If you’re
a food entrepreneur, you may want to keep yourself up-to-date with the latest
trends in the food industry, particularly those relating to packaging.
Any
entrepreneur in the food business knows that food packaging can be especially
challenging as more factors, such as the cleanliness and freshness of food as
well as cost should be taken into consideration. Thus, it’s not just enough to
invest in carton sealers and taping
machines. Coming up with the perfect food packaging is a lot more
challenging than that, especially now that ‘convenience foods’ such as fast
food and processed foods are on the rise.
‘Convenience
foods’ refer to food products that are designed to be consumed quickly. Thus,
aside from the usual considerations, business owners also have to check on
flexibility and the ability to stay intact during transport.
If you
are looking for the best and most convenient food packaging options, here are
the top technologies you can use.
Polyester and Other Types of
Plastic Containers for To-Go Beverages
In the
beverages department, it’s obvious that if you are aiming for convenience, you
should not use glass, which is very fragile. This is how plastic bottles became
popular. Over time, plastic bottles have also changed. In the past, they were
mostly made using PVC or poly-vinyl chloride. This material, however, was
eventually banned, and this prompted the industry to look for other alternatives,
such as PET or polyester, polycarbonate, polypropylene, and polyethylene.
Due to
the large role of plastic in the world of food packaging, it is hard to
completely get rid of it. But since plastic is not biodegradable and with
concerns regarding environment-friendliness growing, packaging manufacturers
are designing plastic containers that are recyclable. Although these still use
plastic, they help eliminate waste by allowing repeated uses.
Tetra Pak and StandiPacks:
On-the-Go Snack Pouches
Aside from
plastic containers, you can also consider using the all-too-useful Tetra Pak.
This, unfortunately, is not a reasonable option for small businesses, and using
Tetra Pak requires a significant investment due to the high manufacturing costs
it involves. One excellent alternative is standipack, a special food pouch
which is designed to stand by itself.
You can
also try using retortable pouches, which are made using no less than five
layered laminates. These also have sealable polythene on the inner walls. These
pouches, or tubes, are most commonly used for paste products such as
mayonnaise.
Carton Packs and Trays: On-the-Go
Meals
Carton
packs have become the norm for to-go food products, and some of these are
designed like trays so they can hold complete ready-to-eat meals.
AMPET: Temperature-Resistant To-Go
Packaging
AMPET, or
amorphous polyethylene terphathalate is a relatively new packaging material
that boasts of excellent barrier properties. Its most significant improvement
over other packaging materials is its ability to withstand sterilization
temperature. This is interesting to note for entrepreneurs whose products
require some heating prior to eating.
Agronit Bags: Fruits to Go
Fruits
are great to-go food items as they are highly nutritious but are easier and
quicker to consume. However, they are also challenging to package as they can
easily lose their freshness when not properly packed. Thankfully, Agronit bags,
also known as mesh bags, offer the ideal packaging material that can preserve
freshness for longer periods and allows you to see through to check on the
quality or ripeness of the fruits the bags contain.
If you
are selling food to go, you should definitely give your packaging a lot of
thought. Additional packaging features that make the consumption process more
convenient can go a long way in differentiating your brand and products from
competitors.
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