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Write 3000 words about: * Legal labelling of sandwiches and similar products in educational.
3000 words excluding references.
All references in Harvard reference style please.
The consumers are fully aware of the fact that the words lie, marketers are busy telling a story and the pictures might mislead. Therefore, the dominant principle of the description of the product along with the food packaging details help the product to offer the uninterrupted sensory evidence of the appearances as well as the quality of the product. The immediate sight of the food is the direct indexical evidence that is available to the customer. The transparency and the visibility become the main goal of the whole procedure of food packaging as it enables direct sensory evidence of the product; validates all the quality claims and the consumers can directly compare the product with its competitor product. (Food Standards Agency, 2010)
The food labels help to provide the information that helps the consumers make a healthier and a safer food choice.
These food labels help to distinguish the following information:
Information regarding nutrients amounts present in the product.
Warning regarding the presence of food allergens
Information regarding fresh or out of date food
Explanation on storage, preparation or cooking of food.
The listing of product ingredients
Information on the production of food and the name of the company marketing the product.(Sandwich Labelling, 2014)
Essentially, the food labels should provide the basic information regarding the components of the food that the consumers eat and best ways to handle it. Therefore, the food meant that is meant to cater, must bear the mandatory warning, food identification along with the advisory declaration and statements, directions for storage and use, data marking, the country of origin, irradiation of food and food produced using the gene technology. The given data is not necessarily required on the food label where this information is given in the documentation that the food accompanies. Each and every packaged food for the retail should be labelled except the following:
Food that is not in a package;
Food present in the inner package that is not designed for the sale without its outer package containing the required information.
Food prepared and packaged on the selling premises.
Food that is packaged in purchaser’s presence;
Fresh cut fruits and vegetables present in packaging which cannot obscure the food’s quality and nature.
The requirements regarding the country of origin are still applicable. But the exception to this rule are the sprouted seeds and related products.
Immediately consumable packaging of food at the purchaser's express order, food provided or sold at any fundraising event(Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 2009)
The sandwiches that are being sold by the catering businesses should be labelled along with an indication of irradiated or even genetically modified ingredients and all the names given should be accurate. These requirements are applied when the sandwiches are prepared on the premises that are to be either sold loose or pre-packed at the premises so that they can be consumed later. But in the case of consuming them later, the labelling must declare the presence of any additives. And the pre-packed sandwiches that were not prepared in the premises must be fully labelled.The basic requirement needed in a packaged food for representing the percentage of packaged food for showing the proportion of characterizing ingredient does not apply to sandwiches, and related products like filled rolls, French sticks, pittas, wraps, filled rolls, baps, baguettes, etc.(Sandwich-labels.com, 2016)
The manufactured pre-packed sandwiches must be labelled along with the following information(Guidance Notes on the Labelling of Sandwiches, 2014):
a) Name of the food item
b) List of ingredients
c) A date mark (acts as the lot mark)(Charitybags.org.uk, n.d.)
d) QUIDdeclarations(whereappropriate), this can also come with along with the name of the food,
e) Storageadvice(ifappropriate)
f) Instructionsforuse(ifappropriate)
g) Details of the operator/ business who are responsible for the information of food.
h) Listofadditives if appropriate
i) Identificationof the geneticallymodifiedingredients(ifpresent)
j) Identificationofirradiatedingredients(ifpresent)
k) Specifiedallergicingredients (if any)
l) Declaration of nutrients. (Food Labelling - The Basics, 2012)
This research paper aims to identify the importance of the food labelling in sandwiches in the UK, whether the food labeling is important for the consumers in increasing their awareness and if yes then how. The study further encourages people to tell their views and their preferences towards labeling of sandwiches and related products and whether the consumers consult these labels before buying their sandwich.
The study tries to figure out the whether the consumers consult these labels before buying their sandwich.Then the study tries to find the factors that encourage people to select a sandwich. It may be the taste of sandwich,advertisement,brand, availability, quality,packaging, and discounts, etc. The research also aims to whether the food label along with the ingredients of sandwich would be useful for the consumers or not. The further research aims try to examine whether it is understandable for the consumers regarding the ingredients that are incorporated during the production of the sandwich. Then the sandwich eating habit of the consumer can also be determined by finding out their buying patterns of their favorite sandwich. If they purchase it very frequently, that means, they have it as a part of their routine, if they purchase it from parties and celebrations, so that means that eating their favorite sandwich and related product items is a way for celebrating, and there may be several other patterns that will be discovered in this study. Finally, the study will determine the sandwich is taking the pattern of customers keeping in mind the influence of food labeling in their decision. In this, the regularity of consumption will be acknowledged like whether they eat their preferred sandwich once in a day, twice in a day, once in a week and so on. So this study deals with the consumption of sandwich as per the food labelling and the importance of food labelling and its influence on the consumers.
A similar study was done, which was aimed directly on the determination of the relevance of the food label information towards the consumers present in the Kumasi metropolis of Ghana. (Ababio, Adi, and Amoah, 2012). It was found that around 89% of its total respondents had ever read the provided instructions especially the storage info, whereas around 84.8% followed the storage instructions. The study showed that the respondents were properly well-informed in the use of food label information.
