Cooking instructions on packaging

Geoff1963 · 26 May 2017 at 8:46PM

Fray Bentos "cook in the can" pies, print the time and temperature on the base ; so if you take off the lid and can't remember what it said, all the options are awkward or messy.

teddysmum · 27 May 2017 at 5:26PM

McCains oven chips have a lucky draw (very lucky to win,I imagine)which involves finding a code on the inside of the pack.

Of course the inside is greasy,so unpleasant to handle , but the code is in dot matrix format, in pale grey ink, so very difficult to find.

ARandomMiser · 28 May 2017 at 9:09AM

There is a bit of a catch-22 going on. In the electronics game the size of any piece of equipment used to be mostly dictated by the space required for the dials, switchs and knobs on the front. Similarly packaging used to be dictated by the number of instructions and other things that had to be included.

With improving print technology it has been able to make the writing smaller and reduce packaging sizes (something else people are demanding). On the other hand there is more and more text to be added to the packaging including ingredients, how to serve, branding, contact details, nutritional information etc.

I really sympathise with the OP since I also struggle to read much of the content of these labels - this has led to many gastronomic mistakes by me including burning a salad.

teddysmum · 28 May 2017 at 1:11PM

ARandomMiser wrote: »

There is a bit of a catch-22 going on. In the electronics game the size of any piece of equipment used to be mostly dictated by the space required for the dials, switchs and knobs on the front. Similarly packaging used to be dictated by the number of instructions and other things that had to be included.

With improving print technology it has been able to make the writing smaller and reduce packaging sizes (something else people are demanding). On the other hand there is more and more text to be added to the packaging including ingredients, how to serve, branding, contact details, nutritional information etc.

I really sympathise with the OP since I also struggle to read much of the content of these labels - this has led to many gastronomic mistakes by me including burning a salad.

Don't forget instructions in about 6 different languages.

ThemeOne · 28 May 2017 at 1:34PM

It's not just cooking instructions, but ingredients lists that have this problem too. Often written in miniscule text with poor colour contrast with the background, and into the bargain sometimes hidden in a packaging fold.

And don't get me started on the different languages!

ARandomMiser · 29 May 2017 at 5:37AM

ThemeOne wrote: »

It's not just cooking instructions, but ingredients lists that have this problem too. Often written in miniscule text with poor colour contrast with the background, and into the bargain sometimes hidden in a packaging fold.

And don't get me started on the different languages!

On the front of ingredient lists, what are half the things they list. It seems that the list has got more and more specific over time and is now a cocktail of chemicals rather than foodstuffs.

It used to says beans, tomato sauce ... now it says beans (65%), sodium hypochlorate oxide, arsenic di-hydroxifluorate, beetle extract, flea of camel

PhylPho · 29 May 2017 at 1:32PM

ARandomMiser wrote: »

On the front of ingredient lists, what are half the things they list. It seems that the list has got more and more specific over time and is now a cocktail of chemicals rather than foodstuffs.

It used to says beans, tomato sauce ... now it says beans (65%), sodium hypochlorate oxide, arsenic di-hydroxifluorate, beetle extract, flea of camel

Agreed. What used to be a shopping trip to the supermarket is now a visit to the chemical warfare lab.

We've been cutting down on fats content due to my recent gall bladder op, so switched to what seemed a suitable yoghurt from a major brand. Healthy? Huh. Anyone for acesulfame K or aspartame? Really does you the world of good. . . because after all, it's sold as 0% FAT.

Pity there's no legislation to make 'em also state: 90% CHEMICALS.

ARandomMiser · 29 May 2017 at 5:48PM

PhylPho wrote: »

Pity there's no legislation to make 'em also state: 90% CHEMICALS.

I get the feeling that sometimes the packaging has more nutritional value than the contents.

Ectophile · 29 May 2017 at 5:51PM

PhylPho wrote: »

Agreed. What used to be a shopping trip to the supermarket is now a visit to the chemical warfare lab.

We've been cutting down on fats content due to my recent gall bladder op, so switched to what seemed a suitable yoghurt from a major brand. Healthy? Huh. Anyone for acesulfame K or aspartame? Really does you the world of good. . . because after all, it's sold as 0% FAT.

Pity there's no legislation to make 'em also state: 90% CHEMICALS.

That's because, when it comes down to it, everything is 100% chemicals. It's just a question of which ones.

Geoff1963 · 31 May 2017 at 11:47PM

I get the feeling that sometimes the packaging has more nutritional value than the contents.

The paper bag in which my burger and fries was served, said, "This bag contains 50 % recycled paper". It didn't say if that was the burger or the fries.

Cooking instructions on packaging

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free