4 trends to follow as the packaging world is changing
Meat producers and food tech sector are paying attention to the consumer’s desire regarding traceability, environmental issue, quality and health characteristics in food but, as one of the leaders of the industry said, “solutions are not always easy to find”.
Well, easy or difficult, the industry is trying to respond to these trends and sometimes creates instruments that are reshaping the face of each and every sector involved in the supply chain.
Let’s have a closer look at what we have now available and what may create another perspective on food and consumption in the following years.
Origin of products
Traceability is playing a key role in consumers choice nowadays and is expected to see this trend enhancing its role in the following years due to environmental and animal welfare concerns.
At this time, transparency is ensured by larger surfaces on packs to deliver the message to the consumer. FlatSkin, for example, reduces the need for additional labels and is telling a story while underlining the message with a full view of the product.
Also, Blockchain technologies provide new ways to show the traceability of a product in the “from field to fork” concept.
In the future, Bord Bia analysts predict that the risk of counterfeit products will be reduced by traceable ink technology applied on the package and smart labelling will play a key role in telling the story of the product and the way it was transported and handled via smartphones.
New Experiences
The Millenials are frenzy fanatics about embracing new experiences and that can be added by the packaging sector to a wide range of products.
The trends of “back to the roots” and “back to basics” are already present in the market but they are doubled by the convenience request from the consumers. The need to know what exactly are you shopping and what are the characteristics of the product can be enhanced by sensorial experiences transmitted through the packaging materials in multiple ways (olfactive, visual etc).
Also, the package itself can work harder in preserving the freshness of a product and through that increasing the shelf life of that item and avoiding food waste.
Strong connection with individuals
E-commerce and the consumer’s need to express its personality are opening new doors in adapting packages to each client. Smaller packages, digitally printed for every type of customer, with a modular and customisable design are going to impact the market and earn the customer’s loyalty.
Preserving the planet
The life span of a package is almost as important as the shelf life of a product, with the observation that it is desirable that the packaging materials to be at least recyclable if not compostable.
A package is most simply recyclable when is built from a single ‘mono’ material or when is designed in easy separable format. Giving up on plastic may not be possible but shifting to recyclable materials that don’t lose their optimal value or creating reusable packages is probably the solution that responds best to the environmental and economic issues of our times.
This research is part of a collaboration between Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), the Univer...
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