Food Packaging And Labelling Flashcards
Functions of food packaging
Protects food from becoming damaged or contaminated (best condition for consumer)
Makes transport easier (stacked)
Advertises a food producer and makes their product stand out
Gives information
Increases shelf life and reduces food poisoning
Characteristics of good packaging
Hygienic Increases shelf life Biodegradable or recyclable durable Moisture proof Easy to open and reseal Economical fo make Attractive
Materials used to package food
Glass eg bottles, jars
Metal eg cans, aerosols
Paper eg egg box, flour bag, burger wrap
Plastic eg PET (water bottles) and LDPE (pasta box)
Advantages of using glass
Protects from contamination
Transparent - contents can be seen
Dont crack in heat processing
Disadvantages of glass packaging
Heavy -expensive to transport
Easily broken
Expensive to produce
Cannot be printed on
Environmental effect of glass
Recyclable
Reusable
Non biodegradable
Avoid careless disposal
Metal advantages
Protects from contamination
Easy to stack
Withstand processing
Disadvantages of metal
Heavy -expensive to transport
Easy punctured/ dented
Expensive to produce
Cannot be printed on
Environmental effect of metal
Recyclable
Reusable
Non biodegradable
Paper advantages
Protects from contamination
Cheap to produce
Lightweight -cheap transport
Can be printed on
Disadvantages of paper
Doesn’t reseal well
Easily ripped
Not very durable eg wet
Environmental impact of paper
Recyclable
Reusable
Biodegradable (unless waterproof )
Plastic advantages
Moisture proof
Cheap to produce and transport
Durable
Can be printed on
Plastic disadbatges as packaging
Some may contaminate food eg PET breaks down over time releasing toxins the may be carcinogenic
Some are easily damaged
Environmental impact of plastic
Recyclable
Reusable
Non biodegradable
Made from crude oil which is limited
Governmental initiatives to reduce impact of packaging (2)
Levy on plastic shopping bags (price for plastic shopping bags)
Landfill levy increase (bin charges)
Ways consumers can reduce environmental impact of packaging
Use travel mugs Buy loose fruit and veg Buy in large volumes rather than individually packaged Reusable shopping bags Refill products eg coffee Compost bin Buy products with recycled packaging Use recycling centres eg bottle bank
What is modified atmospheric packaging
Proportions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and oxygen sealed packaging are different to normal air in roger to extend shelf life eg salad leaves
Who enforces EU labelling las in Ireland
Food safety authority of Ireland
Under FIC legislation 2011 , labelling on packaging food must include
Name of food List of ingredients in descending order of weight Declaration of allergens Quantity of ingredients % Met quantity Use by date/ best before date Special storage instructions Name and address of food business Country of origin (meats) Instructions for use Alcoholic strength
What is net quantity
Weight of food without packaging
Rules for nutritional labelling of foods
Must be displayed per 100g/100ml
Related to food eg uncooke dpasta
In table form
Must include energy, fat, saturates, carbohydrates, sugar, protein, salt
Traffic light system
Red - high amounts
Amber
Green -low amounts
Labelling requirements for non packaged foods eg deli counter
Declaration of allergens
Name of food
Unit price
What is a unit price
Price per kg
Useful for comparing prices
Types of food claims
Nutritional eg low fat
Health eg functional foods
Love Irish food logo advantages
Encourages people to buy Irish and puts money back into economy
Easier to pick Irish
Benefits of barcoding
Printed on receipt, consumer has list of what they purchased
Shops maintain stock
