Food Packaging Labelling and Dietary Guidelines †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Food Packaging Labelling and Dietary Guidelines. Answer: Introduction: An integral part of food processing operation is packaging. (1) Protection of packaged food against mechanical injury and microbial contamination is the main role of food packaging. Packaging also provides protection against moisture attack and oxygen exposure management. Packaging also provides protection against harmful chemicals and sunlight. Canned food products, packed inside the microwavable containers bestow stability against temperature variance. (1) Over the past decades, there have been significant developments in the packaging industry, which has facilitated the development of the minimally processed foods and reduction in the cost of packaging. Pauls PhysiCAL no fat skim milk is retailed in 2 litres of plastic PE (polyethylene) bottle. (2) Plastic bottle is ideal for this liquid no fat milk because it prevents unwanted leakage and the handle of the bottle provides ease of access. The other advantage of plastic bottle is that, it provides protection against microbial contamination, moisture, oxygen, physical damage and sunlight. It is also cost-effective. Moreover, plastic bottle made of PE is light in weight aiding the process of transportation, usage, storage and carriage management. (3) Another striking feature of the plastic bottle is, it is recyclable as denoted by the recyclable sign present over the bottle. However, plastic is produced form the fossil fuels like natural gas, oil and coal and these fuels emit dangerous greenhouse gases and toxic chemicals, polluting the environment. Plastic on decomposition produce methane gas, which have high environmental threats. Plastic, disposed on the water bodies impose threat t o the marine life. (4) Packaging of Bannister Downs fresh milk Bannister Downs fresh milk is retailed in 1 litre pouch pack. (5) The pouch is manufactured out of fully recyclable and eco-friendly plastic which has an amalgamation of 60% calcium carbonate (limestone). Calcium carbonate shares similar composition to glass and hence is capable of maintaining the freshness of the milk. (5) It also easy to dispose as it can be easily crushed or flattened when gets empty. The pouch can also be burnt safely with no emission of harmful gasses. Another advantage of this kind of packaging is, it is microwaveable. The usefulness of pouch pack for this packaging is, it prevents leakage, microbial contamination and easy operation. (5) Non-renewable materials like non-recycled plastic are the principal environmental impact of packaging. Other environmental impacts include emission of harmful fluid, suspended solids, hazardous substance that contaminate land, reactive oxygen species, and ozone layer depleting greenhouse gas. The options for disposal of plastics are biodegradation, recycling, landfilling and incineration. Landfills demands space moreover, the energy contained and chemical constituents of plastic are lost in this disposal route. Incineration returns fractional energy from plastic production but produce, negative health and environmental impacts. (6) Further awareness is required in this field to elucidate renewable approach of plastic disposal has paved the way to generation of renewable plastic. Here in Pauls PhysiCAL no fat skim milk is made of recycled plastic but recycling is a plausible superior solution. Recycled plastics have more microbiological and chemical contaminants than virgin counterparts. Before recycling the bottle, consumers frequently employ empty plastic bottles to mix or dilute pesticides. Even after treatment, traces of pesticide may retain in the plastic, entering the food supply. Recycling also has certain practical challenges like accurate sorting, high price of oil and the nature of the recycled plastic management. Nevertheless, since it is recyclable and biodegradable, it prevents threat of long-term environmental damage. However, biodegradation process is slow, disrupting current recycling stream. Incineration causes release of a greenhouse gas and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polluting the atmosphere. Disposal of PE plastic bottles in landfills is unsustainable and destroys land resources which are otherwise fit for farmin g. (6) Bannister Downs fresh milk is packaged out of unspecified plastic that has a mixture of Calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Calcium carbonate allows polymers to cool and heat fast, resulting in energy savings, improved productivity and faster film conversion. High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) film manufactured via amalgamation with calcium carbonate reduces petrochemical and energy usage and thus offering significant environmental benefits. It also minimizes carbon footprint and impact of greenhouse gas on atmosphere. Food Products Labelling Requirement under Australian Legislation Food labelling is done to