the changing world of - infobase · 2016. 12. 27. · a company has developed a new food product to...

Program Support Notes by: Carolyn Slattery B.Ed Produced by: VEA Pty Ltd Commissioning Editor: Sandra Frerichs B.Ed, M.Ed. Executive Producer: Simon Garner B.Ed, Dip Management

© Davis Film and Video Production P/L trading as Classroom Video 2010 Reproducing these support notes You may download and print one copy of these support notes from our website for your reference. Further copying or printing must be reported to CAL as per the Copyright Act 1968.

The Changing World of

Food Packaging

The Changing World of Food Packaging

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© Davis Film and Video Production P/L trading as Classroom Video 2010 Reproducing these support notes

You may download and print one copy of these support notes from our website for your reference. Further copying or printing must be reported to CAL as per the Copyright Act 1968.

For Teachers

Introduction Most of the foods we consume come packaged in some form. Food has been packaged for many centuries in various ways, including the traditional use of natural materials such as glass and metal. Food is packaged in order to perform various functions including preservation, protection from damage, convenience for transport and use, communicating information and promotion of the food product. The way that food is packaged is quite dynamic and changes as consumer demand and requirements change. By exploring a range of packaging materials and techniques used to get food from the production point to being consumed, students will gain an understanding of the role of packaging in society.

Timeline 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:01 Why is food packaged? 00:03:15 Traditional forms of food packaging 00:07:00 Changing consumer needs and new forms of packaging 00:11:22 New packaging technology 00:15:36 Packaging and the environment 00:19:37 Conclusion 00:19:59 Credits 00:20:31 End program

Related Titles Food Allergies and Intolerances What's in my school lunch? - Making healthy choices The Science in Foods Designing and Preparing a Meal Functional Properties of Food

Recommended Resources http://www.amcor.com/ http://www.csiro.au/org/FNS.html http://www.aipack.com.au/ http://www.visy.com.au/

http://www.amcor.com/

http://www.csiro.au/org/FNS.html

http://www.aipack.com.au/

http://www.visy.com.au/


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Student Worksheet

Initiate Prior Learning 1. Collect the packages of 5 different food products. For each of the packages you have collected

write down specific information on how it has performed the following:

Protected the food from damage

Provided useful information to you

Kept the food safe to eat

Lengthened the life of the food

Persuaded you to want to buy or eat the food

Made the food more convenient for you or the manufacturer 2. The way that we live, work and socialise in Australia has changed over time. Make a list of the

changes to people’s lifestyle (for example, in the past 50 years or so). After you have created this list identify how these lifestyle changes may alter the way we eat and the way that food needs to be packaged to suit these changes.


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Active Viewing Guide 1. What does placing food in a plastic package accomplish? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Packaging provides an airtight _______________ around food protecting it from ______________,

________________and _______________, keeping it fresher for longer. It also stops ________________ and ___________________ from coming into contact with the food and _________________ it.

3. Many food products made in Australia need to be transported over long distances and overseas.

What are the advantages of packaging for manufacturers of these foods? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Why does Angela Nichols believe it is essential that food is packaged? What are the reasons she

provides? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 5. List some important information that packaging provides for consumers. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________


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6. What are the four major traditional materials used for packaging? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 7. How does canned food need to be treated/handled after it is opened? Why? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 8. What are the advantages of glass as a packaging material? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 9. What are the disadvantages of glass as a packaging material? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 10. Provide some examples of foods that are packaged using cardboard or paper. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________


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11. How is cardboard useful in food distribution? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 12. Why is aluminium foil popular in the food industry? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 13. How have the lives of consumers changed? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 14. Give some examples of how packaging food makes it more convenient for the changing lifestyles

of consumers. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 15. Why is plastic such a good packaging material? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________


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16. Explain the term Modified Atmosphere Packaging. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 17. What are some common foods packaged this way? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 18. Explain the term Aseptic packaging. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 19. Provide some examples of foods packaged this way. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 20. What is the problem associated with recycling plastic? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________


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21. Outline what the consumer can do to make it easier to recycle. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 22. Explain the term biodegradable. _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 23. What are some examples of biodegradable packaging materials? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 24. What is the new Green Packaging material being used by Vision Pack? _________________________________________________________________________________ 25. How do you think using a Green Packaging material may help the environment? _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________


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Extension Activities 1. Supermarket investigation

Visit a supermarket or food store and conduct a search to find examples of food packaging. Fill in the table – you need five examples for each category and for each example you need to explain why it suits that category.