The main aim of the study is to establish whether the sandwich consumers fully understand the various types of labelling that are currently presented on the sandwiches and if these labels are efficient enough to assist them making a healthy decision. Specifically:
To determine whether the consumers consult these labels before buying their sandwich;
To establish whether the information present on the current labelling suffices them to enable knowledgeable purchasing.
To ascertain what these sandwich consumers would like to see on the labels.
To see how these labels influence the perceptions of the consumers and influences their decision-making process.
To see whether the consumer buys the same sandwich again and again.
To establish whether the consumers accrue any benefit or help from these labels.
This study aims to investigate the understanding, attitudes, and knowledge of the consumers toward food labeling. In order to accomplish, all the objectivesa qualitative study was performed. This study is considered as the best way for gathering information and establishing relationships for describing the world along with the variables. Through this kind of study, one can easily describe the sample which is taking part in the study and therefore survey is a technique of the study. Our study is descriptive because we are aiming to define the characteristics of all the consumers regarding evaluating their influence due to food labelling in sandwiches. The study is mainly quantitative as respondents are made to answer the questions from specific categories which are pre-defined in the questionnaire as the quantitative study was limited. The quantitative data was very limited especially to the mapping of the rates and percentages of various objectives that are being provided in the aim section of our study, but these do not offer much in-depth understanding the towards the food-labelling of sandwiches. The interview schedules were devised as a guide for providing the initial reminders for a semi-structured interview that was guided by an open-ended questions. The usage of a semi-structured approach while conduction of the interviews helped us to follow up on the issue of food labeling and we could impart informational knowledge to the respondents by clarifying many details of the food labelling. The interviews were carried out individually in a central London location where everyone was encouraged to talk on the topic
The face-to-face interviews were performed with the respondents and in a central London location. These respondents were evenly split on the basis of their gender and their class.Their interviews were for around half an hour, and it consisted of their simulated shopping cum eating exercise that then followed by their individual face-to-face interview. During their simulated shopping cum eating trip these consumers were asked to choose their favorite or desired sandwiches and related products like likes filled rolls, French sticks, pittas, wraps, filled rolls, baps, baguettes etc. the consumers were then encouraged for a discussion particularly on their views based on the sandwich or similar product they had chosen, the consumers were also asked regarding the respective merits of all the various approaches regarding the labelling on these food items. The consumers were also asked for identifying the main areas where the respondents believe that the food labels could have been/could improve. These respondents were given an incentive of €15 for participating in their exercise. These participants were given a catalog where there were enlarged pictures of the food items in question i.e. the sandwiches and the related products for providing the respondents an additional visual support for complementing the products. This helped the respondents to have an idea regarding the products that were going to be discussed in this study.
We selected our participants from the most renowned retailers and fast food shops with sandwiches as their most selling products. We gained access to the most famous shops famous for their sandwiches and related products, the selection of these two shops enabled our research with a wide range of respondents coming from various social backgrounds. The households with children and without children were also scrutinized by us.
The participants were selected by analyzing all the retailers and fast food street shops where the most selling item was the sandwich and the related products. These participants were convinced to participate in the survey so as to enlighten others regarding the food labelling, their importance and their influences on the perspective of the consumers.
A face-to-face survey was done wherein total 100 consumers of age 18 and older, across London were interviewed. The interviews were conducted by our team in the month of January and February 2016. The respondents were evenly spread according to the social class, gender and even segregated households with and without children. This is not experimental in a true sense.
Though the respondents of all age groups were included in this study more focus was paid to the youth and younger generation as they are termed asthe trend setters in today's world, and hence are considered as the future consumers of the major products. Simple random sampling was used for gathering the data. Every individual was given an equal chance of getting selected in the study, but majorly the youth was targeted for this study.The subjects and topics were selected via an informal screening process that attempted to diversify the sandwich eating patterns and the role of food labeling in that process. Therefore, it was a convenience sample that was purposely biased towards selecting the people who loved eating the sandwich and related products.
The respondents were questioned regarding their eating habits as a means of understanding why they prefer having the sandwich and whether the food label played any role in their decision-making process. Since the focus of the study was aimed at ascertaining the role of food labeling in sandwiches with the preferences of the consumers, the sandwich loving-consumers were questioned with the youngsters being the main target. Their interviews were tape-recorded for the purpose of maintaining the research ethics.
These respondents were explained that details were going to be confidential.
This research was conducted in an ethical manner. It served its purpose in the right manner with utmost honesty. All the objectives were targeted and fully fulfilled in this study. The research helpedto give an insight to the people who were thought to be associated with it. The data was collected in anhonest way, and Cronbach's Alpha was used for determining the reliability of the data. This further helped in testing the internal consistency of the data. The literature that was reviewed in this context were related to the current study and were relevant to it. This can easily be tested by glancing at the references in the bibliography as well as the in-text citations. The confidentiality and privacy of the respondents were maintained.
