Answers:

• Recycle now-motivate people into recycling• Mobius loop-international symbol for recycling• The green dot-the producer of the packaging

has made a financial contribution towards its recovery and recycling

• Packaging made from aluminium • Home composting• Put in a bottle bank• Do not litter• Soil association - organic standard• Forest Stewardship Council certification

(sustainable forestry)

How much do manufacturers encourage recycling?

• Using recycling symbols on their products; informing the consumers how packaging can be recycled and whether it is made from recycled packaging.

• They have recycling collections in car parks and plastic bag recycling bins in their supermarkets.

• Aiming to use the least amount of packaging possible.

Packaging

Why is packaging used?

• Protect

• Promote

• Preserve

What types of packaging are there?

Plastic, glass, cardboard, aluminium.

Plastic

• A packaging technique is Modified-Atmosphere Packaging (MAP).

• Food products are contained in a plastic container, in which the air has been modified to prolong the shelf-life of food and to keep the colour.

• MAP is used to package:

cold meats, smoked fish, vegetables, cheeses, salads, fresh pasta, part-baked breads

Aluminium

• Easy to manufacture

• Inexpensive

• Environmentally friendly because it's made of recycled materials and can again be recycled.

• Perfect for storing canned goods, potted meats and fish.

Cardboard

• Salt, nuts, snack foods, cocoa powder, spices, dairy products and frozen foods.

• Light in weight

• Reasonably crush-proof

• Ecologically sound since they are manufactured from wood pulp, a renewable resource.

Glass

• Advantages such as can see the product, recyclable, cheap to produce.

• Used for beer, juices, jams and jellies, oils, and pickles.

Product Codes

• Product codes are all about traceability. • For example, whether you buy cage, barn,

free range or organic, a code will be printed on your egg.  The first number refers to the farming method; 0 = organic, 1 = free range, 2 = barn, 3 = cage.  This is followed by the country of origin and then the farm identification which is a specific code denoting the actual farm where your eggs were produced.

Product Codes

• Enables the product or batch to be traced back to farm, factory, source

• Know exactly who is involved in production

• Where different ingredients are sourced from

Terms on labels; use by?

• 'Use by' means exactly that. You shouldn't use any food or drink after the end of the 'use by' date shown on the label.

You will usually find a 'use by' date on food that goes off quickly, such as milk, soft cheese, yoghurts and meat.

Terms on labels; best before?

• 'Best before' dates are usually used on foods that last longer, such as frozen, dried or canned foods. It should be safe to eat food after the 'best before' date, but the food will no longer be at its best. After this date, the food might begin to lose its flavour and texture.

Terms on labels; display/sell by?

• 'Display until' and 'sell by' dates are instructions for shop staff to tell them when they should take a product off the shelves.

Activity

• Using a packaged food product of your choice, explain how the packaging– Contains the food product– Identifies the food product– Protects the food product– Increases the shelf life of the food product

Questions

1. Give 3 reasons why food is packaged? (3 marks)

2. State 1 of the 3 things it’s not allowed to do. (1 mark)

3. Give 1 advantage of glass (1 mark)4. Give 1 advantage of plastic (1 mark)5. Give 1 reason why packaging could be bad for

the environment? (1 mark)

Answers:

1. Contain the product neatly, protect the product when transported/displayed, to preserve, avoid contamination, identify, give customers info.

2. Hazardous to health, make food go off, cause an unacceptable change in quality.

3. A. Strong, transparent, resistant to high temps, reused, recycled.

4. A. Rigid, transparent, microwavable, light, printed on.

5. Uses energy, excess packaging, thrown away and not recycled, not biodegradable