When choosing packaging material for your products, it is easy to get it wrong if you do not pay close attention to the details. Packaging, especially for food products, is an important component in determining the success of your products. The right product keeps food fresh and safe, both in transportation and on the shelf, and it can act as a marketing tool that attracts customers to your brand. So, how do you go about choosing the right packaging material for your food products?
Function and Durability
The packaging you choose should function as it is supposed to under a variety of conditions. For example, the material might hold up well on the shelf, but be susceptible to breakage during transportation. If you package bulky foods, it is important to go with strong materials.
Although it will be costly to choose such materials, it is always cheaper to do so than to replace damaged goods and repair the negative image your customers have about your brand if the packaging cannot hold up for as long as it is needed.
Food Safety
The type of packaging you choose should be designed to ensure that food remains safe throughout its shelf life. The material you choose can enhance food safety in several ways, including being free of materials that have been proven to be hazardous, slowing down food spoilage, and protecting the food from elements such as light and moisture.
To ensure food safety, the packaging must meet strict FDA guidelines. The packaging must be tested constantly to ensure that it not only meets these requirements, but that it can keep them throughout its life. A good material to consider in this case is flexible packaging. Flexible packaging from companies like The PKG Lab has been shown to have all the physical characteristics that help enhance food safety. It does this by helping prevent microbiological, chemical, and physical changes as is required of all packaging material that meets FDA requirements.
Size
If you have a product that comes in multiple sizes, it is always a good idea to try to use as few packaging options as possible. This helps you reduce costs by not having to design and manufacture or source different packaging sizes. Choosing packaging that is of the right size can also help with transportation.
The proper packaging size ensures that the integrity of the product and packaging remains intact during transportation. Also, being creative with the size of your packaging can help you save space and therefore enables you to transport more products in a single trip. This can help reduce your transportation cost per product shipped.
Design and Branding
Your packaging should also be a marketing tool and, in this way, serve multiple purposes. While cost, transportation, and food safety considerations are important, they will not matter if your product cannot stand out and attract customers. It should be easy to print your product and branding design on the packaging to help it stand out while it is sitting on a shelf.
The type of material you choose for your food products is almost as important as the food itself. This is because, if the material cannot hold up during transportation or ensure the safety of your products, it might lead to your products being labeled unattractive which can have negative effects on your revenue and ability to keep your business afloat.