Food Packaging Containing BPA Still Safe For Consumer

A number of Australian and New Zealand government regulatory agencies have been monitoring developments overseas regarding the use of BPA in plastic packaging china. The issue first came to light when the Canadian Government, responding to consumer concerns, effectively banned the use of plastic baby bottles in that country. There were fears that the industrial chemical Bisphenol A, commonly known as BPA, could potentially contaminate the contents of food and beverage packaging used by millions of consumers. BPA is present in the plastic liner that keeps the contents of the packaging from touching any metal present in the container or the lid.

Food packaging suppliers must make sure their products meet the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) requirements. FSANZ has established that the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) for BPA, an internationally established safe level, is very low and is not a significant risk to human health for any age group, infants included.

Further studies by both the European Food Safety Authority and the World Health Organisation confirmed that, even though some studies had indicated that low exposure levels to BPA could produce adverse health effects, there was no need at this stage to revise the current TDI.

The difficulty for the scientific community in coming up with a definitive answer is that the studies so far, which have all been conducted on laboratory animals, are inconclusive, with one study indicating some effect on the reproductive system, and another showing no effect. The other overriding consideration is that BPA does not stay in the body but is quickly eliminated through urine. There is no evidence that BPA causes cancer.

Australia and New Zealand have followed the lead of the Canadian Government and also moved to phase out polycarbonate plastic baby bottles through a voluntary approach taken up by major retailers. This commenced on 1 July 2010 and there are now many BPA-free options on the market. Again, this is a response to consumer demand and not an issue of product safety.

Further tests were conducted by FSANZ on a range of foods and beverages including infant formula and foods packaged in polycarbonate plastics, steel cans with epoxy lining and glass jars with metal lids. Only a small number of samples showed levels of BPA, and large amounts of food and drink would need to be consumed to reach the international safety levels. Packaging suppliers are well aware of these studies and work constantly to ensure consumer safety.

The Australian and New Zealand consumer can be reassured from these further tests, that BPA levels in our general diet are low, but FSANZ will continue to test and monitor the situation.

Information Overload On Food Packaging?

As consumers have become better educated and more health conscious, they have, over the past two decades, demanded more information about the nutrient

content of packaged foodstuffs. Campaigns by organizations such as Choice (formerly the Australian Consumers Association), and the use of Choice Magazine to

make public the results of independent testing on a wide range of consumer goods and foodstuffs, have advocated for disclosure of the contents of any

consumer food or product on the external packaging. Along with the work of certain countries' Food Standards, there is now so much information on food

packaging that the ordinary shopper has difficulty understanding what it all means.

Most consumers are familiar with the term "use by" date, and think they understand it, but there is another, very similar term, that also sounds familiar -
"best before" - and there is a difference. If food needs to be consumed before a specified period of time because of health and safety reasons, the food

packaging must be date marked with a "use by" date, and the sale of these foods after that date is prohibited. As an exemption, though, selling of food with

dates beyond the set "best before" date is permissible provided that the contents are not damaged, perished or deteriorated.

More complex is the information shown on the nutrition panels on nearly all packaged foods. These panels will list how much energy (kilojoules), protein,

total fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugar and sodium (salt) is in the product. This information is listed by serve, which is determined by the
manufacturer, and is also listed by 100 grams, which enables the consumer to compare products.
Food items must also show a list of ingredients, in descending order by ingoing weight, so that the largest amount comes first. Usually items like fats,
sugars and salt (sodium) are at the beginning of the list. The label must also show the key or characterizing ingredient if there is one. Fair trading laws
require that the label should tell the truth about the contents i.e. if the label pictures a mango, for example, the product must contain mango. Food
additives such as sweeteners and preservatives must also be declared.

These are just some of the very basic items that must be shown on food china printing 2013, and while it's a positive move to inform consumers, there is a level of

education and understanding of what is represented that is needed before fully informed choices can be made. Consumers with doubts should not hesitate to

contact packaging suppliers as they would be more than happy to address inquiries.

Packaging Design - Make Sure Your Business Image is Consistent

In business, your brand is not only the logo you use to represent your business; it is what customers think of when they think of your business. The right logo can generate excitement and interest from potential customers, while the wrong one is easily forgotten and so is your business. But a company's image is more than just a logo. All of your communications need to be thought of as the vehicle that carries your company's image to the public. The wrong marketing means your company is invisible, the right one and your business is booming! One such vehicle is the packaging you use to contain and wrap your products, and to effectively market those products in today's marketplace you need effective packaging design.

Whether you are looking to create a brand, update an existing brand or just ensure all your marketing is consistent across all marketing platforms, finding the right packaging design company is important. They should be versed in what current market trends are in terms of logo placement and recognition. They should also have qualified designers who know what works when it comes to different forms of packaging - this evaluation can make all the difference between a well packaged product and one that doesn't measure up to consumer requirements. Remember that a skilled designer will create  china packaging company  and labels that will encourage potential buyers to purchase your product. So it really does pay to do your homework and check that your existing or new brand can be effectively transferred to a packaging design that is going to 'be seen' by consumers. The all important marketing communications need to be effectively addressed on labels and point of sale displays.

Keeping consistent with your branding across all forms of your marketing collateral is also very important. This sends a dependable message to your customers, makes connections between various forms of advertising and builds brand recognition. With this in mind it pays to think about whether you should consider using a design house that only does part of the job. If one company does your packaging design work, but someone else handles the printing of your brochures, you may end up with some inconsistencies in the final product. While some print shops may provide cheaper services for printing brochures, and others offer discounts on catalogues, working with more than one vendor is only going to disjoint your marketing collateral and destroy that ever important consistency. A one-stop shop is really the best way to go.

Jag Creative consists of a small-scale creative core that boasts several decades' worth of experience in graphic design, print, pre-press and production management.

In response to job type or scale, Jag Creative can call on a wider range of networked creatives - copywriters and editors, photographers, photo stylists or cartoonists. Their organisational structure brings small-scale flexibility, responsiveness, personal and cost-efficient service to projects of any scope or scale.

Based in Auckland, Jag Creative is central, readily accessible, and well-equipped with high-speed connections making it easy to dispatch design proofs or finished artwork across town, around the country, or around the world.