In this study, both primary, as well as secondary source, were used. A questionnaire was designed for conductingthe primary research. Secondary sources were also usedwhich included journals, research papers and books that were used to review the literature. Both the methods were quite suitable for this study. The questionnaire was used for fulfilling the objectives of the study as it helped to give a perspective of the influence of the food labelling in the food choices (specifically the sandwiches and related products) for the consumers. The literature that was reviewed was used as a foundation for this study.
Data wasbe analyzed using two software namely- SPSS and MS Excel. In SPSS, the data reliability was tested, so that the impacts couldeasily be determined. In Excel, the bar graphs, pie charts, etc. were prepared that helped to display the results in an appropriate manner. Also, various calculations that included the numbers and frequency were performed in this software. SPSS is a recommended software for performing advanced analysis, but the reliability of the data can be tested here only. Graphs can also be prepared in the SPSS, but Excel helped to give a better presentation to our work. MS Excel software was also be used for making bar graphs and related stuff and for applying functions like ‘sum’; ‘if’; ‘count if’ on the data.
Questionnaire on Food Labels and the Sandwiches and related products (likes French sticks, pittas, wraps, filled rolls, baps, baguettes, etc.)
Age: ____ Male / Female
Answer question 1 to 10 in Yes or No.
1. Do you eat a sandwich (please write down the name of the sandwich and related products) and do you read the labels of these items?
2. Would reading of the food labels of sandwich and related products have an impact on your diet?
3. Do you understand what types of ingredients are incorporated during the production of these sandwich and related products?
4. Do you believe to be influenced by the advertising phrases on these sandwiches and related products, such as “healthy for you”?
6. Do you get influenced by the allergen warning section of these products?
7. Do you think the food labels along with the ingredients of the sandwiches and related products is useful for consumers?
8. Would you buy any sandwich or related products without their food label, in other words in the absence of the ingredients section?
9. Do you believe it is totally necessary to have the allergens, expiry date/best before date printed on the food label of these particular items?
10. Do you know how QUID information can be used?
11. Why do you consult food labels?
a. Nutrient information
b. Food additives
c. Use-by/best-before date
d. Allergen information
e. Others
12. How important is the mandatory labelling information?
a. Very Important
b. Important
c. Not important
13. How could food labelling in these food items can be improved?
a. Easily understandable information
b. Standing out of labels
c. The Larger size of the text.
c. Standardized presentation
14. The ingredient section must be present on the
a. Back of the pack
b. Front of the pack
c. Main info on the front and others on the back
d. Don’t mind
15. Why do you buy the same sandwich again and again?
a. Tastes good
b. Healthy ingredients
c. Endorsed by my favorite star
d. Don’t know
List of resources required for conducting this survey:
1. Photocopying facility- so as to copy these questionnaires
2. Food
3. Stamps
4. Envelopes and
5. Stationery
Timetable
Task start date end date Duration(in days)
Formulation of the Questionnaire and distribution of sample 2
Testing the reliability of our questionnaire 3
Collection of data 15
Writing the introduction 8
Literature review 8
Data analysis 2
Results and conclusion 3
Final editing 2
Sandwich-labels.com. (2016). Sandwich Labelling Regulations. Regulations for Sandwich Labels. [online] Available at: http://www.sandwich-labels.com/sandwich-labelling-regulations.html [Accessed 15 Apr. 2016].
Food Standards Agency, (2010). Qualitative Research to Explore Peoples? Use of Food Labelling Information. Unit Report 5. UK.
Surveymonkey.com. (2016). FOOD LABELLING QUESTIONNAIRE Survey. [online] Available at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/?sm=wImagRBtvc6F41L9FzzTdw%3D%3D [Accessed 15 Apr. 2016].
Food Labelling - The Basics. (2012). 1st ed. [ebook] UK: 2 Stortfood Ltd. Available at: http://www.thefoodsafetysystem.com/file.aspx?id=317 [Accessed 15 Apr. 2016].
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (2009). Guidance on the application of date labels to food. UK: Crown.
Charitybags.org.uk. (n.d.). Date labelling of food and drink - eg Use by, Best before, Display until, Sell by. [online] Available at: http://www.charitybags.org.uk/date-labelling-of-food-and-drink.shtml [Accessed 15 Apr. 2016].
Ababio, P., Adi, D. and Amoah, M. (2012). Evaluating the awareness and importance of food labelling information among consumers in the Kumasi metropolis of Ghana. Food Control, 26(2), pp.571-574.
Guidance Notes on the Labelling of Sandwiches. (2014). 1st ed. [ebook] UK: British Sandwich Association. Available at: http://planglowcloud.com/BSA_Guidance-Notes-Labelling.pdf [Accessed 15 Apr. 2016].
Sandwich Labelling. (2014). 1st ed. [ebook] UK: derbyshire County Council. Available at: https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/images/std09_tcm44-90300.pdf [Accessed 15 Apr. 2016].