Knowledge of product preservation, packaging and storage

To support students to develop understandings about basic concepts and techniques used in the preservation, packaging and storage of products, at level 6, teachers could:

• Provide opportunity for students to explore why we need to preserve certain products to maintain their integrity over time.
• Provide opportunity for students to explore different forms of packaging and storage instructions and relate this to the specific nature of the product and the techniques used in its preservation.
• Ensure students are aware of the requirements for labelling of preserved products to ensure end-users can make informed choices.
• Ensure students are familiar with a wide range of basic preservation techniques (eg, freezing, heating, air drying, chemical additives – use of vinegar/sugar), and packaging (eg, bottling, vacuum packing, solid wall containers, padded protective wrapping, labelling for identification) and storage procedures (eg, freezer, refrigerator, cool/dark cupboard) commonly used in domestic situations.
• Guide students to understand how the techniques and procedures used in preserving/packaging and storage of a range of products allows them to maintain their integrity over time and in a known environment (eg, in the home, at school).
• Provide students with multiple opportunities to select and test different basic techniques and procedures to enhance product integrity. This would include understanding the properties and implications of the materials used in the product and what is required of the product in terms of withstanding changes over short periods of time and in known environments.

To support students to develop understandings about advanced concepts and techniques used in the preservation, packaging and storage of products, at level 7, teachers could:

• Provide opportunity for students to explore a range of different types of products to understand the changes needed in the preservation/packaging/storage decision-making to ensure products are able to withstand changing environments over extended times (eg, preservation during transportation, storage in warehouses, packaging for safe handling etc.)
• Guide students to develop understanding of how preserving/packaging and storage work together to ensure products maintain integrity over extended times and variable physical environments.
• Provide students opportunity to explore and debate the implications of, and for, the distribution of products to national markets on the preservation, packaging and storage of products.
• Provide opportunities for students to become familiar with a wide range of advanced preservation techniques (eg, spray drying of liquids, ultra violet reaction inhibition, liquid immersion freezing and chilling, chemical additives), and packaging (eg, canning, retortable pouches, gas flush packages, permeable packaging films, sealing mechanisms, portion control, labelling for point of difference – eco, heart ticks etc) and storage procedures (eg, controlled atmosphere) commonly used in industrial situations.
• Provide students with opportunities to explore advanced techniques being used currently in a range of industries. This would include understanding the properties and implications of the materials used in the product and what is required of the product in terms of ensuring particular shelf-life and withstanding variable environmental conditions.

To support students to develop understandings about complex concepts and techniques used in the preservation, packaging and storage of products, at level 8, teachers could:

• Provide opportunity for students to debate how the preservation, packaging and storage of products have been influenced by changes in global distribution chains. This includes ways products can be made suitable for a range of consumers who may live in different political and social environments to where the product originated.
• Guide students to develop understanding of how preserving/packaging and storage work together to ensure products maintain integrity and acceptability over extended times and variable physical, social and political environments.
• Provide opportunity for students to explore a range of products to understand how the preservation/packaging and/or storage has changed cultures/society (needs, desires, the way life is experienced) in the past and present and to debate how they may change cultures/society in the probable future.
• Provide opportunities for students to become familiar with a wide range of complex preservation techniques (eg, freeze drying, UHT sterilisation, cryogenic freezing, irradiation, high pressure sterilisation), and packaging (eg, aseptic filling, modified atmosphere packs, crush protection, dosage control, brand value packaging), and storage procedures (eg, accelerated storage life trials, modified atmosphere packs commonly used for products destined for international markets).
• Provide students with opportunities to explore the implications and complexities involved in developing and distributing 'risk' products for international markets. This would include understanding the properties and implications of the materials used in the product and what is required of the product in terms of complex distribution chains. That is withstanding significant changes of time and environmental conditions including changing social, cultural and ethical dimensions.

AS91084 Processing Technologies 1.62

Demonstrate understanding of basic concepts used in preservation and packaging techniques for product storage

Standards & Assessment

AS91353 Processing Technologies 2.62

Demonstrate understanding of advanced concepts used in preservation and packaging techniques for product storage

Standards & Assessment

Processing Technologies 3.62

Demonstrate understanding of complex concepts used in preservation and packaging techniques for product storage

Standards & Assessment