The packaging of food

The grocer weighed the amount his customer desired, then wrapped it

enough for the journey home and that was it. Fewer goods were packed in

cardboard boxes. This was not due to people preferring this method it

was due to people not have freezers at home ready to store all types of

foods. Some foods were packed in cans and glass bottles but the huge

range of plastics that are now used as packaging materials were unknown!

Food Recyling.

Making packaging thinner and using the most appropriate materials

and manufacturing methods are useful but there is clearly a limit to the

savings that can be made this way. Other ways of reducing packaging

waste are by consumers reusing containers or taking them to collection

sites to be recyled.

* Did you know:

The volume of waste produced in the U. K in one hour would fill the

Albert Hall.

In one day there would be enough waste to fill Trafalgar Square up to the

top o Nelsons Column.

So why don't we recycle this amazing advance in food preservation?

Benifits of Today's Packaging:

From to it is all produced to do the same thing; protect

us; the consumers. Many foods are perishable because they dry out, go

soggy or develop bacteria which make them 'go off.' Brown paper bags

did little to keep food fresh, clean and wholesome. Glass and stone jars

were effective but very heavy to carry home. Today, with many fewer

shopping trips, foods need to be stored in the home for longer and

modern packaging technology enables us to do so.

If products were not packaged by the manufacturers, you would

have to take your own containers to the shops. It would make it very time-

consuming and tedious shopping. You would have to label you containers

to know what was what and then rely on your own knowledge and

guesswork to use the products of today's food packages.

Most people like milk, they may also like fish but very would

appreciate fish-flavoured milk in tea. Packaging helps to prevent odour

from one product getting into other foods.

Packaging enables manufacturers to convey a great deal of useful

information to customers. Some of it has to be provided legally e.g. the

ingredients, by when and how to use as well as know how best to store

the product.

The materials used for food packaging:

A large variety of materials are currently used for food packaging. Any

substance which migrates from the packaging into the food is of concern

if it could be harmful to the consumer. Even if the migrating substance is

not potentially harmful it could have an adverse effect on the flavour and

acceptability of the food.

While paper and board materials may transmit taint or odour to a food,

plastics have a much greater potential to do this. These taints may be

residual monomer e.g. styrene. This is probably the compound usually

responsible when consumers detect a 'plastic taste' in a food.

It should be remembered that many common plastics are not effective

barriers to strong odours. This can often be a problem when storing food

in the refrigerator. Odours from food such as garlic or onion can easily

pass through plastic film and taint other food.

Developments in microwave packaging:

Most commercially prepared foods designed for the microwave have been

pre-cooked and frozen. These use relatively simple packaging systems

which while designed for microwave use, have no potential application for

reuse.

Recently shelf-stable microwaveable foods have also appeared on

supermarket shelves. These involve more complex packaging systems

which have been specially designed for use at high temperatures. They are

therefore quite safe for microwave heating when manufacturers'

instructions are followed.

Materials used as food packaging

* Paper

* Glass

* Metal

* Ceramic

* Plastics (Polyethylene HDPE, LDPE, LLDPE Polyvinylchloride,Polystyrene,

GPPS, HIPS, ABS, PET, PVdC)

* Composites

What can you the consumer do to help?

*Use can banks. A recycled tinplate or aluminium can needs only a

fraction of the energy to make one 'virgin' metal.

*If you are unable to take packaging to be recycled then try to find other

uses for it.

* Ask for a 'Pink Bag' in which you are able to collect packaging for

when the rubbish is collected.

* Look out when your shopping for products made from recycled plastic

products.

Attractive packaging: