By Jessica Opperthauser

Food packaging has always served several important purposes in the life of a food product—protecting it from dirt, microbes, insects, and any other unsavory potential intruders. It must also withstand transportation, give the consumer information on the product, market the product successfully, and somehow manage to be as friendly to the environment as possible.

Additionally, food packaging must meet constantly changing standards, some of which go above and beyond the requirements of even the recent past. Sometimes what was acceptable last year no longer is. The average American consumer, along with several U.S. and international governmental bodies, defines these ever-evolving and multi-faceted demands.

History of Food Packaging

Since the production of Swanson's first TV dinner in 1953, food packaging has kept up with the needs of consumers and manufacturers alike. The past 50 years of food packaging innovations have responded to our changing lifestyles and changed our lives as well. Drink boxes and flexible drink pouches meant safe, neat, easy ways for children (and adults) to take their juice or milk with them without the worry that the drinks would spoil or spill on the way. The aseptic packaging technology that allowed these drink boxes a shelf life of up to nine months without refrigeration was approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 1981 and, with the added benefit of their lower price than bottles or cans, proved a commercial success soon thereafter. (Source: Packaging Digest, December 2003)

We've seen the rise of the retort pouch, taking our tuna fish out of cans and into all-plastic pouches, meals that can go from pantry to plate in a matter of minutes, beer in plastic bottles, and milk that has a shelf life that would have been unimaginable 10 years ago. Soft drink bottles have continually been improved upon, and almost everything has been adapted into a "to-go" format.

Time and time again, the food packaging industry has been presented with problems and has risen to the challenge. Packaging innovations in the form of products, processes, materials, and creative concepts have changed the way food packaging is developed. Today, there are seemingly endless opportunities to optimize the packaging for your product and meet all of the needs of the consumer, the product, and the manufacturer, as well.

Today's Food Packaging – Questions to Answer

Food packaging today needs to answer six basic, universally relevant, questions. If you're involved in the packaging of a product, particularly a food product, sit up and take notice – you may need to reexamine your process or materials if you aren't adequately answering these important questions:

1. Is the packaging environmentally friendly? 2. Does it meet all necessary governmental standards? 3. Does the packaging serve the appropriate purpose for the particular product? 4. Is the packaging convenient for the consumer? 5. Is the packaging economical? 6. Is it senior-friendly/child-resistant, as appropriate?

Beyond Earth-Friendly: FDA Rules in 2004 are Serious Business

Many innovations in food packaging are emerging to address increasingly stringent regulations and the deepening urgency of environmental concerns. Engineers are doing amazing things with packaging materials today. Take Cargill Dow, whose Natureworks PLA(TM) is 100% derived from corn, and is renewable and compostable. Natureworks PLA(TM) can be used in the form of a clear thermoform tray to hold, for instance, fresh pasta from Italian organic pasta maker Biorigin S.p.A. Pasta packaged in such a way is what the pasta manufacturer touts as "a complete natural-in-natural solution." (Source: Packaging Digest, February 2004)

In the U.S., Tara McHugh, a scientist with the USDA, and her fellow researchers have created edible food wraps made solely of vegetables and fruits. The wraps—flexible, paper-thin films—help preserve foods and could be used in the same manner as aluminum foil or plastic wrap, but without the negative environmental implications. It has even been suggested that one could use the wraps to enhance food – perhaps a pork chop wrapped in an apple film that would become a glaze when heated. Other environmentally friendly wraps are being developed at the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute and are being called inexpensive and biodegradable. After all, they're made out of food waste. (Source: CNN.com, December 6, 2002)

Also a pressing concern in the industry is the Bioterrorism Act of 2002, which was drafted in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks and to prepare for all possible eventualities with regard to the country's food and drug supply. Because it outlines rules for food, its ramifications on food packaging have companies up in arms.

Under recent FDA proposals, all food packaging makers would need to register with the FDA and give advance notice of all food packaging imports. Under the new proposed guidelines, food packaging falls under the FDA's definition of "food" – anything intended to be consumed as food or beverage by man or other animals. The explanation is that "packaging that might migrate into food is a food additive, and food additives are components of food, and thus, packaging is food." (Source: Packaging Digest, June 2003)

Understandably, the aim is for the FDA to be able to keep track of all food in the food supply and be able to avoid contamination by terrorists. The long and short if it is this: if you make only food packaging, you have to keep records and make them available to the FDA if they have reason to think that the packaging has been tampered with and could pose a threat to people or animals. The FDA can detain the packaging if they think there may be a need to, as they consider the food packaging to be food.

Many in the food packaging industry feel that these measures are excessive, and in some instances, that the money and time spent to do all of this registering and recordkeeping could be better spent on more direct safety and security measures. (Source: Packaging Digest, March 2003) Some food packagers are simply overwhelmed by the extra burden these measures will put on their businesses, particularly in light of the fact that the packaging industry believed itself to be exempt from these regulations when they were being drafted.

Packaging that Serves Its Purpose

Aside from holding the food product in, packaging should be appropriate to the product, suiting its needs and improving upon it in some way. An understanding of the product's qualities and the best environment for them is key to determining appropriate product packaging. Does the food need a certain environment to extend its shelf life? What does the product's shipping dictate? How best can it perform once opened by the consumer?

Many years ago, sliced deli meat in plastic packaging was the latest innovation. Today, companies like Hormel are taking that a step further by providing deli meats in reclosable packs that feature reclosure technology by Pactiv's Hefty Slide-Rite. It's easy for the consumer to use, and it maintains the flavor and freshness of the meats. Hormel feels that, "the new slider will be the industry standard in the years to come." (Source: Dan Miller, Manager of Packaging Development, Hormel Foods) The reclosable zipper pouch allows for fresh deli meat day after day – it improves the product and makes the consumer experience more enjoyable. A company like Hormel benefits by extending the period of time during which a product can be sold, as well as meeting the consumer's needs for convenience and freshness.

What other functions does packaging need to perform? Zaro's Bakery Basket of New York City encountered a dilemma that perfectly illustrates a common problem. The company wanted to be able to ship its bakery goods across the country without having the baked goods arrive a crumbled mess. Enter Meadwestvaco, a packaging company that provided the necessary linerboard for Zaro's boxes that would protect and keep the product fresh and unbroken during shipping. (Source: Packaging Digest, November 2003)

Packaging can even protect food from harmful bacteria. Scientists at Clemson University are developing packaging films that are actually antibacterial. Even safer and more beneficial than films that protect the product from outside contamination, these materials have been shown to reduce the numbers of certain bacteria on meat products. The films are made from natural proteins, so they also have the added benefit of being environmentally friendly. (Source: Clemson.edu)

The last example of food packaging serving its purpose well ventures into the future of food packaging technology. According to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, new packaging that changes color in response to temperature and gives consumers information on the condition of the food is on the way. (Source: Ireland Online News)

Convenience, Convenience, Convenience

The food packaging industry has put the consumer's convenience at the top of its priority list, churning out innovation after innovation that plays to the fast-paced, always on-the-go modern lifestyle of 2004. For example, we can now drink wine out of a can. Not just any can either—a can that is lined with a "proprietary metal that protects the wine from contacting the aluminum of the can but won't interfere with the can's recyclability." (Source: Packaging Digest, April 2004) This claim, made by Aussie Wine, is added to the promise that the consumer on the go can enjoy premium wine in a "vast array of venues." (Source: Packaging Digest, April 2004)

Some innovations have come about for convenience not only in ease of use but also in matters of health maintenance. The first single-use product was developed by Dr. Samuel J. Crumbine in 1909, who invented the Dixie Cup in response to seeing one of his tuberculosis patients drink from a common drinking cup, only to see a young healthy boy drink from the same cup immediately afterwards. (Source: Foodservice and Packaging Institute, 2004) It is not only a matter of selfish convenience that has driven the move to 'convenience packaging', but also one of sanitary necessity. Sometimes the safest way to package a food product is in an individual, one-time-use package.

Social changes, too, have dictated changes to food packaging. In 1985, Oscar Meyer polled working women to learn their biggest mealtime hassles. Making bagged lunches was at the top of the list, and Oscar Mayer Lunchables were born as a result. Lunchables' plastic tray with separate recessed sealed compartments was a great answer to the changing needs of the American family, reflecting the sharpness and willingness of the food packaging industry to respond to evolving consumer needs.

The recent findings of market researcher Packaged Facts revealed that the real news in the food packaging industry does not simply relate to convenience, but also to the evolution of packaging and individual sized precooked products that offer greater freshness, better taste, and preparation efficiency. (Source: MarketResearch.com press release) Not only are we getting food in convenient packages for our fast-paced lifestyles, but it's of better quality and with more variety than ever before. For instance, two of the top rice manufacturers now enable one to prepare one of several varieties of rice—from pantry to plate—in 90 seconds or less. Both Uncle Ben's and Zatarain's have launched retorted rice pouches that keep rice and seasonings fresh on the shelf and instantly microwaveable. (Source: Packaging Digest, May 2004)

Food products as simple as candy have been made more portable. The use of a metallized film package with an easy open tear-notch on "bites" of favorite candies has upped the ante on portability, allowing the consumer to let the balls of candy roll right out of the package and into his mouth. (Source: Packaging Digest, February 2004) Even traditionally slow products have been updated to provide instant gratification to the consumer. Remember Heinz ketchup's "worth the wait" anticipation campaign? Now Heinz comes in an upside-down plastic bottle that squirts out quickly and even eliminates the watery substance that sometimes separates out from the rest of the ketchup. (Source: Packaging Digest, September 2003)

