A money’s worth in food buying

Press, 13 April 1978, Page 14

A money’s worth in food buying

Today’s food markets offer increasing oppoi'tunities to spend money on goods and services added to the basic food item. Fortunately most foods are available without unnecessary packaging or processing and the consumer has a choice in how to spend his money. The Department of University Extension at the University of Otago advises how to get your money’s worth when buying food. It suggests you only pay for the additional processing or packaging when you really need these commodities.

Prepared and semi-pre-pared convenience , foods include in their price the cost of processing and packaging. For some foods this is significant. Yoghurt, jam, stuffing mix, chutney, mayonnaise and muesli all cost more than twice the price of horn e-made varieties; breadcrumbs, icing sugar, self-raising flour, pastry, quick-mix cake and icecream would each save up to two-thirds the purchase price when prepared at home. The use of convenience foods can double the cost

of family meals without notable time savings. Some conveinence foods rely upon modified conventional cookery methods to save time. You too can use the same quick tricks. The recipe leaflet “Short Cut Cookery,” available from the Department of University Extension, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin (cost 30c

NUTRITION AND DIET By the Nutrition Department, University of Otago

posted) outlines many ways to save time in the kitchen. Increased effiency and skill in food preparation is rewarding, creative and ensures value for money in family meals. Packaging can be expensive on the budget. The basic requirement is for a container which will maintain the food in good condition and protect it from contamination. Basic foodstuffs generally require less sophisticated packaging than

frozen or processed foods. Often foods are available in several different kinds of pack — select the cheapest type which protects the food adequately. Typically the packs in order of increasing cost would be paper, plastic bag, cardboard carton, foil sachet, plastic container, can and glass jar. However there are variations so check the cost per weight unit to be purchased. Generally bulk items are less, expensive than the same food in several smaller packs. For example, buying cornflour in a bag rather than packet, tea loose rather than in “tea bags,” and detergent in bulk rather than in unit dispensers can save up to two-thirds of the cost.

Packaging has become the vehicle for the marketing message. Advertising is frequently more effective on firm rather than soft packs and it is tempting to use more sophisticated packaging than is necessary to. protect the food.

Brightly coloured informative bags, packets, bottles and cans make shopping a more pleasurable task — but beware of the cost in excessive packaging.