Plastic, by contrast, is lightweight and
unbreakable, and it has become an extremely common material for use in
food packaging. Most plastics used in food packaging are heat resistant
so that they can go through high-temperature sterilization processes.
Plastic is made into a wide variety of shapes, including bottles, jars,
trays, and tubs, as well as thin films that are used as bags and wraps.
By itself, paper is not frequently used in packaging, except for certain
dry foods, such as flour and sugar. When paper is coated with plastic or
other materials to make it stronger and impermeable to water, it can be
more widely used. Paperboard is often used for cartons, and
plastic-coated paperboard for packaging frozen foods. Cartons and
containers for shipping are usually made of corrugated cardboard.
In recent years, environmental concerns have influenced food packaging.
Scientists are working to develop packaging that is recyclable,
biodegradable, or more compact so that it will use less landfill space,
as well as to eliminate unnecessary packaging. Programs to recycle glass
and aluminum beverage containers have been started all over the country.
Plastic beverage bottles can be recycled as clothing or other products
in addition to food containers. Aseptic packaging and several other new
methods are compact and use a minimal amount of materials. We only offer
you our stretch wrapping.
FOOD DISTRIBUTION
After food is processed and packaged, it enters an extensive distribution
network that brings food products from the manufacturer to various
retail outlets across the country and even around the world. Modern,
high-speed methods of transportation-trucks, trains, and planes-and
reliable methods of environmental control-especially
refrigeration-enable even perishable food to be transported great
distances. Distribution networks help satisfy consumer demand for
variety, making available, even in remote areas, foods that are not
locally grown or processed. In fact, although food distribution is all
but invisible to the average consumer, it plays a vital role in ensuring
the availability of even the most basic foodstuffs. The now-famous bread
lines and bare supermarket shelves shown in images of the former Soviet
Union were brought about not so much by inadequate food production as by
the lack of an efficient distribution network to bring the food to the
consumer.
Some large grocery store chains have the resources to buy food products
directly from processors, transport the products, and store them in
warehouses until they are needed at the store. However, for independent
grocery stores and other small retailers, food wholesalers fulfill these
roles. One type of wholesaler is a cooperative wholesaler, which is
owned by the retailers that buy from them and usually sells only to
these member-owners. In contrast, voluntary wholesalers are public
companies that sell to any retailers without having membership
requirements. Some food is sold directly to a retail store without going
through a wholesaler first. This is common for foods such as bread and
dairy products that must be delivered fresh every day or every few days.
Smaller manufacturers often use food brokers as agents to arrange for
their products to be shipped to retailers or warehouses.
Through these various distribution channels, food makes its way to food
retailers, such as restaurants, fast food outlets, supermarkets,
convenience stores, specialty shops, drug stores, and some department
stores. Supermarkets are the predominant type of food retailer in the
United States. They arose during the Great Depression (1930s) as a way
of providing cheaper food products to consumers. The main cost-cutting
measure was to have customers select products off the store shelves
rather than having a clerk fill a client's order. In addition, these
early supermarkets were located on the outskirts of town where land was
cheaper. Since the first supermarket opened in Queens, New York, in
1930, the concept has spread throughout the world.
GOVERNMENT MONITORING AND REGULATION For hundreds of years, governments
have had an interest in regulating food processing to ensure the safety
and wholesomeness of the foods consumed by their citizens. The earliest
known food law was written in Japan in AD 702. In Britain, the first
Pure Food Laws were enacted during the 1860s to combat adulteration, the
secret use of additives to stretch wholesome foods with cheaper,
nonnutritious (and sometimes dangerous) ingredients. This practice
became common during the Middle Ages (5th century to 15th century), when
cities began to grow and urban populations no longer got their food
directly from the farm, creating an opportunity for deception by
middlemen. Today, several United States government agencies carry out
inspections and enforce a comprehensive system of regulations governing
food processing, packaging, and distribution.
Among the first regulations in the United States for protecting the food
supply was the Meat Inspection Act of 1906. It was inspired in part by
the 1906 novel The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, which described unsanitary
conditions in Chicago stockyards. The Meat Inspection Act required
inspection of cattle, hogs, sheep, and goats intended for interstate
commerce, as well as the monitoring of slaughter and processing
procedures. When poultry became more popular during the 1950s, a similar
law, the Poultry Products Inspection Act of 1957, subjected poultry
producers to the same scrutiny.
Today the Food Safety and Inspection Service, a part of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA), carries out inspections of meat and
poultry processing. Animals are inspected by USDA veterinarians before
they are slaughtered to eliminate animals with disease from the food
supply. This phase of inspection includes blood tests of randomly
selected animals from each flock to make sure residues of antibiotics or
pesticides, if present in the animals' blood, do not exceed acceptable
levels. Animals are also inspected after slaughter for disease or
contamination of carcasses, and processing procedures, recipes, and
labels on products are also monitored.
Meat and poultry inspections follow a method known as Hazard Analysis
Critical Control Points (HACCP), which was developed during the 1960s by
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to ensure that
foods produced for astronauts were safe. HACCP involves a thorough
analysis of the steps of processing to determine which steps involve the
greatest risk of contamination. Monitoring and inspection then focus on
those critical points.
For the
stretch wrapping
prices
do not hesitate to
contact us.
The FDA is responsible for monitoring and inspecting most all other food
products. The FDA enforces the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938,
which prohibits the shipping of adulterated or mislabeled products in
interstate commerce. FDA inspectors visit food processing plants and
warehouses to monitor all phases of processing, packaging, and
distribution. Samples of food products are analyzed by FDA chemists to
ensure the foods are wholesome and unadulterated and do not contain
harmful substances, such as levels of pesticides above the limits set by
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In 1958, amendments to the
Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act gave the FDA authority to regulate the use
of additives in foods. The Delaney Clause, which was part of those
amendments, prohibits approval of additives that cause cancer in human
or animal tests. Some people have criticized this clause for being too
inflexible, because some studies show very small increases in cancer
risk and some studies that show a risk of cancer in animals may not be
relevant to humans. Since 1969, the FDA has set standards for inspection
of retail food stores, restaurants, and cafeterias, although local
health departments are responsible for carrying out those inspections.
Package labels are also regulated by the federal government. What began
as an effort to make sure that labels were accurate has now expanded to
require labels that provide more information to increasingly
health-conscious consumers. The 1938 Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
prohibited mislabeling of food. In 1964 the Truth in Labeling Act
required the package label to provide an accurate description of the
weight, volume, or count of the package contents, a description of the
contents, and the name and address of the manufacturer. The Nutrition
Labeling and Education Act of 1990 required that all packages include a
label, headed "Nutrition Facts." This label must list the serving size
and number of servings per package, and detail the food's content of
various nutrients (including carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins,
and minerals). These labels help people compare different food choices
and select those that fit their diet (see Human Nutrition).