Nutritional Comparison of Milk Brands

This assignment compares two milk brands, Pauls PhysiCAL no fat skim milk and Bannister Downs fresh milk, focusing on their nutritional value and health claims. It analyzes the specific benefits of each brand, such as calcium content and vitamin D fortification, in relation to the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating recommendations. The assignment also considers factors like sodium levels and serving suggestions for both milk types.

0Running head: FOOD PACKAGING
Food Packaging, Labelling and Dietary Guidelines
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s note

1FOOD PACKAGING
Table of Contents
Function of Packaging................................................................................................................2
Packaging of Pauls PhysiCAL no fat skim milk....................................................................2
Packaging of Bannister Downs fresh milk.............................................................................3
Environmental Consideration of Packaging...............................................................................4
Food Products Labelling Requirement under Australian Legislation........................................5
Nutritional Value of Food Products...........................................................................................9
References................................................................................................................................12

2FOOD PACKAGING
Function of Packaging
An integral part of food processing operation is packaging. (1) Protection of packaged
food against mechanical injury and microbial contamination is the main role of food
packaging. Packaging also provides protection against moisture attack and oxygen exposure.
Packaging also provides protection against harmful chemicals and sunlight. Canned food
products, packed inside the microwavable containers bestow stability against temperature
variance. (1) Over the past decades, there have been significant developments in the
packaging industry, which has facilitated the development of the minimally processed foods
and reduction in the cost of packaging. (1)
Packaging of Pauls PhysiCAL no fat skim milk
Pauls PhysiCAL no fat skim milk is retailed in 2 litres of plastic PE (polyethylene)
bottle. (2) Plastic bottle is ideal for this liquid no fat milk because it prevents unwanted
leakage and the handle of the bottle provides ease of access. The other advantage of plastic
bottle is that, it provides protection against microbial contamination, moisture, oxygen,
physical damage and sunlight. It is also cost-effective. Moreover, plastic bottle made of PE is
light in weight aiding the process of transportation, usage, storage and carriage. (3) Another
striking feature of the plastic bottle is, it is recyclable as denoted by the recyclable sign
present over the bottle. However, plastic is produced form the fossil fuels like natural gas, oil
and coal and these fuels emit dangerous greenhouse gases and toxic chemicals, polluting the
environment. Plastic on decomposition produce methane gas, which have high environmental
threats. Plastic, disposed on the water bodies impose threat to the marine life. (4)

3FOOD PACKAGING
Figure: Plastic bottle for Pauls PhysiCAL no fat skim milk
Source: (2)
Packaging of Bannister Downs fresh milk
Bannister Downs fresh milk is retailed in 1 litre pouch pack. (5) The pouch is
manufactured out of fully recyclable and eco-friendly plastic which has an amalgamation of
60% calcium carbonate (limestone). Calcium carbonate shares similar composition to glass
and hence is capable of maintaining the freshness of the milk. (5) It also easy to dispose as it
can be easily crushed or flattened when gets empty. The pouch can also be burnt safely with
no emission of harmful gasses. Another advantage of this kind of packaging is, it is

4FOOD PACKAGING
microwaveable. The usefulness of pouch pack for this packaging is, it prevents leakage,
microbial contamination and easy operation. (5)
Figure: Packaging for Bannister Downs fresh milk
Source: (5)
Environmental Consideration of Packaging
Non-renewable materials like non-recycled plastic are the principal environmental
impact of packaging. Other environmental impacts include emission of harmful fluid,
suspended solids, hazardous substance that contaminate land, reactive oxygen species, and
ozone layer depleting greenhouse gas. The options for disposal of plastics are biodegradation,
recycling, landfilling and incineration. Landfills demands space moreover, the energy
contained and chemical constituents of plastic are lost in this disposal route. Incineration
returns fractional energy from plastic production but produce, negative health and
environmental impacts. (6) Further awareness is required in this field to elucidate renewable
approach of plastic disposal has paved the way to generation of renewable plastic.

5FOOD PACKAGING
Here in Pauls PhysiCAL no fat skim milk is made of recycled plastic but recycling is
a plausible superior solution. Recycled plastics have more microbiological and chemical
contaminants than virgin counterparts. Before recycling the bottle, consumers frequently
employ empty plastic bottles to mix or dilute pesticides. Even after treatment, traces of
pesticide may retain in the plastic, entering the food supply. Recycling also has certain
practical challenges like accurate sorting, high price of oil and the nature of the recycled
plastic. Nevertheless, since it is recyclable and biodegradable, it prevents threat of long-term
environmental damage. However, biodegradation process is slow, disrupting current
recycling stream. Incineration causes release of a greenhouse gas and carcinogenic polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polluting the atmosphere. Disposal of PE plastic bottles in
landfills is unsustainable and destroys land resources which are otherwise fit for farming. (6)
Bannister Downs fresh milk is packaged out of unspecified plastic that has a mixture
of Calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Calcium carbonate allows polymers to cool and heat fast,
resulting in energy savings, improved productivity and faster film conversion. High Density
Polyethylene (HDPE) film manufactured via amalgamation with calcium carbonate reduces
petrochemical and energy usage and thus offering significant environmental benefits. It also
minimizes carbon footprint and impact of greenhouse gas on atmosphere. (7)
Food Products Labelling Requirement under Australian Legislation
Food labelling is done to educate the consumers about the nutritional content of the
food and to prevent fraud or deception. It also ensures that the food is safe and wholesome.
According to the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), a label is legal
requirement of all packaged food. (8)
Important
Parameters for
Pauls PhysiCAL no Bannister Downs Explanation

