When customers purchase a product, they are doing so with the understanding that it will be able to fulfill specific needs or desires. In the food and beverage industry, this comes in the form of nourishment, while in pharmaceuticals it comes as the treatment of illness. These kinds of measures manifest themselves in a number of ways depending on the industry, but at the end of the day, the end game is to make sure that these needs are satisfied.

However, when a product reaches a consumer and causes illness or injury, the supply company has failed to meet these important needs. In some instances, the results can be minor, such as less fresh food, but in more extreme cases this can lead to serious illness.

The recent U.S. Senate approval of a bill that will lead to greater regulation in the pharmaceuticals industry shows how essential packaging and supply chain management is in ensuring consumer safety.

Senate approves Drug Quality and Security Act

For this reason it is important that companies be able to ensure that their products arrive safely to the consumer. This could be one of the major reasons behind the recent passing of the Senate's Drug Quality and Security Act.

How packaging can improve consumer safety How packaging can improve consumer safety

According to Reuters, the law will help improve drug safety by having the Federal Drug Administration start regulating what will now be known as outsourcing facilities that are responsible for compounding medications.

The law was designed to help prevent diseases like the the fungal outbreak of meningitis that emerged from a Massachusetts pharmacy last year, the news source noted. Many pharmacies mix compound medications specific to individual patients' prescriptions. Because these medications are then packaged and shipped to their distribution centers, it is important that they reach their respective consumers safely so as to prevent receiving the wrong medication.

Packaging improves safety

The passage of the bill could shed light on one of the major advantages that packaging can provide when it comes to consumer safety. This can come in a number of forms as well. The case of pharmaceuticals and the Senate bill, is aimed at successfully getting a product into its container and inevitably to its consumer. However, there are a variety of other ways in which this can occur.

According to Packaging Strategies, food poisoning can be the cause of illness for 53 million Americans every year. Further, the between 2009 and 2010, 21 percent of food borne disease outbreaks started in private homes because of undercooking or food being left out. Unfortunately for the distributor, these kinds of illnesses can sometimes lay beyond their control, but this does not change the perception of the consumer who has fallen ill of a company's brand.

This is why one company is working on developing a label that changes with the temperature of products such as milk and yogurt so as to alert consumers to possible unsafe conditions when these products are left out. When the product is being stored safely, one image will be displayed, however, as it starts to warm it will change, eventually altering the consumer to return the product to the fridge.

Effectively using labels

Utilizing labels for safety can be used in a variety of fashions regardless of the industry. While the temperature label is likely more applicable to the food industry, these indicators themselves can be used for a number of different products. With pharmaceuticals for instance, they alert the consumer to what the contents of the container are.

But even for industries where products are not ingested this can still apply. For instance, a label that alerts the handler of a package as to how heavy the product is can be an effective way identify potential risks.

Through effective packaging and care, consumers are likely able to receive their product without risking injury to oneself or others.