Food packaging trends are important, despite their sometimes fleeting popularity. But a recent presentation by some leading packing product companies found that the approaches companies take may soon change.
According to Fresh Plaza, the recent FMI Connect event allowed the United Fresh Producers Association a chance to show off the latest food packaging trends. Netting, for one, has been noted as a popular solution to carry oranges, onions and other products. However, in recent years, plastic film has overtaken netting as the preferred means of increasing produce lifespans. Peppers, melons and exotic fruit all see improvements today not only because they experience success for protection against outside influences, but because they commonly come in grouped packaging which gives buyers an incentive to buy more than they normally would.
Another improvement has come from products packaged as kits, which are increasingly cited as allowing consumers opportunities to purchase everything they need to fulfill specific recipes. Fresh salad and produce kits are already successful because they allow the average consumer a one-stop shop to put together the meals they desire.
Food Production Daily added that these combo packs are growing in popularity and are moving away from the typical salad kit and toward different innovations. Some new styles include potatoes with baking seasonings, fruits with the spices necessary to complete a dessert, and pumpkins mixed with the ingredients needed to make a pie, which work to not only combine products but make them more accessible to audiences.
One representative of a produce company selling pumpkin products noted that cross-selling a product with the necessary ingredients to make a pie makes it easier for shoppers to choose fresh ingredients over canned ones during the holiday season. Many of these products also feature QR codes on their fronts, which can give consumers additional information about the product and how to prepare it on their packaging, adding an interactive measure to the packaging process.
Individual packaging
A positive trend has been fresh produce labeled as a snacks as diners and shoppers want healthier and more practical food while on the go. In order to cater to those persons, more companies are experimenting with individual portion packaging, allowing them to sell smaller amounts of product for higher costs, improving revenues.
Many of these products are also designed for multiple purchases. One brand of olives, for example, was available in multiple forms including whole and sliced ones. Black olives were portable enough to be carried for personal consumption or as an ingredient in a salad, recipe or other use.
There are even more innovative aspects of packaging being added to the industry, such as folding plastic spoons in salad kits. The intention of these features are that they directly appeal to the userbase's needs without any concerns over overreaching in connecting with them.
Prepackaged foods often come in colorful containers as well, with bright and attractive packaging one of the newest trends. With a finished appearance, produce and meats convey to consumers the quality of their product through their packaging.
