Food Packaging- Why is it so Important?
Food packaging can be a barrier to quality nutrition. If a consumer at home or patient or resident within a hospital or residential aged care facility can’t open the food packaging, then they can’t eat the food; it’s as simple as that.
Research conducted into NSW Hospitals showed that over 80% of elderly patients experienced difficulties or were unable to open one or more food packaging items. This combined with the prevalence of malnutrition in the acute hospital setting (documented to be between 20-50%2) is cause for concern.
Malnutrition is the imbalance between the supply of energy, protein and other nutrients and the body’s demand for them to ensure growth, maintenance and specific functions. Malnutrition can result in weight loss, muscle wasting, impaired immune function, poor wound healing and loss of strength.
For this reason, it’s important that patients and residents are able to access the food they are provided, and accessible packaging makes this possible.
It was based on these insights into packaging as a barrier to nutrition, that led organisations like HealthShare NSW and Health Purchasing Victoria (HPV) to place an emphasis on packaging accessibility in their tenders for food and beverage product procurement.
A Packaging Accessibility Rating is provided by manufacturers for their single serve food and beverage products and this rating shows how easily products can be opened by patients. Arthritis Australia’s Accessible Design Division is the approved testing authority for issuing the Packaging Accessibility Rating.
The rating estimates the percentage of the population who can open and read packaging. The highest rating on the scale is a +8, which means that 95% of consumers are able to easily and safely open the packaging as well as read the labelling.
The SPC ProVital portion controlled-cups have been specifically developed using the guidelines established by Arthritis Australia to achieve a +8 rating. The aim of creating the cups in this accessible packaging is to provide a more accessible fruit snack for consumers with fine motor skill difficulties.
The key features that provide these accessible benefits include:
- Textured and lengthened pull tab for easier grip
- Clear instructions for opening
- Optimised seal to reduce opening force
- Decagon shape for easier
- Extra large font for improved legibility
The SPC ProVital Easy portion controlled cup was awarded for its innovative and sustainable packaging that minimises food losses and food waste in 2016 by the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIPI) / World Packaging Organisation (WPO) Save Food Packaging Awards.
If you would like more information on the SPC ProVital Range, please contact SPC Foodservice @ xxx. If you would like to purchase the SPC ProVital fruit cups at home, click here (hyperlink to Atlas McNeil community).
References
According to multiple patient studies in NSW Hospitals. 2011-2015. HealthShare NSW 2015.
- Barker L, Gout B and Crowe T. Hospital Malnutrition: Prevalence, Identification and Impact on Patients and the Healthcare System. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2011; vol 8, pp 514-527.
- Evidence based practice guidelines for the nutritional management of malnutrition in adult patients across the continuum of care. Nutrition & Dietetics Journal; Volume 66 Supplement 3, December 2009.
- Receiving a Packaging Accessibility Rating for the health system. Arthritis Australia. 2017. Available HERE
