Packaging reflects the brand’s image and the value of products. An innovative design packaging is essential to give a distinctive identity to a brand’s products and leave a lasting impact on the buyers. When it comes to food, it becomes necessary to pick proper packaging to overcome cutthroat competition in the food industry. However, the primary purpose of food packaging is to enclose a specific portion of the item. Besides that, here are its main advantages:
- Preserves freshness and taste of products
- Attracts potential consumers
- Elevates product’s shelf life and appeal
- Prevents products from damage during transit
- Builds brand recognition
Whether you run a small or large-scale food business, the knowledge of the best packaging is essential to stay competitive. In this blog, we will help you select the right packaging to outshine your brand product in the fierce food industry. Here are some key considerations that will help brands to make an informed decision.
Understanding Different Food Types and Their Packaging Needs:
Manufacturers must clearly understand the type of food they intend to pack in the package. Here, we have classified various food items and their packaging requirements:
Dry Foods:
- Examples of dry foods include rice, pasta, cereals, grains, flour, nuts, etc.
- These dry food items are susceptible. They need protective packaging to protect food items from moisture, sunlight, heat, and contaminants. Vacuumed sealed food packaging is the perfect choice for the storage of dry foods.
Liquids and Beverages:
- It includes water, juice, milk, or cooking oil products.
- Liquid items need to be stored in sealed packaging to prevent products from leaking. Metal and glass cans are ideal packaging options.
Fresh Products:
- Fruits and vegetables are the best examples of fresh products. Breathable bags are an excellent packaging choice to prevent moisture from building up.
Meat and Dairy:
- Beef, chicken, milk, cheese and yogurt
- Meat and dairy items are highly perishable. They are likely to contaminate or spoil because of high temperatures. Tamper-evident food packaging is the best choice to give products air- or oxygen-proof packaging.
Frozen Foods:
- Ice-creams, frozen meals and veggies
- Flexible vacuum-sealed Mylar pouches are the perfect option to withstand freezing temperatures.
Baked Goods:
- Bread, cakes, brownies, pastries, cookies
- Baked items will likely get dry, crumble, or stale because of harmful environmental factors. An air-sealed packaging is essential to keep cakes baked items soft, fresh, or crunchy.
Key Factors to Consider for Selecting Food Packaging
When it comes to selecting food packaging, you need to consider various factors to create the best packaging. These involve:
Functionality:
There is no doubt that innovative and stylish packaging looks highly appealing. But it will be useless if it fails to pack products effectively. Brands must invest in superior-quality packaging and add convenient or secure closures to ensure product safety. Besides, the addition of windows, inserts, and handles enhances the functionality of packaging and visual aesthetics as well.
Moisture and Oxygen Barriers:
Secondly, perishable food items are highly sensitive to temperatures. They will likely get brittle, moist, or deprived of their quality because of harsh weather. Vacuum-sealed packaging acts as a strong shield against all these toxic elements and keeps products secure for an extended period.
Budget:
Further, brands need to review their budget before selecting packaging. You can choose the packaging material and finalize the design following the brand’s budget. Besides, ordering in bulk is an excellent way to save a considerable amount.
Packaging Size and Shape:
The storage of food items in an inadequate size and shape package affects their quality. The packaging looks shabby and compromises the brand’s and product’s integrity. That’s why it is vital to examine the product’s dimensions, like its size, dimensions, and form, to produce a precise package to impress buyers.
Common Food Packaging Materials
The actual purpose of packaging is to ensure the product’s freshness and maintain its actual quality. The overall quality of packaging depends on the type of material you choose. Selection of an appropriate material is one of the critical procedures. Brands have to stay mindful regarding material when it comes to designing custom food boxes.
There is a vast variety of material options in the market. These include:
- Plastic
- Metal
- Paper and Cardboard
- Biodegradable Options
Each type of material has unique attributes and functions. Here is an ultimate guide to materials; you can choose any that fits your brand’s products and budget needs.
Plastic:
Plastic is one of the most commonly used materials for food packaging. Plastic’s versatility, biodegradability, and affordability make it the first-rate material choice in the food industry. Below, we have discussed the six main types of plastics and their uses:
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET):
It is widely used for beverages, oils or sauce bottles, water, jam, ketchup, fruit juice containers, or condiment bottles.
Polypropylene (PP):
PP is commonly used for microwave dishes, yogurt and ice cream tubs, chip bags, pouches and sachets
Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE):
It is used to make coffee can lids, bread bags, six-pack soda can rings, food wraps, squeeze bottles, cling and shrink wraps, pouches, and plastic fruit cups
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC):
It is best for Cling wrap, food foils, trays for sweets, seals on metal lids, etc.
Polystyrene (PS):
PS plastic creates plastic cutlery, deli, bakery trays, fast food containers and lids, hot cups, and egg cartons.
