Bread clip
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A '''bread clip''' is a device used to hold plastic bags (such as the ones pre-sliced [[bread]] is commonly packaged in) closed. They are also commonly called '''bread tags''', '''bread tabs''', '''bread ties''', or '''bread-bag clips'''. By sealing a bag more securely than tying or folding over its open end, the clip may preserve its contents longer. Sometimes the colour of the tag indicates the day on which it was baked.
There are two different types of bread clips - a more common one-piece plastic clip, and a more complex mechanical clip. One particular design of bread clip is the subject of a [[patent]] in the [[USA]].
==Simple bread clips==
[[Image:Bread_clips.jpg|thumb|right|An assortment of simple bread clips]]
Most designs of bread clip consist of a single plastic part through which the neck of a plastic bag can be threaded. Because these bread clips, or bread tabs, are cheap, ubiquitous, and come in a variety of shapes and colours, some people collect them.
Because this type of bread clip is small and comes attached to food packages, it is sometimes swallowed accidentally by the elderly, which can cause perforation or blockage of the [[gastrointestinal tract]].
In [[Canada]], [[milk]] is often sold by the [[bag]]; the most common format is 4 [[litres]]: three 1.33-litre sealed bags packaged in a surrounding bag. This larger bag is closed by a clip identical to a bread clip, and imprinted with the milk's expected [[Shelf life|expiration date]].
==Mechanical bread clips==
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Bread_clip.jpg|frame|right|A mechanical bread clip]] -->
A more complex bread clip design involves two articulated plastic parts mounted on a pivot with a spring between them to provide tension.
==Alternatives to bread clips==
There are several alternatives to bread clips, including:
* [[Twist tie]]s
* A strip of [[Adhesive tape|adhesive tape]].
* Twisting and [[Knot|knotting]] the end of the bag.
* Sealing the end of the bag by [[heat-crimping]].
* Heat-crimping a small piece of plastic around the end of the bag.
==History==
[[Image:Expiration Tag.jpg|thumb|150px|A clip sealing a [[Plastic_bag|bag]] of [[buns]] displaying a [[Shelf_life#Best_before|best before]] date.]]
The bread clip was invented by Floyd Paxton and manufactured by the Kwik Lok Corporation based in [[Yakima, Washington|Yakima]], [[Washington]] with manufacturing plants in Yakima and [[New Haven, Indiana|New Haven]], [[Indiana]]. As far as Kwik Lok is concerned, both their corporation and the bread clips they make share the same name.
[[Consumers]] required packages that can be easily opened and re-closed with ease and packagers wanted a better bag closure method. The bread clip was developed in the early 1950s because there was a growing need to close [[plastic bags]] on the [[packaging]] line very efficiently. [[Manufactures]] using more and more [[automation]] in the manufacture and packaging of [[food]] needed methods to allow them to raise production volumes and reduce costs. At the same time a hurried (or [[Laziness|lazy]]) population of consumers wanted a fast and easy way to open and effectively [[Seal (mechanical)|seal]] food bags (originally bread hence the name.) The simple bread clip allowed for that. In addition re-closability became a selling point as smaller families and higher costs slowed consumption, leading to a potential for higher rates of [[spoilage]].
==External links==
* [http://kwiklok.com/home.html Kwik Lok Corp.]
* [http://www.horg.com/horg/intro.html Occlupanid or Bread Tab Taxonomy]
* [http://www.geocities.com/transactoid/tags.html A collector of bread clips]
* [http://personal.nbnet.nb.ca/barclayb/doohickey/doohickies.htm Bread clip art]
* [http://www.wizzybliss.com Australian Bread tag/clip artist]
* [http://ninamariebarbuto.blogspot.com BLOG on Mapping Bread tag/clip and Bread Tabs]
[[Category:Fasteners]]
[[Category:Yakima, Washington]]