Tag Archives: Food

Packaging Guidelines Launched by INCPEN and FDF

Packaging guidelines launched by INCPEN and FDF. INCPEN has linked up with (FDF) to publish a set of guidelines to optimise the use of packaging in the supply chain.

Packaging guidelines launched by INCPEN and FDF

Titled ‘Packaging for people, planet and profit – sustainability checklist’, the publication has a forward from Defra minister Thérèse Coffey.

The checklist is designed to help companies choose and optimise their packaging systems with the aim of improving sustainability through the supply chain.

Jane Bickerstaffe, director of INCPEN, said: “The checklist will help companies improve packaging for food and drink and other products, make it more consumer-friendly and make supply chains more resource-efficient. Supply chain companies are more aware of and responsive to, environmental concerns than many businesses. This checklist will help them demonstrate that responsiveness to the public.”

Helen Munday, director of food safety, science and sustainability and chief scientific officer, Food and Drink Federation, added: “This guidance will help businesses choose and optimise their use of packaging in ways that will contribute to a net improvement in the use of resources across the value chain. This improvement can be achieved whilst continuing to ensure that food safety and quality requirements are not compromised. We encourage all food and drink operators to use it.”

The checklist is also part of the FDF’s Ambition 2025 strategy, which aims to minimise the impact of used packaging associated with food and drink products. It also aims to encourage innovation in packaging technology and design.

Food packaging to be labelled with pictures of teaspoons of salt and sugar

Food packaging to be labelled with pictures of teaspoons of salt and sugar to indicate the content of the food, according to a report from the Department of Health.

Food packaging to be labelled with pictures of teaspoons of salt and sugar

Food packaging to be labelled with pictures of teaspoons of salt and sugar. Food packaging will be labelled to show how many teaspoons of sugar or salt are being added in a move made possible by leaving European Union, the Department of Health has said.

Amid anger at the decision to water down the Government’s obesity strategy, it has now emerged that officials want to use Brexit to allow “visual labelling” on food products such as pictures of teaspoons of sugar.

There are concerns about how difficult it is for consumers to understand the current “traffic light system”, which assigns either a green, amber or red circle to food packaging according the percentage of fat, saturates, sugar and salt.

Under the new plans consumers would simply see images of teaspoons on packaging to denote how healthy or unhealthy a product is.

In a document on the obesity strategy, officials write: “The UK’s decision to leave the European Union will give us greater flexibility to determine what information should be presented on packaged food, and how it should be displayed.

“We want to build on the success of our current labelling scheme, and review additional opportunities to go further and ensure we are using the most effective ways to communicate information to families.

“This might include clearer visual labelling, such as teaspoons of sugar, to show consumers about the sugar content in packaged food and drink.”

Currently EU rules on trade prevent new labelling techniques to give families a clearer idea about the amount of sugar or salt in household products.

One Whitehall source said: “Brexit gives us a chance to think about how we can better inform people about sugar or salt content.”

It is thought that the Government could force food producers to use the “teaspoons” system with new laws.

It came as experts criticised the Government for “watering down” the obesity strategy.

EU approve smart plant based food packaging

EU Bioplastic packaging project that extends the shelf life of food and informs when it is no longer fit to eat has been given the green light by the EU.

EU

EU launched the project four years ago with the aim of developing plant-based bioplastic packaging that not only extends the shelf life of foods, but also contains a sensor that notifies retailers and consumers of when the food inside is really no longer fit to eat.

The Portuguese-based company Logoplaste, in collaboration with SINTEF and other research partners, has developed a blow-moulded bottle, while the Greek project partner Argo has developed a pot designed to hold seafood such as crabs and prawns. Both types of container are covered with an oxygen-proof exterior coating developed by SINTEF.

Åge Larsen at SINTEF is now ready to present the first demonstration packaging, made of PLA (polyactic acid) and bio-PET (polyethylene terephthalate). Larsen told that this development takes plant-based food packaging a couple of steps further with, “the implementation of the smart element and, in addition, the oxygen-proof exterior coating.”

“The packaging is made of biopolymers to which we have added nanoparticle components. This provides the packaging with new and improved food preservation properties.”

Larsen previously said about the packaging: “It is designed mainly to protect the contents from their surroundings and thus extend shelf life. We achieve this by means of improved oxygen barriers. Standard plastic packaging allows the entry of air which places restrictions on shelf life. Moreover, the new approach considerably reduces the carbon footprint,” Larsen explained.

A three-layer coating has been developed consisting of a cellulose-based film sandwiched by two biodegradable biopolymer layers that serve as oxygen barriers. This can be utilised in the same way as the rigid plastic currently used as food bowls.

The fourth prototype produced as part of this project is a blow-moulded film. This is essentially plastic foil similar to that used to make plastic bags and as oxygen-protective coverings for plates containing food.

The researchers have also developed sensors that can detect, for example, whether the temperature of the food has become too high or if a product has soured.

Larsen added that there will always be an issue regarding how the sensors are incorporated into the product. This must be a decision of the manufacturer. Sensors installed on the inside of the packaging and in contact with the food, such as in bottle caps or corks, will have to be approved by the food hygiene authorities.

Tesa develops new packs to tackle food waste

Adhesive tapes manufacturer Tesa has developed new flexible packaging, which it claims will help reduce food waste.

Tesa

The Tesa Lift & Reseal pack can be used with a wide range of products and pack sizes, from small, high value snacks to economy budget products.

Peter Spencer, Tesa’s specialist segment manager, manufacturing said, the Lift & Reseal is designed to efficiently close packs more than 20 times, allowing consumers to reseal film-based food packs for the product’s lifetime. The tape strip remains adhesive all the way down as the packaging reduces in size.

It remains effective even if the adhesive face becomes dusty, retaining the freshness of the food items and reducing food wastage, said the company.

Spencer added: “The issue of food waste is obviously not just confined to the UK; European Parliament has established its own targets and the EU Commission has set out a resource efficiency roadmap, which foresees a 50% reduction in food waste, to be achieved by 2025. With our Tesa Lift & Reseal product being fast adopted worldwide, we are hoping that we can play a part in helping to deliver these targets.”

Waste recycling and waste management service ReFood said 7.2 million tonnes of food and drink thrown away every year and the national food industry waste costing an estimated £5bn per year, the UK has topped a poll of the highest waste of food in Europe.

F I S H (food information support hope)

F I S H

F I S H (Food information Support Hope)

 

In these tough economic times F I S H & Lee Community Church want to help those in need in the local community of Gosport/Lee with boxes of FREE food on a regular basis

 

F I S H (Food information Support Hope) has been feeding local families for 3 years. They are a team of 6 headed up by Elizabeth Young. Four days a week food is picked up from 2 local supermarkets, packed into boxes and delivered to families living in the Lee and Gosport areas. Currently there are approx 210 addresses on the list, ranging from single people to families, the elderly and people with special needs. F I S H always needs more donations of food, particularly tins, jars and packets, and as the need increases, more volunteers to help collect the food and deliver. Please email Elizabeth at elizabethyoung@leecommunitychurch.org if you know a family in need or are able to help serve in this ministry.

 

A&A Packaging happily donates polythene bags to F I S H to help keep this great charity moving forward.