1. Consumers: Food and Nutrition Packaging
1.5 Why is packaging integral to the food manufacturing process?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a range of packaging materials?
What impact do packaging materials have on the environment?

2. Packaging: Traditional and Contemporary
Traditional Packaging refers to:
Paper
Cans
Tins
Contemporary Packaging refers to:
Mulit-layered cardboard
Vacuum (cryovac) packaging
Modified atmosphere packaging

3. Packaging Laws
National Food Authority: The Trade Practice Act controls:
Hygiene and safety standards.
Weights and measures of contents
Amount of free space (head space)

4. Categories of packaging
Primary packaging
In contact with the food
What the consumer sees when they buy the food
Secondary packaging
Holds individual items together. Eg cardboard box that items are unpacked from in supermarket
Tertiary packaging
Pallets of shrink wrapped boxes for transport

5. Functions of Packaging: Convenience
Packaging enabled food to be carried conveniently from point of sale to use.
It can assist in the easy of use and storage
Honey in a squeeze bottle instead of a screw top jar
Lasagne in a container suitable for refrigerator or freezer
Contemporary packaging makes foods easier to use
Can with ring pull tops
Pop-tops on drink bottles
Resealable plastic bags
Dips and biscuits in separate containers
Long life packaging

6. Functions of Packaging: Protection
Packaging is designed to limit the chances of food coming in to contact with conditions that may spoil or contaminate it. For example:
Impact or mechanical damage
Pests (rodents/ insects)
Moisture
Oxygen
Light
Chemical contamination
Micro-organisms
Types of package is designed to match the food and risk factors for that product. For example:
Milk cartons limit light penetration
Cereal is placed in a plastic bag in a cardboard box to prevent moisture from softening the cereal

7. Functions of Packaging: Protection
Packaging allows foods to be transported and stored free from physical hazards.
Eggs cartons prevent eggs from cracking or breaking
Packaging reduces the risk of sabotage
Consumers can quickly see if a product has been opened

8. Functions of Packaging: Supplies Information
Packaging allows the manufacturer to communicate important information to the consumer about the product. This information includes:
Name of product
Price
Weight
Use by day or date packaged
Ingredient listing
Nutritional value
Cooking and storage instructions
Place of manufacture
Packaging is a marketing tool to attract specific groups in the community.

9. Properties of packaging materials
To protect food quality packaging materials must have a number of functional properties
Non-reactive. Non toxic, no adverse chemical reactions with the food
Hygienic. Clean, able to be sterilised if required
Barrier specificity to suit the food. Eg prevent absorption of gases, moisture, light

10. Contemporary Types of Packaging
Aseptic
Food and the container are sterilised separately and then the container is filled and sealed in a sterile environment.
Active packaging
Allows gases to be exchanged - designed to interact with the air in the package.
Most common method involves including small sachets to add or remove gases

11. Contemporary Types of Packaging
Controlled Atmosphere Packaging (CAP)
Measuring and monitoring the storage atmosphere to maintain gases at desired levels for particular foods.
Suitable for large scale storage rooms and transport containers and is usually combined with temperature control

12. Contemporary Types of Packaging
Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP)
Changing the atmosphere inside the retail package
Three types of MAP packaging include:
Vacuum packaging
Withdraws air from packages to form a tight fit around the food
Gas packaging
Gas is inserted in to the packaging to replace oxygen before sealing. E.g. Carbon Dioxide
Barrier packaging
Liners or barriers, which allow some gases to enter and prevents others.

13. Cryovac packaging
A process of packing food products like meat in heavy duty plastic packaging and then removing all oxygen by a vacuum process (the removal of oxygen helps stop dehydration and the growth of micro-organisms.)
Under specific temperature controls, the shelf life of the food can be extended to anything up to four or more weeks, depending on the type of food.

14. Contemporary Types of Packaging
Environmental packaging
Much work is being done to produce biodegradable packaging – Can be broken down by high temperatures , moisture.

15. Stage 2 Chemistry Lecture 18: Topic 5.1
25/08/2011

16. Packaging and the Environment
Manufacturers are required to abide by the Code of Practice for Packaging.
Try to reduce environmental impacts by :
Producing lightweight containers, using lighter materials or reduced container wall thickness.
Producing concentrates
Making bulk units of the products to reduce excessive packaging
Using recyclable, reusable and biodegradable materials