Today’s food and beverage companies face increasingly growing competition, even before they hit the store shelves. The types of packaging can make or break them, and the materials used for their packaging is critical as there is the continued need to prevent the entry of any contaminants and to keep the product not only safe and secure, but fresh.
A good food and beverage packaging design will attract your customers’ attention. It will also protect your product from its processing stages through to its consumption. When you use the proper shapes, sizes, colors, and materials, this ultimately helps you build your brand awareness.
With proper planning, your food and beverage packaging can actually go smoothly — when you have the right company to help you from the beginning.
When you’re planning for your food and beverage packaging, you need to allow time for collaboration and development with your chosen consultant packaging expert. They will help you explore your various options and go on to assist you to design the perfect packaging solutions. For example, does your packaging work well with the following materials:
- plastics
- glass
- flexible packaging
- cardboard
- aluminum
- bag-in-box applications
There are seven forms of plastic. The consultant distributor can advise you on which of these will work best for your specific products. Glass is available in various colors and can be appropriate for you. Flexible packaging is fast becoming the go-to form of packaging, has been increasingly embraced by consumers, and is worth considering.
The Facts and Figures
Simply put, food and beverage packaging is much more than a pretty box that sits on a retail supermarket shelf. It is a critical part of your successful new product launch or of a re-launch of an existing product. But in order to realize success, think abut these facts and figures:
- The amount of domestic food and beverage recalls have tripled since 1999, mainly due to packaging issues.
- Approximately 70 percent of all purchasing decisions are made at the retail shelf.
- Your customers’ experience with your product is greatly influenced by the packaging you use.
- Is the packaging easy or difficult to open?
- What state is the packaging in? Is it securely in one piece or can it be easily broken.
- Was there any possibility of contamination?
Who you choose for your food and beverage packaging also has to advise you as to how to get your product from your facility to your customers. Your products have to reach the store shelves in the same condition that they left your facility. So in addition to the main packaging materials — rigid plastic, glass, flexible packaging, aluminum, or cardboard or combinations of these — there will also have to be the secondary packaging that will get your products to where they’re going.
The Laws and Regs
Your selected consultant will also be able to advise you on the current Food and Drug Administration (FDA) laws and regulations concerning your food and beverage packaging. You will have to provide things such as an ingredient list, nutritional information, any effects of consumption (as in alcohol), the batch identification, the date of manufacture, and a “best used by” expiration date.
Your consultant can also work with you to establish what types of packaging are appropriate in order to extend your product’s shelf life. If you are a food manufacturer, there are new technologies that can extend your product’s shelf life and maintain increased product freshness. These include:
- Materials – You can opt for flexible packaging known as flow-wrap. This offers a longer shelf life/
- Film barriers – Once again, flexible packaging enters the picture. You can have different barriers for moisture, flavor, and air. Additional coatings can be added to extend your product’s shelf life and greatly improve overall freshness.
- Resealable packaging – Depending on the product, you can add a form of resealable packaging. These come in the form of a lid, label closure, or a zipper. This works to lock out air and is very convenient for your customers.
With proper planning, you can have an experience that is seamless with a food and beverage packaging solution that meets all of your requirements. When this happens, your customers will take notice and come back for more.
If you’re not sure where to begin your food and beverage journey, you’ll need to obtain a highly knowledgeable consultant who can advise you. They should have access to many numerous suppliers.
Choosing the right food and beverage packaging for your products can be difficult and is vital to your branding. MJS Packaging offers the best customer service and lowest prices for your product packaging. We have exclusive access to manufacturers from all around the world, so we can advise you on the best bottles, tubes, closures, caps, and other packaging needs you may have.