6FOOD PACKAGING
Labelling fat skim milk fresh milk
Name of product Yes Yes
Lot ID Yes Yes
Name and address of
supplier
Yes Yes
Warnings Yes No There are no
specific warning
indication against
the adverse effect
of the over
consumption of
the milk or
whether this milk
is suitable for the
consumption for
children
Labelling of
ingredients
Yes Yes
Directions for use and
storage
Yes Yes
Nutrition information
panel
Yes Yes
Legibility
requirements
Legible Nutritional
information not
The nutritional
indication since

7FOOD PACKAGING
legible written in white
font over blue
background, it is
not legible. If the
black font colour
was used, then the
legibility might
have increased
Country of origin Present Present
Table: Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Food Labelling Parameters
(Source: Created by Author)
Figure: Labelling of Pauls PhysiCAL no fat skim milk
Source: (2)

8FOOD PACKAGING
Figure: Labelling of Bannister Downs fresh milk
Source: (5)
Health claim states that there exist a relationship between the constituents of food and
health. According to health claim there are few factors that must be taken into consideration:
Nutrient function claims: It describes the role of the nutrient in the growth,
physiological development and normal body functions. Example: Food X is high on
nutritional content. (9)
Other function claims: Concerned with beneficial features of food in the context of
the total diet and biological activity of the body. These claims create positive contribution to
health. Examples: “Substance A (name) and how it helps in improving one specific
physiological process (digestion, food absorption etc.) of the body. (9)

9FOOD PACKAGING
Reduction of disease risk claims: Composition of food and how ingredients provide
immunogenic protection against certain disease. The documentation of the risk claim must be
stated in clear language with proper referencing. Examples: A Nutrient A in diet reduces the
risk of disease D. (9)
The labelling requirement in the domain of health claims is met by Pauls PhysiCAL
no fat skim milk. It states that the milk have 40% extra calcium content than regular milk
that promotes the absorption of Vitamin D and also acts as an calcium supplements. (2)
However, there are no such specific health claims in Bannister Downs fresh milk. (5)
Nutritional Value of Food Products
The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) is a food selection guide.

10FOOD PACKAGING
Figure: Pictorial Representation of Australian Guide to Healthy Eating: Visual
representation along with proportion of five different foods, which are recommended for
daily consumption.
Source: (10)
According to AGHE, Australians needs to consume more reduced fat milk. (10) Pauls
PhysiCAL no fat skim milk is ultrafiltered skim milk is rich in vitamin D and scores high on
calcium content. This ultrafiltered milk promotes faster calcium absorption than regular milk
and ensures bone health. Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) is 20ro ml. However, it is not
recommended as complete milk for children under 2 years of age. Moreover, AGHE
supports, recommends and promotes breastfeeding. (2) Bannister Downs fresh milk on the
other hand is homogenised pasteurized milk and is rich in sodium (40mg per100 gram) and
calcium (600mg per 100 gram). There is however no specific nutritional benefits and serving
details described over the carton. (5)

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References
1. Paine FA, Paine HY. A handbook of food packaging. Springer Science & Business
Media; 2012 Dec 6.
2. Pauls - Home [Internet]. Pauls. 2017 [cited 27 September 2017]. Available from:
http://www.pauls.com.au/
3. Ebnesajjad S, editor. Handbook of biopolymers and biodegradable plastics:
properties, processing and applications. William Andrew; 2012 Dec 31.
4. Gewert B, Plassmann MM, MacLeod M. Pathways for degradation of plastic
polymers floating in the marine environment. Environmental Science: Processes &
Impacts. 2015;17(9):1513-21.
5. Bannister Downs | Global Leaders in Ethical Dairy [Internet].
Bannisterdowns.com.au. 2017 [cited 27 September 2017]. Available from:
http://bannisterdowns.com.au/
6. North EJ, Halden RU. Plastics and environmental health: the road ahead. Reviews on
environmental health. 2013 Apr 1;28(1):1-8.
7. Sun S, Mao LB, Lei Z, Yu SH, Cölfen H. Hydrogels from Amorphous Calcium
Carbonate and Polyacrylic Acid: Bio‐Inspired Materials for “Mineral Plastics”.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 2016 Sep 19;55(39):11765-9.
8. Food Standards Australia New Zealand [Internet]. Foodstandards.gov.au. 2017 [cited
27 September 2017]. Available from:
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx
9. Nocella G, Kennedy O. Food health claims–What consumers understand. Food
Policy. 2012 Oct 31;37(5):571-80.

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10. Australian Guide to Healthy Eating | Eat For Health [Internet]. Eatforhealth.gov.au.
2017 [cited 27 September 2017]. Available from:
https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/guidelines/australian-guide-healthy-eating