Food preferences are changing in the European Union and in the UK. With these changes, the need for various packaging solutions has become more important and more challenging. The need for change is mandated by a number of factors including the fact that more women are heading to work every day and that consumers have more awareness about what they are eating.
Healthy eating only exists with healthy packaging and safe handling. The two-worker family and the rising number of single households in the UK has made a statement that convenience cannot be over emphasized. And, from the manufacturer to the packager and retailer, the food packaging industry is constantly developing new solutions for packaging fresh foods.
A definite trend is packaging and supplying food and fresh products from chilled sections of supermarkets that do not have artificial preservatives. Consumer swill also notice smaller portions, a noticeable trend that consumers have demanded. Waste and overeating are the enemies.
In today’s Europe, it may seem impossible but at least 100,000 new food products are coming to market every year. This trend has presented the food industry with the need to create innovative solutions for packaging and manufacturing.
The result has been a steady pattern of differentiation at the point of sale in terms of packaging forms, designs and materials. Packagers are also challenged as manufacturers and retailers look to add their brand to highly desirable goods.Food packaging has become as much about branding as it is about safety and security. Manufacturers are investing in new products and they want a return, which means intensifying brand recognition.
What Experts Are Saying
Vera Fritsche is a highly regarded Consultant for Packaging Machinery at Verband Deutscher Maschinen – und Anlagenbau (VDMA), the German Engineering Federation. Fritsche recently spoke with Packaging Europe about the state of the food packaging industry in the EU.
The industry is challenged because of the shift in portions. Manufacturers and packagers must remain flexible so that they can respond to ever-changing customer demand. Production batch sizes are shifting regularly, almost seasonally. If course, the preference to avoid preservatives is also a major shift in the industry.
Without preservatives, food products must be turned over more rapidly. Quick changeover is now a necessity. And, of course, the packaging industry must stay ahead of the changes.
One of the biggest developments has been the use of procedures requiring sealing with ultrasound. This is the best way to protect and package the most sensitive food products. Ultrasound sealing has taken over for hot sealing, which generates thermal contamination that ultrasound sealing does not.
Food manufacturers and packagers list their priorities as hygiene, energy consumption and preserving resources. These goals are driving the food packaging industry.
The Three Goals
Hygiene – Manufacturers and packagers are paying particular attention to hygiene. In the food processing industry, poor hygiene threatens the consumer.Today, machinery, lines and all components are specifically designed to increase levels of hygiene. Machines are designed to be cleaner and to resist dirt.Hygienic design is critical to the manufacturing, machinery used in manufacturing, processing, filling and packaging sectors. At the same time, the packaging of beverages is also changing.
From the industry standpoint, short cleaning cycles translates to more rapid production times and better overall efficiency. The new processes clean agents, water and preserve energy.
Energy and Resource Efficiency
Consumers are more aware of what they are buying and consuming than at any other time. Consumers check brands and are informed about the ecological valuations of most brands that they choose. This is a major change in the industry. Labeling has become important and consumers are reading before buying.
Packagers are pressed to include easy-to-read labels and brand information as well as product information. The food and beverage industry is the largest user of packaging machinery, purchasing about 60 percent of all packaging machinery.
Consumers and manufacturers are facing stricter policies from the EU regarding sustainability. The energy consumption rate per package has decreased significantly over the last five years. In the EU, Germany is the standard bearer for energy and resource efficiency. German manufacturers use the bets economical drives, compressors and pumps to save electricity and increase energy efficiency using high pressured air, water and/or steam.
On the packaging side of food processing, the trend towards heavier materials.More flexible packaging solutions are replacing trays. By reducing packaging materials without compromising packaging functionality, fewer materials are used and transport expenses are reduced.
Retail Trends
In the retail sector, shelf space play a critical role. The retailer strives to put more products in a smaller space. Packagers are trending towards robots to pick and place products. Many packagers are beginning to rely on fully automated packaging systems. As much as the industry has changed already, look or more change in the very near future.
Source: PlasticAndStuff (http://goo.gl/DIFSng)
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