History of packaging

Packaging as we know it today is the result of a long development process. It is the product of continuous research aimed at finding better methods of packaging the various goods we use, including our food, in order to ensure the best protection for them. The very first people to tread the earth, back in the depths of prehistory, sought to conserve the surplus food collected during their hunting, fishing and food-gathering for the longest possible time, so as to be well prepared for any future food shortage. They used the leaves from trees, woven baskets and animal skins to store their food. Terracotta was used to make vessels to carry liquids. The remains of these earthen pots and leather pouches are today the treasure-troves of archaeologists and palaeontologists. They teach them much about our ancient ancestors lifestyles. But it is now clear that these early forms of packaging were very rudimentary, and not a lways hygienic, with the result that daily life at that time revolved around the search for food. Most developing countries still suffer today from a lack of packaging, a deficiency that results in the loss of some 50% of their resources. The seeds of agriculture were sown between 11,000 and 12,000 years ago, creating the need for a more effective means of protecting seeds and harvested products. Glass, which emerged in the Far East some 5,000 years before Christ, was one invention destined to revolutionise mans capacity to conserve and transport goods. At that time, glass was only used to make jewellery, but 1,000 years later the Egyptians used this material to create jars of all kinds. Further down through the centuries, antique civilisations bequeathed us with receptacles which, to our eyes, seem rather more like works of art than everyday items. In fact, they are the predecessors of our current packaging and containers. Though technical innovations were few and far between, the collections of ceramic and blown glass which fill our museums today demonstrate the extent to which everyday containers had become indispensable tools in the daily life of our ancestors. In the Middle Ages, wooden barrels became the most frequently used way of preserving goods. They were used for storing all kinds of solids and liquids, protecting them from light, heat and dampness. Their considerable robustness allowed them to be transported on the perilous roads of the age and to be carried by boat. It was during the industrial revolution in Europe that packaging really took off. The vast range of products made available to the consumer brought about a change in lifestyle, providing consumers with greater choice and allowing trade to flourish. The need for packaging grew. From then on, the rate of innovation accelerated. The Frenchman Nicolas Appert invented the can in 1810. Though it was made from glass rather than metal, it represented the birth of a long-term preservation method for food. Canned food w as first put to the test by the army during the Crimean wars and during the American Civil War before it became available to consumers.

Part A (a) Brand Price

Nutritional Information

A B C D E
(b) Brand A Price Index in the year 2014 base on 2013 125 80 110 150 100 Price Indices in the year 2014 base on 2013 Price in the year 2014 X=......

=125

Brand A

Price In the year 2014 RM 1.20

Total Amount of two dozens RM1.20 x 24=........

Part C (a) Brand Length High Width Total Surface Area Volume of Cuboid TSA / V