As people around the world become more and more aware of their responsibility as the dwellers of this planet to keep it safe and protected, food packaging industry has to make its adjustments accordingly. Call it an effect of time or evolving technology, but people are expecting changes in food packaging and the businesses associated with this industry have to make those changes accordingly. While modernizing food packaging, companies will also have to know what exactly it is that consumers mostly look for on a food packaging. The food packaging industry is responding to the required changes in demand from consumers with the following noticeable trends.
By Automating the Packaging Process
More and more companies are considering automating the packaging process not only to increase the speed of production and get packaged goods on the shelf to meet the increasing demand but also the many safety reasons. Take the example of poultry packaging where the use of machines will keep human hands from touching the meat. This will prevent contamination and will be safe not only for the workers but consumers who buy that chicken.
By Keeping up Transparency
Today’s consumers greatly admire and appreciate transparency when it comes to food packaging. First, packaging companies have to find new ways to make labels more appealing, clear and honest for the consumers. Food and Health survey from 2016 shows 47% of the people look at food labels for ingredient lists before they make a purchase. (Source)
Transparency is going a level higher than just stating food ingredients clearly on the label. New packaging companies are making use of cloud technology and connecting it with food packaging. This will allow consumers to not only find out what’s in their food but also know about any allergies or physical conditions that might arise from eating certain packed food.
By Going Environmental Friendly
This one goes without saying. People are becoming more and more aware of how they can be friendly to their environment and the planet. Cone Communications conducted a study in which they revealed 91% consumers around the world wanting companies to develop sustainable and environmentally friendly ways to do business. (source).
Consumers now expect companies to use packaging without going through any processes that harm the environment. Furthermore, they want packaging to be recyclable at its best. There was a time when sustainable packaging was only a nice thing to have. Today, it has become an integral part of CSR (corporate social responsibility). It has to be mentioned here that sustainable food packaging has many benefits for the packaging companies too. With lightweight packaging, these companies can lower their manufacturing budgets too.
By Making It Custom
Customized packaging is a great way for businesses to reinforce their brand images and make a marketing impact. Responsibility while packing items is one thing, it does not mean consumers would accept boring and dull packaging. In fact, a Mintel study shows 52% of the consumers in the US feel attracted to certain products only because of their unusual packaging. (Source)
Some of the biggest brands in the world have tried custom packaging and made a great impression. Coca-Cola was a great example of such packaging when it came out with “Share a Coke” packaging. As a part of this campaign Coca-Cola personalized its bottles by putting people’s names on them. This global campaign yielded great results for Coca-Cola with a 19% YOY growth for its 20-ounce packs.
By Keeping Food Fresh for Longer
Among other things, it has now become important for companies to provide fresh foods to consumers. Increased shelf life is now seen from a different perspective where it mainly aims to prevent a lot of food from being wasted just because it goes bad very quickly. As of the moment, plastic is the primary material that can achieve appreciable results in keeping foods fresh for a long period. However, scientists and material engineers from around the world are making efforts to make plastic more environmentally friendly or come up with a new material that can replace plastic.
From the food packaging trends mentioned above, it is clear that the people are becoming more well-informed about their decisions and companies will have to take this into account when it comes to packaging. One word to define modern food packaging is “holistic,” where packaging of food items is benefitting not only for the consumers but safe for the packaging workers and the planet as a whole.