1. Food Packaging
GCSE Catering

2. Types of Packaging Primary Secondary Tertiary
The actual package or container that holds the product, e.g. bottle, can
The packaging that supports the primary packaging e.g. the card cereal box that holds the inner bag
Any packaging used primarily for transportation, e.g. wrapped pallets

3. Packaging Materials Glass Uses: Bottles and jars
Advantages
Can carry liquids
Can be coloured, printed on
Product can be seen
Reusable/recyclable
Disadvantages
Brittle (easily breakable)

4. Packaging Material Cont’d
Advantages
Strong
Withstands heat processing
Lightweight
High energy costs to produce
Recyclable
Easily printed on
Disadvantages
Must be coated inside or reacts with foods
Cannot microwave
Uses valuable energy to extract from the ground
Metal
Cans, screw
caps, aerosols

5. Packaging Material Cont’d
Disadvantages
Causes litter problems
Limited resource
Not easily recycled
Plastics and polystyrene
Inner trays and bottles, Over-wrapping and bags
Advantages
Can be moulded to shape
Resistant to moisture
Very lightweight
Can be folded
Can be printed
Reasonably strong
Does not react to food

6. Packaging Material Cont’d
Advantages
Easy to print on
Can be coated, treated or laminated
Made from renewable sources
Easy to handle
Can be folded
Lightweight
Reasonably strong
Poor protection against moisture
Disadvantages
Crushes easily
Weak when wet
Recycled paper and card cannot be used for food
Paperboard & Card
Uses: Labels, cartons, boxes, packets

7. Paired Activity Using the envelope provided play the ‘who am I’ game.
You and your partner will each have a set of pictures.
You need to pick up a random description and your partner needs to guess, using the pictures which packaging type you are

8. Packaging and the Environment
Food packaging requires energy and uses up natural resources such as
- trees
- oil
- sand
- metal ores
Most packages are thrown away – one third of all rubbish is packaging

9. Reducing Waste Consumers can: - buy re-usable containers
- Re-use carrier bags
- Take waste to
recycling centres
- Buy minimum
packaging
- Select biodegradable
materials when
possible
Manufacturers can:
- Reduce the amount of
packaging used
- Avoid harmful
processes such as
bleaching with
chemicals
- Use recyclable
materials
- Printing symbols on
packaging