I would be fascinated to learn what counts as a non-essential preservative. Given the number of products like ketchup and jam that still have to be stored in the fridge and must be discarded after 4 weeks or so.

Slightly OT, I recently read an 1996 defence of some of the packaging excesses of the food industry in the West. Basically, in places like Mexico, people buy larger volumes of fresh, unpackaged food, but end up throwing more away because it spoils. So – it is wastage of package v. food wastage and which is the greater abuse of resources.

The typical household in Mexico City buys fewer packaged goods than an American household, but it produces one-third more garbage, chiefly because Mexicans buy fresh foods in bulk and throw away large portions that are unused, spoiled or stale. Those apples in Dittersdorf’s slide, protected by plastic wrap and foam, are less likely to spoil. The lightweight plastic packaging requires much less energy to manufacture and transport than traditional alternatives like cardboard or paper. Food companies have switched to plastic packaging because they make money by using resources efficiently. A typical McDonald’s discards less than two ounces of garbage for each customer served — less than what’s generated by a typical meal at home.

It states: “We recommend that regulations should be introduced to prohibit all artificial colours and non-essential preservatives in food products and soft drinks.”

Are they aware that tinned peas contain a colour called green S (E142) which means they don’t come out of their container looking really grey …