High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE):
It is used in food packaging for juice and milk jugs, squeeze butter and vinegar bottles, and chocolate syrup containers, as well as grocery bags.
Metal:
Metal is another excellent material choice because of its highly effective barriers against extreme temperatures, light, moisture, air, and oxygen. Besides that, it has the strength to endure tears or punctures. Aluminum, tin, and stainless steel are the most popular types of Metal because of their recyclability and food-grade nature. You can choose Metal to create 100% recyclable food containers. Commonly, Metal is used to preserve canned food and beverages.
Paper and Cardboard:
Paper and cardboard is one of the considerable materials to promote sustainability. Cardboard paper is favored due to its following characteristics:
- Durable
- Flexible
- Light-weight
- Environment friendly
- Food-Grade
- Affordable
- Ideal for e-commerce
The flexibility of cardboard paper makes it a perfect choice for fast food items like sandwiches, pizza, or burger packaging.
Glass:
Glass material is a highly favorable material choice for both consumers and manufacturers. The top five reasons to choose glass food packaging are as follows:
- Protects the actual quality of food
- Elevates product’s perceived value
- Resilient to moisture, sunlight, or contaminants
- High-Versatile
- Sustainable: Recycled and reusable
Different Types of Food Packaging:
In the below section, we will discuss the most famous types of food packaging used worldwide. Continue reading to explore:
Flexible Pouches:
Flexible pouches, also known as stand-up pouches, are single-use bags that are used to pack almost all kinds of food items. These are manufactured with aluminum foil, Plastic, and paper. Usually, pouches are placed on the store shelves to attract consumer’s attention.
Boxes:
Boxes are one of the most popular types of food packaging due to their versatility. They are used to pack a range of food items from frozen and baked to fresh products. Frozen shrimp boxes manufactured using Kraft, cardboard, and corrugated paper are the go-to choice for preserving the actual product’s quality.
Cartons:
Usually, cartons are made with thick corrugated paper. They are considered a good choice for shipping purposes due to their robustness. The most popular carton styles used in the food industry include:
- Egg cartons
- Aseptic cartons
- Folding cartons
- Gable top cartons
Pallets:
Pallets are the best choice to ship a large quantity of food containers. Manufacturers shrink-wrapped products for better security.
Trays:
Trays come in flat designs with raised edges to keep products intact at their place. They are the best choice for carrying drink cans, seeds, meat, and fish. Moreover, trays made with sustainable materials are biodegradable.
Clamshells:
Clamshell packaging with air-tight sealed keeps food items protected from external odds like dust, pests, germs, or pollutants.
Cans:
Cans are an ideal option to stock and ship products securely. Primarily, they are manufactured using aluminum, tins, or glass material. It can preserve various food items, including baked beans, canned pasta, snacks, olives, and pickled food.
Glass jars:
Glass jars make an excellent option for the storage of solid and semi-solid as well as liquids. Glass jars contain foods like grains, dried fruit, mushrooms, cereals, flour, and pasta.
Food Safety Regulations and Packaging
Food-safe packaging designed to comply with food safety regulations is vital to ensure public health and consumer trust. So, brands can label packaging with food ingredients, nutritional information, allergen warnings, and expiry dates. Accurate labeling helps clients to make purchasing decisions without any hesitation. It also allows brands to ensure their compliance with the regular requirements. Food manufacturers need to stay updated with the recent regulations to uphold safety standards. Certifications also play a pivotal part in showing clients’ commitment to safety standards.
Sustainability Considerations in Food Packaging
In today’s environmentally conscious world, sustainable packaging has become the need of the hour. Clients pick those brands that prioritize the environment. Biodegradable food packaging is the best way for brands to reduce carbon emissions in the atmosphere and attract eco-conscious consumers. Food brands can adopt sustainable practices in packaging by using renewable materials like bioplastics and compostable or responsibly sourced FSC-certified materials. Packaging with minimalist designs helps to reduce materials use.
Branding and Marketing Through Food Packaging
Besides preserving food items, another critical purpose of food packaging is to reflect the actual image of your brand identity. Food brands can add captivating branding features like logos, brand names, tag lines, and catchy slogans to give a personalized feel to the packaging. Packaging labeling personalized artworks or logo images creates a brand’s recognition and differentiates products from the rest. The client’s trust builds in brand products when stored in an impressive package. However, food brands need to focus on color schemes, typography, and font styles to create stunning design prints.
Wrapping it up
On the final note, proper packaging for food items keeps products fresh and enhances their aesthetic appeal. Food shelf life helping consumers to use it for longer periods without worrying about their expiration before the due date. If you need shelf-stable food packaging for your business, contact Urgent Boxes Canada. We customize food packaging with FDA-approved materials and soy-based inks to create packaging following food safety standards. The best thing is that our design support is free. You can collaborate with our packaging engineers to tailor packaging to the desired size, shape, hue, and materials. What’s the wait? Contact us right now to stand out in your food business in the saturated market.
