature of supercalendering is that it renders glassine less porous, which translates to the minor disadvantage that it has a lower level of ink absorption. Inks take longer to dry, and smearing is a concern.
Biotest
Glassine paper protects against water, air, moisture, and grease, It is approved for direct food contact — it can also be safely sterilized. Another important feature is that glassine paper, free from coating and dyes, is fully recyclable and biodegradable. Adopting it means your products and your company can lower their environmental footprint.
All top-quality glassine paper is food grade. Nevertheless, if you're in doubt as to whether or not your glassine paper is food grade, you can always perform a bio test or ask your supplier for a certificate of one.
Biotest monitors biological indicators, amongst them spore tests. The audit not only the composition but the sterilization of products, assessing the rate of sterilization of a surface or material – and indicating if it is biologically safe and protected against highly resistant microorganisms.
Picking Top Quality Glassine Paper
Glassine paper is an innovative packaging material with great sterilization qualities and strength. A solution that can be employed in multiple industries to protect assets, from chocolate cushion pads to surgical instruments. Still, in order to get the best out of your investment, it is critical to understand how to pick top-quality glassine paper.
What characteristics to look for, what questions to ask your supplier, and, most importantly, comprehend the demands your products need when it comes to it. Glassine paper is extremely versatile, and part of the versatility comes from the fact that it can be customized to your needs during the manufacturing process.