Packaging of Paneer

The prominent traditional dairy products include paneer, chhana, milk sweets such as rasogulla, Burfi, peda, kalakand, gulab jamun, etc., dahi, mishti dahi, shrikhand,chakka, etc. These products are generally manufactured in small lots by private traders and halwais. Most of the preparations are labour intensive and rely on local inputs. Very little attention is paid to sanitary handling practices and packaging. Paneer is highly susceptible to microbiological and chemical changes. Therefore, its packaging, should protect it against microbiological and chemical spoilage, maintain quality and provide consumer convenience. In general, various packaging materials used for preserving paneer at refrigeration temperature include wax coated parchment paper, polyethylene pouches, flexible films, heat induced shrink films, and saran films. Flexible packaging films like polypropylene, retort pouches and co-extruded laminates hold a great promise for packaging paneer for longer period.