Last Updated on April 14, 2024 by Ali Hamza
It’s critical to get the packaging right in a cutthroat market like the food sector, not simply for convenience but also to maintain a competitive advantage on crowded store shelves. This blog post will explain the kinds of food packaging that you should watch out for, the kinds that you should avoid, and how to stay one step ahead of the competition.
Whether it’s your favorite dessert or those sweets you love to nibble on while working, you are usually drawn to the packaging first. Food products are protected by packaging, like the to-go containers we get from fast food restaurants, from contaminants by shielding them from physical, chemical, and environmental concerns, in addition to making them stand out on the shelf. It’s essential to be knowledgeable about the proper types of packaging and to stay on top of current packaging trends if you want to keep your competitive edge.
The Importance Of Food Packaging
Packaging helps maintain the product’s quality and lure customers. Most consumers probably base their assessment of the food’s quality on the package. Food packaging is used to store food and offers the following noteworthy benefits:
Security
Packaging companies create distinctive packages that may be perfect for the kind of food you have. These businesses carry out extensive research to find the best packaging solutions that can shield food products from corrosive reactions, heat, and dirt. The quality and flavor of a product are impacted by poor food packaging.
High-quality food packaging products help preserve the food’s quality and lengthen its shelf life.
Transportation
There are many different types of food packaging, including bottles, cans, bags, and cartons. The food products are protected by these packaging materials so that you can ship them securely.
Influences the buying habits of the consumers
The packaging of your food plays a significant role in influencing the consumer’s decision to buy it. Because the brain responds to colors differently, you should be careful when choosing the colors for your package. For dairy products, white packaging works particularly well since it communicates purity and simplicity. Sports drinks and summer beverages go well with orange packaging since it symbolizes fun and vitality. Match flavors and colors as well, such as using red for apples and yellow for bananas. The use of fonts is crucial as well. For your intended audience, make sure they are readable.
Creating brand awareness
Supermarket shelves are stocked with hundreds of products, so yours needs to catch a customer’s eye. This is made easier by the packaging, which sets your brand apart from the competition on the same shelf.
Another effective marketing tool is product packaging. Customers will be able to recall your brand the next time they visit the store thanks to the label, logo, and shape of the food’s packaging. Packaging increases brand recognition in this manner.
How to pick the appropriate food packaging?
Which packaging matches your food goods best? There are a variety of options available, including glass, paper, corrugated cardboard, and plastic. But not every food package is the same. Each has advantages as well as drawbacks.
When choosing the appropriate food packaging, you should consider these two crucial factors:
- Your particular food product’s packaging should keep it secure.
- It ought to draw the customer’s attention.
Being a smart business, you want your food packaging to be suitable for waste management procedures and the environment, but the harsh reality is that a packaging material doesn’t meet all of these requirements.
And besides, they differ in certain ways that are determined by:
- Material
- Design
- The type of food
- Shelf-life
- Environment
- Ease of use
- Disposal
- Manufacturing and distribution costs
In other words, each material used to package food has certain characteristics. Certain food types and certain packaging styles are prone to interact. Here are some essential characteristics of popular food packaging items:
Paper and paperboard:
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Lightweight | Prone to moisture and humidity |
| Durable | a weak light barrier |
| Cheap | Subject to tear and damage |
| Eco-friendly | Can get wet |
| Recyclable | |
| Sustainable |
Glass:
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Moist and heat resistant | Can easily break under too much pressure |
| Reusable/recyclable | Not easily carried |
| Non-reactive | Heavy and bulky to transport |
| Transparent (lets buyers see products) |
Aluminium:
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| moisture, heat, gases, and corrosion resistant | Expensive |
| Lightweight | Less strength |
| Recyclable | Limited shapes |
Tin-free steel:
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Strong and durable | Unable to be welded |
| Resistant to heat | Prone to corrosion |
| Recyclable | Requires a can opener |
| Cheaper than tinplate | Heavier than aluminum |
Polyesters:
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Durable and versatile | May cause have to the environment |
| Suitable for liquid products | |
| superior barrier properties | |
| High clarity | |
| Tear or damage resistant | |
| Easy to recycle in rigid form |
Current Packaging Trends
Given how fast-moving and competitive the food packaging market is, it is crucial to be aware of current developments. These packaging trends can help your product stand out from the competition.
Minimalistic Designs
From book covers to traffic signs, everything is using minimal designs these days. Stop using large typefaces and crowded designs.
Bold colors
In addition to drawing the customer’s attention, they complement the design arrangement. The best illustration of this tendency is found in protein bars.
Bigger Type Print
Along with the barcode labels, why not list your ingredients in large type rather than small print? It presents a professional image and gives clients confidence in you.
Get Creative Using Shapes
Why not sell aloe vera in a container shaped like an aloe leaf? Many food businesses are using innovative packaging.
Packaging that serves a purpose
Dunkin Donuts has launched a coffee cup top that is made to hold some additional coffee, sugar, and cream. This strategy is being used by many businesses to make it simpler for their customers to transport their meals.
The Bottomline
All food products must be packaged to be sold on the market. However, picking the appropriate food packaging is just as crucial. After all, packaging not only houses and safeguards your product but also helps customers recognize your brand.
