From:Gulf Times
-The plastic bag used for this loaf of bread contains the necessary information on nutrition and packaging.
-A check with several hypermarkets reveal that the packaging of some Arabic breads is not properly labelled as “food safe”
Consumers have raised concerns over the use of certain types of plastic packaging for a variety of breads but remain divided on its impact on public health.
Most bread baked and sold in major hypermarkets in and around Doha are packed in “food-grade” plastic bags that bear an international symbol used to inform consumers that the packaging material is safe for food.
A bakery section supervisor told Gulf Times that it was imperative for hypermarkets to pack and label their products as per the health and safety regulations imposed by the government.
He was referring to a September 2013 Cabinet approval of the Minister of Public Health’s decision to ban the use of polyethylene, newspapers or other types of paper for food packaging.
Since the ban, all bakeries are required to use food-grade plastic for packaging hot bread. Similarly, only food-grade plastic is permitted for packaging hot food and drinks. The rule also states that the packaging must inform consumers if it is intended for hot or cold food.
A check with several hypermarkets revealed that the packaging of some Arabic breads is not properly labelled as “food safe” and does not provide information on the ingredients used for the product and food nutrition facts. Some Arabic breads only have the bakery’s address and telephone numbers printed on the plastic packaging.
The packaging of some imported breads, such as tortilla wraps, indicate if the “film/plastic” was recycled or recyclable. The popular brands for milk bread, white and brown bread, buns and bread roll also bear the international “food safe” symbol and are labelled with nutrition facts.
On the other hand, the packaging of chapati, an unleavened flatbread, only states the ingredients but not the product’s nutritional information.
An Asian expatriate told Gulf Times that she was not bothered by the lack of packaging information, and added that since 90% of consumer foods were imported, she trusted the hypermarkets’ choice of suppliers.
“Many of these commodities are sourced from Europe and other Western and Asian countries and pass strict quality control standards,” she said.
But another consumer argued that it was important for food manufacturers to inform the public of a product’s ingredients and how it was packed. “We have the right to information hence, food manufacturers are obliged to respect that right by keeping the public informed.”
She also stressed that aside from packaging, consumers must be aware of a product’s nutrition facts, especially if they are concerned over weight control and health risks such as hypertension or diabetes.
Aside from the use of plastic packaging, the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has recently raised concerns over the use of plastic containers to store or heat food.
Prof Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra, chairman of Internal Medicine at HMC, said that there was a possibility that chemicals could be transferred to foods when stored or heated in plastic containers.
He advised people to refrain from using packaging made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) plastics, which bears the identification “code 3”. He also discouraged the use of materials under code 7, a catch-all for any other plastics that include polycarbonate.
Instead, Abou-Samra recommended the use of pyrex glass. Also, he said packaging with codes 1 (PET), 2 (high density polyethylene - HDPE), 4 (low density polyethylene - LDPE), 5 (PP), and 6 (polystyrene -PS) are generally non-toxic.
