Food Packaging Technology Multiple Choice Questions & Answers (MCQs) on “Plastic Polymers – Packaging History”.
1. The term plastic is derived from the term ______
a) Plasticos
b) Plastikos
c) Plastiquo
d) Plastein
Answer: b
Clarification: The term plastic is derived from the Greek word plastikos. The word “plastic” or “plastics” originated from the Greek word “plastikos”, which means – to form or grow. The word plastic means the capability to be formed, which is one of the features of plastics.
2. When was the first folding carton commercially used?
a) 1789
b) 1850
c) 1897
d) 1880
Answer: c
Clarification: The first folding carton was commercially used in 1897, by NABISCO (National Biscuit Company). They used it for packaging their product Uneeda Biscuit.
3. What does the term plastikos mean?
a) Easily shaped or deformed
b) Stretchable
c) Bendable
d) Malleable
Answer: a
Clarification: The Greek term plastikos means easily shaped or deformed. It is a Greek term which originated from the Greek term plassein, which means – to mould.
4. Which of the following is the first synthetic plastic?
a) PVC
b) PP
c) Bakelite
d) Nylon
Answer: c
Clarification: In 1907, Leo Baekeland, a Belgian chemist, invented Bakelite. Bakelite, also known as polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride, is the first synthetic polymer made from phenol and formaldehyde.
5. When was retort pouch first developed?
a) 1900s
b) 1950s
c) 1850s
d) 2000
Answer: b
Clarification: Retort pouch was first developed in 1950s. A retort pouch is a packaging material, composed of different layers – Polypropylene (food contact layer), Nylon (Abrasion Resistance layer), Aluminium foil (Barrier Layer) and Polyester (outside layer). In 1950s, the retort pouch for heat-processed foods was developed originally for the US military, to pack Ready to Eat food items.
6. Which of the following is the first man-made plastic?
a) Parkesine
b) Nylon
c) Teflon
d) Polyvinyl Chloride
Answer: a
Clarification: Parkesine, also known as nitrocellulose is the first man made plastic. It was made majorly from cellulose, treated with nitric acid as a solvent. It was made by Alexander Parkes in 1856.
7. Who is called the “father of canning”?
a) Peter Durand
b) Bryan Donkin
c) Nicholas Appert
d) Robert Yeates
Answer: c
Clarification: Nicholas Appert is known as the “father of canning”. He was a confectioner. In 1809, in France, Nicolas Appert produced the means of thermally preserving food in hermetically sealed glass jars.
8. When was first commercial paperboard produced commercially?
a) 1850
b) 1817
c) 1915
d) 1945
Answer: b
Clarification: The first commercial paperboard was produced in 1817, by the firm M. Treverton and Son. Paperboard is a packaging material, thicker than paper possessing characteristics like foldability and rigidity. Paper with grammage greater than 250 g/m2 is called paperboard.
9. Which of the following was used by Peter Durand?
a) Cellophane
b) Tin Cans
c) Corrugated Fiberboard
d) Glass jar
Answer: b
Clarification: In 1810, Peter Durand designed the soldered tinplate canister and commercialised the use of heat preserved food containers.
10. When was folding box first used?
a) 1805
b) 1817
c) 1845
d) 1884
Answer: d
Clarification: The first folding box was used by Quaker Oats in 1884. Quaker oats is a company that mainly produces oatmeal and cereal products. In 1884, folding boxes were used to package rolled white oats.
11. In which year was cellophane invented?
a) 1930
b) 1990
c) 1908
d) 1900
Answer: d
Clarification: Cellophane was first invented by Jacques E. Brandenberger, a Swiss textile engineer in 1908. It is a transparent film which is thin and quite stiff. It is a polymeric film made from regenerated cellulose.
12. When was Nylon invented?
a) 1999
b) 1985
c) 1915
d) 1935
Answer: d
Clarification: Nylon, a synthetic polymer, was produced in 1935. Nylon was developed by a research team at DuPont, headed by an American chemist, Wallace H. Carothers. It was made by the chemical synthesis of adipic acid and hexamethylrnrdiamine mainly, by condensation polymerisation.
13. Who is the inventor of PET bottles?
a) Nicholas Appert
b) Peter Durand
c) Nathaniel Wyeth
d) Bryan Donkin
Answer: c
Clarification: Pet bottle (also known as plastic soda bottle) was invented by Nathaniel Wyeth in 1973. PET is a kind of polyester, capable of holding carbonated beverages.
14. When was the first pop top aluminium can produced?
a) 1959
b) 1999
c) 1905
d) 1950
Answer: a
Clarification: In 1959, also called “pull-tab”. Invented by Ermal Fraze. This eliminated the need for a separate opener tool by attaching an aluminium pull ring lever with a rivet to a scored wedge shaped tab section of can top.
15. When was edible packaging introduced?
a) 2000
b) 2015
c) 2012
d) 2009
Answer: c
Clarification: Edible packaging, also called Food wrapped in food, was introduced in 2012. WikiFoods in 2012 along with Stonyfield introduced this novelty to market.