Forget regulators and industry standards, when it comes to packaging, brand owners feel the most pressure from their customers.
Not only do they expect brand consistency, but also demand that their food is well preserved, stays fresh for longer, while also being sustainable.
The truth is it can be achieved, especially as new technologies enable the production of smarter packaging to prolong shelf-life, lessen spoilage and lower the carbon footprint by reducing the supply chain process.
Sustainable or smarter packaging co-exists with the need to curb food waste. UN reports indicate that every year 54% of wasted food is lost during production, post-harvest treatment and storage.
Developed world countries are the biggest offenders, with over seven millions tonnes of food and drink binned in UK homes on an annual basis. Therefore, the responsibility for an effective solution has fallen on our shoulders.
The first step is to reduce the use of raw materials to save on costs. Flexible or retort pouches are often used in food packaging to safeguard raw materials such as aluminium.
Also, reducing package weight means reducing transport costs, since taking up less shelf space can lead to a shorter supply chain, thereby lowering carbon footprint – for instance, ASDA has reduced the weight of its product packaging by 27% since 2005 by selling ASDA-branded toothpaste without its box.
Naturally, the performance of the packaging should not be compromised. Most flexible packaging consists of three to four layers of material.
This safeguards the contents against external contaminants, providing effective oxygen barrier properties to replicate the protective functionality of the additional layer, with reduced material.
Solvent-based lamination adhesives and speciality coatings can give brand owners the scope to eliminate one of these layers. Converters too, can use a lamination adhesive or coating with oxygen barrier properties to replicate the protective functionality of the additional layer with reduced material.
Modern supply chain management and track and trace requirements mean that most packs must carry identification markings such as barcodes, lot dates, best-by or use-by dates.
However, the conventional packaging supply chain is not yet optimised for the late-stage variable data on pack. This includes secondary labels and inkjet coding and marking, which can slow down the packaging supply chain.
Poor quality of inconsistent inkjet coding can be at the heart of costly product recalls and fines from retailers.
One solution is to employ a printed patch of a specially developed transparent or tinted coating, which can be printed onto the generic packaging at artwork stage on a range of substrates. Once the package is sealed, variable coding graphic information is applied using a low power C02 or fibre laser, with no risk to the packaged product.
Studies show that 9 out of 10 consumers think packaging that preserves colour, fragrance, texture and appeal is essential in today’s marketplace (Source: Mintel Food Packaging Trends, 2013).
As a result, brand owners need to balance the aspiration to reduce costs and environmental impact of packaging materials with their commitment to satisfy consumer demand.
Metals and glass do not make the most sustainable barrier components, while multiple packaging materials can complicate or make recycling virtually impossible. A way to counter this is through oxygen barrier coatings. Formulated for application as a thin coating that can potentially remove a film layer, while improving the protective qualities of the pack.
These qualities can reduce packaging weight by up to 30%, improve recyclability and limit the need for added artificial or natural preservatives, scoring a real hit with consumers’ concerns about diet and health.
Colour noise also plays an important role in supermarkets. Food purchasing decisions are usually made in 0.6 seconds.
Smaller, customised packages are beneficial in the fight against food waste, as time and temperature indicators will show when contents are close to spoilage, hastening their consumption.
Smarter packaging has a great deal to offer the brand owner. Not only does it associate brands with sustainable practices, it also helps curb our tendency to waste food. Digital print is already playing a vital role in allowing packaging to integrate variable data.
Digital Print is particularly useful to primary food producers keen on containing costs and increasing productivity. However, it also has benefits in niche areas, like decorative pack printing. No doubt flexible packaging will be accommodated within its realms in the not too distant future. The even better news is, there’s still a wealth of functional and aesthetic technologies that brand owners can tap into, for improving brand loyalty through smarter packaging.1] Food Wastage Footprint: Impacts on Natural Resources” of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
