Why Consider Flexible Packaging For Your Food Products?
By Isaac Fletcher, contributing writer, Food Online
Brand owners are always on the lookout for better ways to package products and trying to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. With a broad range of materials, applications, and benefits offered by flexible packaging, brand owners and consumers alike are showing strong interest in this format.
More often than not, trends in consumer needs and demands are the driving forces behind packaging design. With an increasing demand for fresh products, consumers are interested in foods that make it from the farm to the table with as few stops in between as possible. One of the key functions of any effective packaging is its ability to preserve freshness, and the strong barrier protection afforded by most flexible packaging formats achieves just that. As food manufacturers add organic and fresh foods to their product portfolio at increasing rates to meet consumer demands, flexible packaging will continue to be a preferred format.
The Flexible Packaging Association estimates that the market for flexible packaging experienced growth of nearly 4 percent during 2014. A large factor in the growing popularity of flexible formats is the advancement of various film attributes, serving to broaden functionality and boost cost-efficiency. Additionally, manufacturers can select a variety of packaging substrates, such as aluminum foil and styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN), in flexible formats to fit the specific needs of their product. Furthermore, the enhanced barriers and lightweight nature of packaging films enable brand owners to reduce costs throughout the supply chain.
As previously noted, consumers enjoy many aspects of flexible packaging as well. Many products packaged in flexible formats are easy to open and can be easily resealed. This format also allows for portable and single-serve products. These factors have played an essential role in meeting the needs of consumers with busy lifestyles and have helped to boost the format’s popularity among consumers.
Food manufacturers that are interested in expanding their offerings to better meet the evolving demands of consumers should take a close look at flexible packaging. Of the available flexible packaging formats, stand-up pouches have emerged as an effective packaging solution for a wide range of products thanks to their lightweight qualities, ability to be easily displayed on shelves, and transparency that allows consumers to see the product within. Lastly, machinery manufacturers are providing more equipment options for creating flexible packaging, giving brand owners a plethora of options for creating their optimal packaging.