Reasons for packaging
 •  Protection
 • Ease of transport & storage
 • To preserve food thereby preventing 
  waste and spoilage.
 • Marketing
 • To carry information
    Desirable Properties of Food           • Safe, non-toxic
             Packaging                     • Hygienic
                                           • Easy to open and reseal
                                           • Attractive
                                           • Economical
                                           • Strong
                                           • Biodegradable or 
                                             recyclable
                                           • Odourless
        Materials used in packaging                        Examples of use
        Metals: Tin cans, aluminium cans,  Fruit, soft drinks, take-aways, 
        foil containers, foil bags, aerosols    coffee, whipped cream.
        Glass: Jars, bottles                    Mayonnaise, olive oil
        Paper: Plain paper, waxed paper,        Sugar, bread, orange juice, sausage 
        laminated cartons, greaseproof          rolls, cereal boxes
        paper, cardboard
        Plastic: polythene, plastic cartons  Dried pasta, yoghurt, dairy 
        or plastic boxes, PET                   spread, soft drinks, take-away 
        (polyethylene terepthalate) bottles,  food.
        polystyrene.
                             Suitability for purpose
    Metal: protects, easy stack & store,     Glass: hygienic, protects well, rigid, 
    can be heated, lacquered to prevent      variety shapes & sizes, transparent, 
    reaction with food, heavy -increase      resealable, stackable, can be heated, 
    transport cost, expensive, recyclable.   doesn’t react with food, heavy, 
                                             breakable, costly, recyclable.
    Paper: biodegradable, low cost, easy     Plastic:strong, moisture proof, light, 
    to open not easy to reseal, light, can   flexible, heat sealable, low cost, 
    be printed on, plain paper-not strong,   suitable for freezing, variety of 
    waxed paper is moistureproof &           weights, sizes, shapes, thicknessess, 
    vapour proof.                            can be printed on, some may 
                                             contaminate food when heated in 
                                             microwave.
                     • Each home produces 1 ton waste/year.
    Packaging and the  • 1/3 is packaging and ½ of this is 
      Environment      recyclable.
                     • 01/03/03 EU directive on recycling 
                       packaging means Ireland must recycle 
                       50% by 2005
                     • Careless disposal leads to litter, 
                       pollution and need for more landfill 
                       sites
                     • Recycle =convert waste to usable 
                       material.
                     • Plastic bag levy Mar.2002, 15cent