educate the consumers about the nutritional content of the food and to prevent fraud or deception. It also ensures that the food is safe and wholesome. According to the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), a label is legal requirement of all packaged food. (8) Important Parameters for Labelling Pauls PhysiCAL no fat skim milk Bannister Downs fresh milk Explanation Name of product Yes Yes Lot ID Yes Yes Name and address of supplier Yes Yes Warnings Yes No There are no specific warning indication against the adverse effect of the over consumption of the milk or whether this milk is suitable for the consumption for children Labelling of ingredients Yes Yes Directions for use and storage Yes Yes Nutrition information panel Yes Yes Legibility requirements Legible Nutritional information not legible The nutritional indication since written in white font over blue background, it is not legible. If the black font colour was used, then the legibility might have increased Country of origin Present Present Table: Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Food Labelling Parameters (Source: Created by Author) Health claim states that there exist a relationship between the constituents of food and health. According to health claim there are few factors that must be taken into consideration: Nutrient function claims: It describes the role of the nutrient in the growth, physiological development management and normal body functions. Example: Food X is high on nutritional content. Other function claims: Concerned with beneficial features of food in the context of the total diet and biological activity of the body. These claims create positive contribution to health. Examples: Substance A (name) and how it helps in improving one specific physiological process (digestion, food absorption etc.) of the body. Reduction of disease risk claims: Composition of food and how ingredients provide immunogenic protection against certain disease. The documentation of the risk claim must be stated in clear language with proper referencing. Examples: A Nutrient A in diet reduces the risk of disease D. (9) The labelling requirement in the domain of health claims is met by Pauls PhysiCAL no fat skim milk. It states that the milk have 40% extra calcium content than regular milk that promotes the absorption of Vitamin D and also acts as an calcium supplements. (2) However, there are no such specific health claims in Bannister Downs fresh milk. Nutritional Value of Food Products Figure: Pictorial Representation of Australian Guide to Healthy Eating: Visual representation along with proportion of fivedifferent foods, which are recommended for daily consumption. According to AGHE, Australians needs to consume more reduced fat milk. (10) Pauls PhysiCAL no fat skim milk is ultrafiltered skim milk is rich in vitamin D and scores high on calcium content. This ultrafiltered milk promotes faster calcium absorption than regular milk and ensures bone health. Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) is 20ro ml. However, it is not recommended as complete milk for children under 2 years of age. Moreover, AGHE supports, recommends and promotes breastfeeding. (2) Bannister Downs fresh milk on the other hand is homogenised pasteurized milk and is rich in sodium (40mg per100 gram) and calcium (600mg per 100 gram). There is however no specific nutritional benefits and serving details described over the carton. References Paine FA, Paine HY. A handbook of food packaging. Springer Science Business Media; 2012 Dec 6. Pauls - Home [Internet]. Pauls. 2017 [cited 27 September 2017]. Available from: https://www.pauls.com.au/ Ebnesajjad S, editor. Handbook of biopolymers and biodegradable plastics: properties, processing and applications. William Andrew; 2012 Dec 31. Gewert B, Plassmann MM, MacLeod M. Pathways for degradation of plastic polymers floating in the marine environment. Environmental Science: Processes Impacts. 2015;17(9):1513-21. Bannister Downs | Global Leaders in Ethical Dairy [Internet]. Bannisterdowns.com.au. 2017 [cited 27 September 2017]. Available from: https://bannisterdowns.com.au/ North EJ, Halden RU. Plastics and environmental health: the road ahead. Reviews on environmental health. 2013 Apr 1;28(1):1-8. Sun S, Mao LB, Lei Z, Yu SH, Clfen H. Hydrogels from Amorphous Calcium Carbonate and Polyacrylic Acid: Bio?Inspired Materials for Mineral Plastics. Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 2016 Sep 19;55(39):11765-9. Food Standards Australia New Zealand [Internet]. Foodstandards.gov.au. 2017 [cited 27 September 2017]. Available from: https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx Nocella G, Kennedy O. Food health claimsWhat consumers understand. Food Policy. 2012 Oct 31;37(5):571-80. Australian Guide to Healthy Eating | Eat For Health [Internet]. Eatforhealth.gov.au. 2017 [cited 27 September 2017]. Available from: https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/guidelines/australian-guide-healthy-eating