FOOD LABELLING

Food labels provide information about a food product to the consumer.

Food labels are set to;

 To inform customers about all the words, pictures, descriptions trademarks symbols and
brand name that appear on food label.
 Ensures that customers are not misled about the following;
-what the food is (its nature and identity)
-where it comes from ( its origin)
-who made it ( manufacturer)
-what is in it (its composition)
-How was it made (method of manufacturing)
-How much is there in it (quantity, weight, mass, volume)
-how long will it safely keep (shelf life, durability)
-what will it be like (look, taste, smell and feel- overall properties)

INFORMATION FOUND ON FOOD LABELS

 The name of the product including any form of treatment it may have gone through (UHT
treatment for milk, frozen peas)
 A list of ingredients used in the product, e.g. food additives in order of their weight
 The net quality (for pre-packed food before packaging)
 Instructions about storage, cooking and use
 Keeping quality and shelf life
 Manufacture’s name and address
 A bar code (a symbol on goods that has black lines of varied thickness, that reveals
information such as the price, name of item, manufacture’s name, address, number in stock,
size /quality/volume of item.
 Nutritional information (nutrients contained in the food item)
FOOD PACKAGING

Is the enclosing of food to protect it from damage, contamination, spoilage, pest attacks as well as
tampering during transport, storage and retail sale. The package is often labelled with information
such as amount of content, ingredients, nutritional content cooking instruction and shelf-life.
Packaging types include bags, bottles, cans, cartons.

REASONS FOR PACKAGING FOOD

 For hygienic reasons

 To protect the food from damage during storage and transportation
 To give information to customers about the product
 To attract customers for convenience

FOOD PACKAGING SERVES MANY IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS;

 CONTAINMENT- for items that are granulated, paper-based packages are the best. Metals,
cans and plastic bottles can be used. another factor in containment is durability-the
packaging should survive transport.
 PROTECTION-the packaging must protect the food from biological agents such as insects,
rats and microbes, mechanical damage such as product abrasion, chemical degradation such
as oxidation, moisture transfer and ultra violet light.
 COMMUNICATION-packaged food must be identified for consumer use, mainly with label
text and graphics. Details such as nutritional information, indicate place that is safe to store.
 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES-to protect the environment, we must be willing to re-use or
recycle the packaging or reduce the size of the packaging.
 PACKAGE SAFETY- the package must be safe to use.
 PRODUCT ACCESS-the packaging must be such that the product is readily accessible when
the consumer needs it.

CHARACTERISTICS OF MATERIALS USED FOR PACKAGING FOOD

 Should be safe- should provide a barrier between food and pests and micro-organisms, thus
avoiding diseases.
 Easy to use- when opening and closing
 Durable- it should last long to protect from damage during store and transportation/
carrying.
 Well labelled- for easy identification and also have information such ingredients, shelf life
and instructions.
 Affordability- materials used should not be too expensive but of good quality.
 Environmentally friendly-not pollute environment or hazardous.
 Aesthetically pleasing to look at- to attract customers
 Make food easy to handle- when transporting