Today, the global food industry is pegged in the trillions. It encompasses a multitude of industries, sectors, groups, and the like. In fact, one can’t deny the importance of food to the human race. Food has sustained innovators and allowed for different societies to grow, develop, and remain strong throughout the years.
Food comes in different forms and presentations. This is made possible thanks to the advancements in the field today. Processed food products are made possible thanks to packaging methods and techniques.
What Is Food Packaging And Why Is It Significant
But what is food packaging? It’s the practice of a company to place their food items and offerings in a sealed enclosure for a multitude of reasons. Food packaging, though regulated by the authorities, can be altered into many shapes, forms, sizes, and designs to meet the needs of the food organization, as well as the demand present in the free market.
Food packaging is an integral element of the food industry, yet oftentimes consumers mostly treat it as an afterthought. People tend to pay attention to the food inside of it and not much else.
Whether you’re a beginner food business owner or a regular customer, it pays to know the significance of food packaging to the food products you’re selling and/or consuming. Listed below are some of them. Keep on reading to learn more.
1. It Increases The Shelf Life Of Food Products
Food packaging improves the shelf life of products. Packaging is a way to protect and preserve food products or beverages from eventual spoilage due to room temperature, heat exposure, and the like. The use of proper food packaging equipment is essential to ascertain the food’s quality and longevity to manufacturers, buyers, and other stakeholders.
Proper food packaging helps in maintaining the quality of food by keeping it fresh for a longer period and it helps preserve the nutritional value of food. These are made possible thanks to the complementary food manufacturing processes that come with food packing such as blast chilling and cooking, efficient manufacturing, rigid product quality control, and others.
2. Packaging Helps Prevent Foodborne Illnesses
Food packaging is important because it helps prevent foodborne illnesses.
Foodborne illnesses are caused by eating contaminated food. A tell-tale sign that a person has contracted a certain foodborne disease includes vomiting, an upset stomach, weakness, fever, and the like. Although some illnesses are easily treatable with over-the-counter medication and rest, others may warrant a patient to a short stay in the hospital. Worst, a few can pass away from severe food-related sickness.
Many different types of bacteria can contaminate food, but the most common culprits are E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria. Food packaging helps prevent these microorganisms from getting into your food by sealing them out and keeping moisture in.
3. It Makes The Transport Of Food Items Easier
Due to the current economic order the world is in right now, the food industry is included in the vast network of supply chains interwoven with one another, from the farms down to the supermarkets.
Food products that have been manufactured in a plant need to be transported to a separate location for storage which will then be the place where supermarkets, groceries, and the like tap into for their supplies of food items. It’s said that just like other offerings in the capitalist world, food travels vast distances before it even reaches the hands of its intended consumers.
Luckily, food packaging helps to maintain the quality of food products during shipment. It prevents food from getting damaged and also helps in storing the product for a longer period caused by travel. For example, milk is packed in cartons or bottles with a tamper-proof seal to prevent any tampering during transport. This ensures that boxes of milk sold in retail stores are safe to drink.
In addition to this, food is susceptible to external factors such as temperature changes, light exposure, and others. Nonetheless, packaging protects food from the aforementioned.
4. It Brings Convenience To Consumers
Food packaging is essential because it brings convenience to consumers. For instance, if a consumer wants to buy chicken, they can go to the grocery store and pick up a package containing various chicken cuts to make a hearty and filling soup. Food packaging allows people to purchase the meat they want easily without any hassles at all.
Packaging also makes it easier for people to store their food. Case in point, if a person buys beef in a package at the grocery store, they don’t need to worry about how they should store it in their fridge. Thanks to the meat’s food packaging, the buyer will only need to throw it in their freezer and just retrieve it for future consumption.
5. Food Packaging Helps Reduce Food Waste
Unfortunately, food items that aren’t able to meet safety standards and the like end up being discarded. Some scenarios that may push grocers to withdraw food products from their shelves include tampered packaging, damaged food, and others.
The aforementioned opens the door for food wastage. Food is wasted when it’s discarded before its expiration date due to improper handling and non-ideal storage conditions.
Happily, having reliable food packaging can keep food items safe for human consumption – thus, reducing the amount of food being dumped in landfills and wasted.
Food packaging comes in multiple forms, materials, sizes, and the like. It can be as simple as a paper bag or as complex as a tamper-evident container for pharmaceuticals and they’re useful for products that need to be stored, transported, and displayed.
6. Packaging Provides Useful Food Product Information
Food packaging is essential for it provides vital product information. Consumers can get all the information they need on a food package, including what’s inside, how to use it, and when to consume it. This helps make their lives easier and saves them from having to call the manufacturer or go online to find out more about a particular food offering.
Information in food packaging makes it easier for those with allergies or other health concerns to know if a certain food item has ingredients they’re allergic to or that aren’t in line with their dietary needs or restrictions. Usually, food packaging enumerates the nutritional facts of the food inside it which is very helpful data for meal planning and preparation.
7. It Helps Your Product Standout
If you own a food company, food packaging is important because it helps your products stand out from the crowd. It’s a very competitive market out there and in order for you to capture a slice of your target audience, your food packaging needs to be unique, eye-catching, and unforgettable.
Food packaging is integral to any business organization like yours because it helps sell your product and differentiate it from others. In addition, it provides an opportunity to let customers know about your brand and company. Top-notch packaging helps create a positive image for your company by presenting quality products that are safe for consumption.
Furthermore, food packaging is significant because it creates brand recognition. Brand recognition leads to consumer loyalty, which means that once a consumer has purchased a product, they’re likely to buy it again and again. This is especially true for products with a long and stable shelf life, such as canned goods.
Food packaging helps to ensure that consumers are getting what they expect when they purchase something from their favorite store or restaurant. If consumers can’t identify the brand of the item they’re buying, they might not be able to trust that it’s safe and healthy for them to consume.
8. Food Packaging Enables Easy Product Display
Packaging is a vital component of your marketing mix. It’s the first step in getting your product in front of customers. You can have a fantastic product, but if it’s not packaged well and displayed properly, you’ll miss out on sales.
Henceforth, food packaging is essential for easy product display. It’s one of the most important things to consider when choosing a packaging solution for your business. Your customers will want to be able to see your products clearly so that they know what they’re buying before they buy it.
Make sure to come up with the best layout and use colors that’ll make your packaging stand out for the consumers to see when they go for their next grocery run.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, food packaging is an indispensable part of the food industry: it’s not just about protecting the food from being damaged or contaminated yet food packaging is about ensuring that consumers have a positive product experience as well.
Food companies ought to keep in mind that food packaging helps to communicate the brand’s values and identity to the consumer so that they can become loyal customers who keep coming back for more. Additionally, food packaging can aid in proper product storage, handling, and transport.
Whether you know it or not, the packaging of your food has a significant impact on your health as an everyday consumer. Food packaging is important because it protects your food from contamination, keeps it fresh, and allows you to tell at a glance what kind of product you’re about to pay for.