CATEGORY EXAMPLES EXPLANATION OF HOW THE

EXAMPLE FITS THE CATEGORY

Items with a longer shelf-life because of

their packaging

Items where the packaging makes them more suitable for people

who live on their own

Items that are convenient to use because of their

packaging

Items that are easier to use for older people or

young children

Items that have biodegradable

packaging

Items that have recyclable packaging

Items with Aseptic Packaging

Items with Modified Atmosphere Packaging


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2. Recycling investigation

Choose a type of recyclable food packaging e.g. a plastic bottle, a glass jar, a steel can, a box with an internal plastic packet such as a cereal package. Draw a flow chart of the processes that are used for its recycling, from when it is put out as household rubbish to when it is turned into another useful product.

3. There are some main materials used to package food – glass, metal, cardboard/paper, plastic and

aluminium. Choose one of these materials used for packaging and prepare a poster or media presentation that shows the following:

the processes involved in packaging food in the material (a flow chart on your poster or a video clip in your media presentation may be useful here)

how the material needs to be prepared for use in food packaging

the advantages and disadvantages for the manufacturer and the consumer of using this material for food packaging

examples of foods that are packaged in the material 4. Design a Package

Over the last fifty years the consumer lifestyle has changed quite significantly - there have been dramatic changes to the way we work, how we spend our leisure time, the size of our families and the number of people living alone. We have become a society of convenience. Explain how this has changed consumer needs in terms of packaging. Activity A company has developed a new food product to meet the changing lifestyle needs of consumers and they are looking for a suitable form of packaging that performs the functions of: extending the shelf-life of the food, protecting the food from damage, making it convenient to use, and providing all the information consumers need. Based on your knowledge of changing society, choose one of the lifestyle changes that are evident in society and identify the new food product that has been developed to meet this need. Design and draw the packaging for this new food product making it relevant to your chosen lifestyle issue. Remember, you want to make sure that people buy this new product so make sure that you use colourful and catchy marketing on the label of your package, as well as designing an appropriate style of package. a) After you have designed and drawn your package identify:

How it provides all of the needed information

How it keeps the food safe to eat and extends its shelf life

How it protects the food from damage

How it is convenient for the consumer


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Suggested Student Responses

Initiate Prior Learning 1. Collect the packages of 5 different food products. For each of the packages you have collected

write down specific information on how it has performed the following:

Protected the food from damage

Provided useful information to you

Kept the food safe to eat

Lengthened the life of the food

Persuaded you to want to buy or eat the food

Made the food more convenient for you or the manufacturer

Answers will vary for this research task 2. The way that we live, work and socialise in Australia has changed over time. Make a list of the

changes to people’s lifestyle (for example, in the past 50 years or so). After you have created this list identify how these lifestyle changes may alter the way we eat and the way that food needs to be packaged to suit these changes.


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Active Viewing Guide 1. What does placing food in a plastic package accomplish?

To protect it from the outside environment, increase its shelf life, and to protect it during transportation as well as when it is sitting on the supermarket shelf.

2. Packaging provides an airtight barrier around food protecting it from oxygen, water and dust,

keeping it fresher for longer. It also stops pests and microbes from coming into contact with the food and contaminating it.

3. Many food products made in Australia need to be transported over long distances and overseas.

What are the advantages of packaging for manufacturers of these foods? Packaging enables producers to move large quantities of food in a safe and secure manner. Large boxes of food items can then be stacked onto pallets and transported efficiently while minimising the risk of stock damage.

4. Why does Angela Nichols believe it is essential that food is packaged? What are the reasons she

provides? Food packaging makes sure that food is in a safe, reliable and a convenient format. Packaging increases the shelf life of food and makes it more interesting for the consumer. Packaging allows the consumer to pick brands that they like and rely on.

5. List some important information that packaging provides for consumers.

The package lists the ingredients in the food, the nutritional value of the food and sometimes includes food allergy warnings. The food’s ‘Use By’ or ‘Best Before’ date is also printed on the packaging so we know it is safe to consume up until that date.

6. What are the four major traditional materials used for packaging?

Four major traditional materials are metal, glass, cardboard/paper and aluminium. 7. How does canned food need to be treated/handled after it is opened? Why?

Once the can is opened the food is essentially fresh and must be treated as such. It needs to be stored in a way that prevents bacteria growth and it needs to be thrown away if unused within a time frame.

