The Future of Food Packaging
Read The Future of Food Packaging and check the IELTS Reading answers. Food companies spend a lot of time thinking about packaging as a way to represent their brand and make consumers love their products. More than cosmetic details like labels or logos, a food container can suggest playfulness, env…
Passage preview
Food companies spend a lot of time thinking about packaging as a way to represent their brand and make consumers love their products. More than cosmetic details like labels or logos, a food container can suggest playfulness, environmental consciousness, or high technology. Packaging provides consumers with their first and last impressions of a product.
Vocabulary from this passage
30 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- acidic compound noun
A chemical substance that contains hydrogen and can react with other substances to form salts
Sour tastes are typically derived from acidic compounds, which can indicate that a food is unripe.
- advent noun
The arrival or beginning of a notable person, thing, event, or invention
The advent of the 'sell-by date' was originally intended to help consumers avoid spoiled food.
- cerebrospinal fluid noun
Clear watery fluid which fills the space between the arachnoid membrane and the pia mater
Sour-taste receptors help the body monitor the acidity levels of the cerebrospinal fluid within the spinal cord.
- conjecture noun
An opinion or conclusion formed on the basis of incomplete information; a theoretical guess
Much of our understanding regarding the behavior of deep-sea creatures remains a matter of scientific conjecture.
- conspicuous adjective
Standing out so as to be clearly visible; attracting notice or attention through prominence
The underwater volcano is a conspicuous landmark that scientists visited during their recent maritime expedition.
- cosmetic adjective
Affecting only the appearance of something rather than its nature or substance
Packaging is about more than just cosmetic details like logos; it must also be highly functional.
- credibility noun
The quality of being trusted and believed in by the public or industry experts
Date stamps have lost credibility because they often do not accurately reflect the actual state of food.
- elusive adjective
Difficult to find, catch, or achieve; hard to identify or understand fully
Despite decades of biological research, the sensors for salt and sour remained elusive until recently.
- embedded adjective
Fixed firmly and deeply in a surrounding mass; integrated into a larger system
Intelligent packaging uses embedded sensors to detect the presence of chemical markers associated with spoilage.
- environmental consciousness noun
An awareness of the impact of human activity on the environment and a desire to protect it
Modern consumers show increasing environmental consciousness by choosing products with minimal or edible packaging.
- full complement noun
The complete number or quantity of something needed to make it whole
Evidence shows that each individual taste bud contains a full complement of different taste cells.
- genuine significance noun
Possessing real, authentic importance or value that is not superficial or exaggerated
Every submarine dive brings back new knowledge of genuine significance to the field of marine biology.
- illuminate verb
To clarify or help to explain a complex subject; to make something clear
The identification of these sensors helps to illuminate the intricate link between our senses and the brain.
- isolated verb
Identified and separated from other substances for the purpose of scientific study
Researchers finally isolated the specific receptors that respond to bitter and sweet molecules.
- methodical approach noun
A systematic and orderly way of doing something according to a fixed plan
Knowing the identity of taste receptors allows experts to take a more methodical approach to flavoring.
- nanotechnology noun
The branch of technology that deals with dimensions and tolerances of less than 100 nanometers
Advancements in nanotechnology have enabled the creation of tiny, inexpensive sensors for intelligent food packaging.
- neuroscience noun
Any or all of the sciences which deal with the structure or function of the nervous system
Old university neuroscience textbooks often included incorrect diagrams showing specific taste regions on the tongue.
- oceanographer noun
A scientist who studies the physical and biological aspects of the seas and oceans
Discoveries from deep-sea research trawls provide essential data for modern oceanographers studying marine life.
- parallel verb
To be similar or corresponding to something else in a way that suggests a comparison
The methods used in deep-sea biology often parallel the investigative techniques employed by professional detectives.
- receptor noun
An organ or cell able to respond to external stimuli and transmit a signal to a nerve
Taste receptors on the surface of the tongue are responsible for identifying different flavor molecules.
- seamount noun
A submarine mountain rising from the ocean floor and formed from an underwater volcano
The Bollons Seamount is a remarkable geological feature that rises three kilometers above the seabed.
- specimen noun
An individual animal, plant, or piece of a mineral used as an example for scientific study
Deep-sea specimens are often kept in museum collections to be examined and categorized by researchers.
- sustainability noun
The ability to be maintained at a certain level or rate without depleting natural resources
The edible coffee cup reflects the company’s commitment to food-system sustainability and waste reduction.
- tantalising adjective
Tormenting or teasing with the sight or promise of something unobtainable or desirable
Sweet fruits act as a tantalising reward for animals, encouraging them to consume the seeds within.
