Bread packaging - study by a loafer

I'm sure the main difference many people notice when moving between the UK and Australia is in the manner in which plastic bread bags are fastened.

In the UK I normally encounter sticky tape, on which the best before date is printed. If I'm lucky there'll be non-sticky tape on the very ends, allowing the tape to be pulled apart easily. If that tape is not present then it can be challenging to access the bread. Some manual dexterity is then required to replace the tape to seal the bag, and after a while the tape loses its stickiness and just falls off.


In Australia most supermarkets use plastic clips on their bread. These are easy to remove and easy to replace, and last for a long time, which can be handy if you freeze your bread. More upmarket bakeries such as Brumby's and Bakers Delight use infinitely reusable cable ties.
 







In Ireland they have sidestepped the issue by providing bags which are seemingly held closed by air pressure, and are not resealable. In the week I was in Ireland recently no rats made off with my bread, so I consider this practice generally safe. It also makes the bag extremely easy to open, which in a life or death situation you will be thankful for.