What Are the Advantages And Disadvantages of Bottled And Jarred Packaged Goods?
What Are the Advantages And Disadvantages of Bottled and Jarred Packaged Goods?
The 21st century, a fast-paced world where time is money. Saving time can simply be assumed to be saving money. Today, a popular time-saving technique (to make money, of course) is depositing in packaged food. Packaged food is no less common and has revolutionized the market through its commercial and technological advancements.
The increasing need for bottled and jarred packaged goods has sparked a debate about its advantages and disadvantages. Some of the pertinent topics are hygiene, toxins in packaging, environmental effects, and consumer protection.
Packaging has both negative and positive effects. However, information on these effects will help to sensitize consumers and help them choose a package that is safe both personally and environmentally.
Food and beverage products are packaged and sold in glass, plastic, aluminum, and paper. Each of these materials has advantages and disadvantages for the consumer and the manufacturer.
Advantages of Packaged Foods
Packaged foods are considered a boon for people who live far from home. They are ready to eat at any point of the day. They are also convenient to store and store. They do not need to be wrapped or kept in containers for storage.
They are found to be safer and less vulnerable to contamination than unpackaged food. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has doubts about the safe use of recycled packaging, it is nonetheless known to be safe. The shelf life of such food products is longer. They last longer and stay fresh for a longer period.
The quality of packaged food is better because the packaging protects against physical and environmental damage during food handling, transportation, and storage.
Containers such as glass, aluminum, or plastic containers extend the useful life of their contents. Last but not least is the convenience quotient. They also save our time and effort of shopping, preparing and cooking.
Hygiene
Food packaging helps to hygienically transport and store various foods and beverages. Packaging reduces exposure to airborne contaminants and bacteria during handling, which can lead to illness, including food poisoning.
However, there are concerns about using recycled material for food packaging. Regulatory administrations have strict rules to ensure hygiene and safety among manufacturers using recycled material.
Packaging also helps to store food hygienically at home, since you don’t have to leave food exposed.
Duration
Different packaging helps extend the shelf life of various foods and beverages.
For example, plastic allows you to modify the air while packing, which helps prevent discoloration and prolongs the life of the item.
Glass and metal containers also use this method to keep food fresher longer.
Also, the use of clear plastic and glass helps you identify any discoloration of food before purchasing. Lack of packaging exposes food to air, which can cause food to dry out, mold, or spoil.
Disadvantages of Packaged Foods
After talking about the pros, let’s take a look at their cons. Food packaging produces a large amount of waste. It has been responsible for a large amount of waste. Packaging represents a percentage of the costs of all food manufacturers, therefore, it increases the final cost of food and makes it more expensive than unpackaged food.
The biggest disadvantage is the effect of packaged foods on health. Food additives and artificial flavors that are commonly included in packaged foods can not only reduce or worsen the taste but can also be unhealthy and/or unsafe for human consumption.
Some of these potential health risks include unexpected allergic reactions, indigestion, and increased susceptibility to a variety of diseases such as lung or heart disease.
However, to solve this problem, many products are required to have the FDA food label. These labels provide not only a list of all the ingredients, as well as expiration dates, but also nutritional information, such as serving size and vitamin and mineral content.
Environment
According to Duke University researchers Patrick Reaves and Michael Nolan, consumer packaging accounts for the largest amount of plastic and paper waste, constituting 20% of all landfills. The elimination of food packaging re-introduces waste into the ecosystem, which has negative effects.
Chelsea Rochman from the University of California explains that most waste is hazardous. For example, plastic is full of toxins that are carcinogenic or affect the reproductive system.
Also, most packaging is not biodegradable and affects the existence of both humans and animals, including marine life.
Cost
Food packaging increases the cost of food. Packaging can represent 10 to 50% of the prices of food products. The need for a smaller package that meets federal and health standards further increases the cost of production, which manufacturers pass on to the consumer. Furthermore, the storage and transportation of food in smaller packages are more expensive than in bulk.
In the end, it could be said that, like all other things, packaged foods also have positive and negative characteristics. And since it is said that too much of everything is bad, it is also true for this. It is up to us to decide to what extent we will allow ourselves these foods.
