**1. Introduction**

Packaging mediates between food industry and the market and, determines the stake of food products in the market and hence, the rewards of efforts put in by producers in food processing. Processing of foods is as important as ensuring that the processed foods get to the consumers in good condition, hence, the indispensable role of packaging in food processing operations. Marsh and Bugusu [1] considered

packaging as instrument of maintaining the benefits of food processing by facilitating safe movement of processed food products from the point of production through channels of distribution to the point of consumption. Food packaging, by maintaining the wholesomeness of products, undoubtedly, creates preservative environment for enhancing food quality and safety as well as reducing postharvest wastes which constitute the key objectives of sustainable food system [2]. Food packaging configures atmosphere surrounding food products and shields the products from interacting with natural environmental atmosphere by either reducing the presence of oxygen and increasing carbon dioxide or vice versa depending on one adjudged to favor keeping quality of the given product(s). The preservative potential of packaging was highlighted by Himanshu and Bindu [3] in their report that acknowledged packaging as an essential system for preserving food quality, minimizing food wastage as well as reducing the use of chemical food preservatives and their associated effects. The foregoing, indicates that food packaging is a version of food preservation system, an instrument that could be used in advancing food preservation for efficient and effective distribution, marketing and making the products get to the consumers in an acceptable condition. The packaging system purveys the advancement of preservation of food products, enables increased consumers to increasingly patronize the products which usually translate to more sales for the organization with its attendant more market share. The efforts of food industry to provide sufficient food for people could only be successful by packaging system which, according to Himanshu and Bindu [3] serves several purposes which include; protecting products from the point of production through distribution channels to the consumers, or after purchase for the consumer, increasing ease of utilization of the products, improving consumers' interest or acceptability of the products, supporting what they further recognized as self-service, consumer affluence, company and brand recognition, and innovation opportunity. Although, the primary target of packaging is to advance the preservation of foods; it has been observed to have indirectly become a major factor in gaining customers. The report of Draskovic [4] attested to the link between food packaging and gaining consumers' attention and, stated that it is a key to motivating consumer to purchase products. The forgoing, not only, determines preferences of consumers with respect to packaging designs but their behaviors toward purchasing of food products. The logistical and functional roles packaging play in the food system makes it outstanding in every activity associated with the system such as preservation/containment, enhancing longevity of shelf-life, distribution or movement of products from point of production to the table of the consumers. The importance of food preservation in promoting marketability and market share of products/organizations in food industry cannot be over emphasized. As one of the key drivers of marketing, it pushes the food industry to flow with dynamic changing consumption habits of consumers occasioned by busier life styles, small household unit and general insufficient time. Packaging system as a version or integral part of preservation system, undoubtedly elongates keeping quality, nutritional and sensory values of fresh and processed food products to assure their availability, at right conditions, both for the increased sales of products by producers/marketers cum gain in the products' market shares. There is insufficient information on the importance of packaging system on preservation or elongation of shelf-life of fresh/processed food products which enables selling more of the products and gaining market shares. Hence, the objective of this paper was to discuss the place of packaging system in advancing food preservation for promoting food products' market shares.

*The Place of Packaging System in Advancing Food Preservation for Promoting Food Products'… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108235*