- trawl verb
The act of pulling a large net through the water to collect biological samples or fish
Research trawls allow scientists to pull up diverse species from the seabed for further investigation.
- undergo verb
To experience or be subjected to a process of change or development
Food packaging is currently undergoing a transformation to become more sustainable and technologically advanced.
- unpalatable adjective
Not pleasant to taste; difficult to consume due to a bitter or sour flavor
Scientists hope to develop molecules that block the unpalatable taste of certain life-saving medicines.
- vertical exaggeration noun
A scale used in maps to emphasize vertical features, which might be too small to identify otherwise
Oceanographers use vertical exaggeration in mapping to make subtle changes in sea floor depth more apparent.
- viscous adjective
Having a thick, sticky consistency between a solid and a liquid; resistant to flow
Innovative coatings ensure that even highly viscous matter like ketchup can slide easily out of bottles.
- water-soluble adjective
Able to be dissolved in water; a property used for disappearing packaging
Manufacturers are testing water-soluble bags for oatmeal that dissolve completely when the food is boiled.
Answers with explanations
- 14. ix
Heading ix refers to 'Using packaging to communicate ideas and attract customers.' Section A explicitly discusses packaging as a way to 'represent their brand' (communicate ideas) and 'make consumers love their products' (attract customers). This perfectly captures the core theme of the paragraph.
- 15. ii
Heading ii is 'The many reasons for changes in packaging.' Section B lists several distinct driving forces: an obsession with sleek technology, a desire to reduce food waste, and minimizing health and environmental risks. The phrase 'In response' directly links these multiple consumer reasons to the resulting developments.
- 16. iv
Heading iv describes 'Packaging that can be consumed with its contents.' Section C is entirely dedicated to 'Edible packaging,' providing numerous examples such as coffee cups made of cookies and yogurt pearls eaten whole. This explicitly aligns with packaging that consumers can eat.
- 17. i
Heading i is 'Packaging that allows consumers to use more of the product.' Section D introduces nonstick packaging, explicitly noting that it eliminates the percentage of 'sauces left inside traditional bottles.' Preventing this waste ensures consumers use the entirety of the product they purchased.
- 18. vii
Heading vii is 'Packaging that indicates when food is beginning to go rotten.' Section E focuses on safety-enhancing packaging embedded with sensors designed to 'detect and later prevent food from spoiling.' The act of detecting spoilage is exactly what it means to indicate rotting.
- 19. x
Heading x is 'Packaging that vanishes or decomposes quickly.' Section F introduces 'packaging that disappears' and gives examples like water-soluble bags that 'dissolve' when boiled and seaweed containers that wither. This accurately matches the concept of vanishing or quick decomposition.
- 20. v
Heading v is 'Packaging that doesn't take up a lot of space.' Section G describes 'Super-compressed packaging' designed specifically for city dwellers who have 'tiny kitchens and no storage room.' This explicitly links the structural design of the package to taking up minimal room.
- 21. E
The correct option (E) describes a sweet container for hot drinks. The text states KFC is experimenting with an 'edible coffee-cup' made from a 'hard cookie lined with heat-resistant white chocolate.' Coffee is a hot drink, and the cookie and chocolate composition confirms it is a sweet container.
- 22. D
The correct option (D) refers to packaging made from a vegetable product. The passage notes that Loliware introduced 'edible cupcake wrappers made from potato starch.' Because potato is a vegetable, this option accurately describes their specific biological packaging development.
- 23. A
The correct option (A) outlines a container that gets bigger under certain conditions. The text explicitly states that Tomorrow Machine is developing a 'compressed tiny package that expands into a full-size bowl when hot water is added.' Expanding equates to getting bigger, triggered by the condition of hot water.
- 24. paper
The blank requires a noun denoting an edible packaging material successfully used in Japan. The passage highlights an edible invention used for 'Japanese Botan Rice Candy' which is described as 'clear **paper**'. The noun fits syntactically and perfectly matches the factual context.
- 25. sauces
The blank requires a plural noun describing what is contained in the bottles. The text notes that Liquiglide's nonstick packaging helps eliminate waste specifically for the '3 to 15 percent of **sauces** left inside traditional bottles'. The plural noun fits the context grammatically and factually.
- 26. sugar
The blank needs a noun representing the solid material used for an oil container. The passage explains that Tomorrow Machine plans to create 'an oil bottle made from hardened **sugar**'. The word 'hardened' serves as a synonym for solid, confirming that 'sugar' is the correct completion.