In recent years, new food processing techniques are attracting a lot of attention. Since some of these techniques might require the processing of foods inside their package, it is important to understand the interaction between the package and the process itself. The main objective of this article is to review the information in literature about the effects of different processing methods on: (i) the structural, mechanical and barrier properties of the materials commonly used in food packaging, and (ii) the migration behavior of additives mainly from plastic packaging films. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.