'We have 4 guest/s online'
A.7.1 Identify the functions of food packaging.
Distinguish between primary packaging and secondary packaging.
NB there is even a tertiary packaging for bulk items.
A.7.2 Identify a range of materials used for food packaging.
Consider paper, plastic, glass and metal.
A.7.3 Describe how different packaging materials affect food.
A.7.4 Explain the impact of alternative packaging decisions on product cost and the environment.
Packaging solutions that use non-biodegradable and non-recyclable raw material, use much energy in their production and are used once and thrown away wreak havoc on the environment. Altering any of these elements can minimise environmental impact.
A.7.5 Identify current developments in packaging.
A.7.6 Outline how food packaging is used as a promotional tool for other products.
A.7.7 Explain how packaging of food products contributes to the development of brands.
A.7.8 Discuss the global impact of branded products, for example, Coca-ColaŽ.
A.7.9 Describe the purpose of food labels and the information provided on them.
Include nutritional content, sell-by date, storage and usage information, ingredients, warnings, volume or mass. Exclude promotional details. Only a qualitative treatment is required. The provenance of food products is increasingly important, and food labels increasingly contain the name of the farm or farmer where they were sourced.
A.7.10 Discuss the impact and effectiveness of legislation governing what should appear on food labels as a means of altering diet.
Diets are resistant to change due to cultural issues and habit. Food labels can provide information on sugar content, fibre content, fat content, and so on. But unless individuals choose to change, labels are unlikely to have much impact. Government initiatives may focus on fat, fibre, sugar or salt intakes to counter heart disease.
Bulleted list and italicised paragraphs are excerpted from Design Technology: guide. Cardiff Wales, UK: International Baccalaureate Organization, 2007.
Images are clickable links to its location.