8. What are the advantages of glass as a packaging material?

Glass doesn’t react with the food, no chemicals can pass into the food, it is transparent which allows the consumer to actually see the contents of the package, it is also reusable and recyclable.

9. What are the disadvantages of glass as a packaging material?

Glass weighs more than most other packing materials and this means increased transport costs. It is fragile and can break during transportation. If this happens, glass splinters can contaminate the food and harm the consumer.

10. Provide some examples of foods that are packaged using cardboard or paper.

Grain sacks such as flour, grocery bags, lolly wrappers, greaseproof papers used to wrap meat and dairy products, tissue papers used to protect fruit from bruising, cardboard, when coated with wax or laminated with plastic to make it heat sealable, can be used for ice cream and other frozen foods, chipboard used as the outer box for breakfast cereals and egg cartons.


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11. How is cardboard useful in food distribution?

Cardboard is useful during distribution because it makes it easier to handle food in transportation from producer to point of purchase. It is common to find products packaged in glass, metal cans and other materials, then packed into cardboard boxes for distribution.

12. Why is aluminium foil popular in the food industry?

Aluminium foil is easier to mould into the desired shape and doesn’t affect the flavour of food as tin does. Like metal cans, aluminium foil acts as a barrier to light and oxygen as well as keeping out odours, moisture and bacteria.

13. How have the lives of consumers changed?

People’s lives have changed in the way they work, how they spend their leisure time, the size of families and the number of people living alone.

14. Give some examples of how packaging food makes it more convenient for the changing lifestyles

of consumers. Food packaging that has changed to make food more convenient includes: drinks in convenient Tetra Paks that don’t need refrigeration and long life milks, foods that are ready in an instant (for example microwave meals), packaged food that gives the consumer the choice of trying a wide variety of foods from around the world, pre-packaged food that makes it easier for consumers to decide quantities, but also for them to be able to store food much longer, larger print making it easier to read as your eyes start to age and easier opening closures for jars.

15. Why is plastic such a good packaging material?

Plastic is a good packaging material because its shape can be moulded into any shape needed and it retains that shape. Plastic is also a very strong material. Plastic enables the food to be presented well; a lot of clear plastic packaging is used so the product can be seen by the consumer. Plastic is light weight and this reduces transportation and energy costs. It is a good barrier against moisture and dust. It is easy to handle and relatively inexpensive.

16. Explain the term Modified Atmosphere Packaging.

Modified Atmosphere Packaging is packaging where the internal environment has been altered to remove the oxygen from within the packaging. By reducing the level of oxygen within the packaging the bacterial growth can be controlled. In the case of meat, gases can be injected into the packaging which will also improve the visual quality of the meat and stop any browning.

17. What are some common foods packaged this way?

Red meats, seafood, cheeses, cooked and cured meats like salami, ready to eat meals and dried foods are some of the most common foods packaged in this way.

18. Explain the term Aseptic packaging.

Aseptic packaging is a process where the food product and the packaging are sterilised separately. The product is then poured into the container and sealed in a sterile environment. This allows it to keep for up to six months without the need for preservatives or refrigeration

19. Provide some examples of foods packaged this way.

UHT or Long Life Milk and single serve boxes of fruit juice are packed this way.


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20. What is the problem associated with recycling plastic?

Different types of plastics are identified through a numbering system from one through to seven. One to six are all recyclable, but they must be sorted and separated into these categories before recycling. This is a time and labour intensive process.

21. Outline what the consumer can do to make it easier to recycle.

The consumer needs to ensure the plastic is kept clean, that it is not contaminated by food stuffs or other materials and that it is put back in the recycling stream.

22. Explain the term biodegradable.

A material, usually derived from a plant or animal source, is considered to be biodegradable when it is able to be broken down by living organisms.

23. What are some examples of biodegradable packaging materials?

In terms of food packaging, paper, cardboard and some plastics are biodegradable. 24. What is the new Green Packaging material being used by Vision Pack?

The Green Technology material is called Plantic. It is a starch based material. 25. How do you think using a Green Packaging material may help the environment?

The benefit of this packaging is that it is consumer compostable - the consumer can throw it in the bin or on the garden and with a little bit of moisture the product breaks down within minutes. The residue that is left over can be put on the garden and there are no environmental effects. It also means that there is less energy and labour used in sorting out recyclable materials and less landfill created.

the changing world of - infobase · 2016. 12. 27. · a company has developed a new food product to...

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