Food Technology - Food Packaging
GCSE Food Technology
Food Packaging
* Gives food a longer shelf-life.
* Protects food during transportation and storage
* Keeps food clean from dirt and bacteria.
* Provides information.
* Advertises the product
* Holds the food in place.
Labelling
The UK Food Labelling Regulations 1996 state that the following information must be shown...
. Food product name:
Or if this does not fully say what the food is, a description of it.
2. List of ingredients:
These are listed in descending order of weight. This list will include water and additives, and may give the % of a particular ingredient.
3. Storage conditions:
Any special storage instructions or conditions of use. Temperature is very important!
4. Shelf life:
An indication of when the food should be eaten: 'use by' date - for foods such as meat, fish and cheese with a short shelf-life, and 'best-before date' - for food such as tinned and frozen with a long shelf-life.
5. Instructions for use:
Instructions on how to prepare and cook the food.
6. Name and address of manufacturer:
Or for own label products (from supermarkets), the details of the retailer (for example, Sainsbury's).
7. Place of origin:
For example, strawberries are often a "product of Spain".
8. Weight or volume:
Most amounts given have an e by the side, which means that it is an average weight.
The following information is voluntary...
. A picture: If a picture is shown it must not be misleading, and if other foods are shown with it the words 'serving suggestion' are usually added.
2. Recipe ideas.
3. Bar codes.
4. Environmental and recycling information.
5. Nutritional information: Law only requires this when a special claim is made about a particular food - for example, "high in Vitamin C". It must then include the minimum % of that ingredient.
6. Lot or batch mark.
7. Opening instructions.
8. Special information: For ...
This is a preview of the whole essay
The following information is voluntary...
. A picture: If a picture is shown it must not be misleading, and if other foods are shown with it the words 'serving suggestion' are usually added.
2. Recipe ideas.
3. Bar codes.
4. Environmental and recycling information.
5. Nutritional information: Law only requires this when a special claim is made about a particular food - for example, "high in Vitamin C". It must then include the minimum % of that ingredient.
6. Lot or batch mark.
7. Opening instructions.
8. Special information: For example, dietary group ("suitable for vegetarians"), grade of hotness on a curry, etc.
Packaging materials
Certain materials are better for packaging particular foods than others. There are various things to consider when you want to decide what packaging to use.
Different packaging types and their advantages and disadvantages
Material:
Source:
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Used for:
Paper
Wood
Can be waxed to make it waterproof, easy to print on, cheap, can be recycled.
Not very strong.
Flour, sugar, loose fruit and vegetables.
Cardboard
Wood
Lightweight, easily shaped, easy to print on, can be recycled.
Soggy if wet.
Frozen foods, cereals, cakes, fruit juice.
Glass
Sand
See-through, can be coloured, cheap, can be recycled, easily moulded.
Can break easily. Often needs a paper or plastic film label. Heavy.
Jam, wine, pickles, milk, cooking sauces.
Metal (Tinplate and aluminium)
Ores
Heat treated to preserve the contents, can be recycled, strong, lightweight.
Can rip (foil lids), often needs a utensil to open it, needs a paper label. Heat treatment can alter texture and taste.
Yoghurt lids, tinned foods, bottle tops
Preservation of Food
Food needs to be preserved for:
* So that surplus foods from good harvests can be stored and then used in times of shortage.
* So that we can enjoy seasonal fruits and vegetables all year round.
* To enable it to be transported long distances without it decaying (and spillage!)
* To allow it to be stored in the home for long periods without going off.
There are many ways in which food can be preserved. The method chosen will depend on commercial considerations, such as costs, as well as the type of food that needs to be preserved.
There are six main ways in which food can be preserved:
. High temperatures
Canning
Bottling
Pasteurisation
Ultra Heat Treatment (UHT)
Sterilisation
2. Low temperatures
Freezing
Chilling
3. Removing moisture
Drying
Accelerated Freeze Drying (AFD)
4. Use of chemicals
Pickling
Salting
Smoking
Sugar
5. Controlling the atmosphere
Vacuum packing
Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP)
6. Irradiation
Methods of preserving food
Method and
How it works:
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Used for:
Canning:
Heat kills bacteria and enzymes.
Lasts for many years.
Can cause changes in colour and texture. Loss of Vitamin C.
Fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, milk.
Bottling:
Heat kills bacteria and enzymes.
Lasts for many years.
Can cause changes in colour and texture. Loss of Vitamin C.
Fruit and vegetables.
Pasteurisation:
Most bacteria killed at 72 degrees Celsius.
Little effect on flavour.
Not all bacteria killed.
Milk, cream, orange juice.
UHT:
All bacteria killed at 132 degrees Celsius.
Lasts for several months.
Changes taste slightly.
Milk, fruit juices.
Sterilisation:
Food is heated to 104 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes.
Extends life of milk to about 10 days.
Gives a creamy flavour and colour.
Milk, fruit juices.
Freezing:
Stops bacteria and enzymes activity. Domestic freezers are at -18 degrees Celsius.
Foods can be frozen for many months. Little loss of vitamins.
Slow freezing breaks down cells and changes the texture of foods.
Ready prepared meals, fish, meat, vegetables, fruit, ice-creams.
Chilling:
Temperatures of 1 to 8 degrees Celsius slow bacteria growth.
Good colour and flavour kept.
Short storage life.
Ready prepared meals, such as Lasagne.
Drying:
Removal of moisture stops bacteria growth.
Last for long periods of time.
Most Vitamin C lost. Must be kept dry.
Soups, pasta, beans packet desserts.
AFD:
Food is frozen and then dried quickly.
Good colour and flavour.
Can be expensive.
Coffee.
Pickling:
Increases acidity of food.
Long shelf life.
Very strong flavour.
Onions, cabbage, olives.
Salting:
Reduces water content by osmosis.
Long shelf life.
Food needs to be soaked before cooking.
Meat, fish, green beans.
Smoking:
Slow method, which prevents bacteria growth.
Adds flavour.
Kills Vitamins B and C.
Bacon, cheese, fish.
Sugar:
More than 60% will stop micro-organism growth.
Long shelf life.
High temperatures in jam making kill Vitamin C.
Jams, marmalade, crystallised fruits.
Vacuum packs:
Removes all oxygen.
Retains vitamins.
Often still needs refrigeration
Bacon, fish.
MAP:
Replaces oxygen with nitrogen and carbon dioxide.
Colour and flavour are good.
Expensive.
Meat, salads, minced beef, and bacon.
Irradiation:
Radiation kills, bacteria and pests.
Delays ripening of fruit and sprouting of vegetables.
Not in general use. Consumer safety worries.
Strawberries, vegetables and spices
Carl Shepherdson