Retort pouches, like the ones that rice is now available in, are generally taking convenience to a whole new level. Retort pouches are shelf-stable and allow many food products that have traditionally required refrigeration to be available on store shelves and for a much longer period of safety. They are made of layers of foil and film and have been used by the military for more than 25 years. (Source: MarketResearch.com press release, April 28, 2004)

Other, perhaps more simple but equally as innovative, technologies have answered the convenience question. Kellogg's has introduced its "Drink N Crunch" cereal for the modern cereal eater on the go. An inner cup contains the cereal, while an outer cup is for milk. The cereal and milk stay separate until they are combined in the consumer's mouth, keeping the cereal crunchy and allowing the person to eat it on the go and at his own pace. The outer cup is even shaped in such a way that a driver can easily see over it while driving and crunching. There are also grips on the outer cup to make it easy to be held by hands of all sizes. Drink N Crunch has been called one of the best packaging innovations of 2003, and it perfectly exemplifies the increasing convenience demands being put on the food packaging industry. (Source: Metaphase.com)

Even foods that we don't typically think of as 'packaged' are benefiting from new packaging technologies. Chiquita is packaging its fresh cut fruit in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) in a move that extends the length of freshness of the fruit and provides a healthy, portable snack. The company packs the fresh fruit by way of a process called the Flavor Savor(TM) system that cleans, cools, and cuts fruit in a unique way to lock in juices and help extend the shelf life of the fruit for up to 7 to 10 days. Says Jill Albrink, Senior VP of Strategy and New Business at Fresh Cut, "Our product is on trend. It's the sweet spot in meeting consumers' need for healthier foods and snacks to meet their 'on the go' lifestyles." (Source: Packaging Digest, May 2004)

Fresh Lock Zippers has recently introduced a new line of retort zippers that could take retort packaging (and thereby, convenience) to another level. This is the first time ever that reclosable retort packages offer an all-in-one serve, seal and store design, and Fresh Lock believes that its product offers many advantages over traditional jars or cans. These zippers on retort packages can improve the flavor of the product, reduce storage space, extend the product's shelf life, and, according to the manufacturer, even reduce costs for production and shipping. (Source: Fresh-lock.com) In a heat and eat society that places a great deal of importance on convenience and the ability to control portions as people want, this retort zipper could open up even more doors than retort packaging alone has already done.

Is My Product's Packaging Child-Resistant And/Or Senior Friendly, As Appropriate? Does it Cause "Wrap Rage"?

Packaging for food no longer just needs to get its job done by being convenient to the consumer, appropriate to its product, and environmentally sound. Food packaging these days must also meet the needs and capabilities of its end users, and also prevent people who should not be able to access the product from doing so. This is no small feat.

Although it is primarily the pharmaceutical industry that must make its products and their packaging child-resistant, the food industry needs to take heed as well. As mentioned earlier, the FDA is heavily involved in regulating food packaging and making sure food is safe for consumption and has not been tampered with. Whether a product necessitates child-resistant packaging is an important consideration when choosing your food packaging. Often times, the best thing you can do is to make the packaging tamper-evident, that is, easy for someone to see that the package has been tampered with.

As important as making certain foods difficult for children to gain access to is making sure that senior citizens can easily access the products they want to use. Many packages are, in their usual format, hard to open for an increasingly large percentage of the population. As the baby boomer generation ages, greater numbers of people than ever before experience difficulty opening food packaging. Some companies have responded to this by improving their packaging to accommodate seniors' needs. For example, Sunsweet prune juice recently recognized that a large portion of its consumers qualify as seniors. In response, it made its 64-ounce terephthalate bottle easier to handle. By introducing a customized bell shape, a special bottle neck and 4 pinch-grip indentations on the bottle, the company made handling, pouring, and lifting its product more convenient.

Children and seniors aside, it's important to mention that sometimes the average consumer runs into problems with food packaging, too. Have you ever tried so hard to open a package that you've almost given up or hurt yourself in the process? Ever opened a bag of candy in a movie theater only to hear all of it scatter across the theater floor? While not a governmentally required quality, it is smart to avoid what is dubbed "wrap rage" – the fit of anger and frustration a person feels when battling the packaging of a product. Common sense prevails here – if the package is too complicated, rigid, or "packaged" to be opened by the average consumer, maybe you need to take a second look at it.

Sounds Great, But Can I Afford It?

The affordability of packaging innovations is a very real concern. Without addressing the notion of cost at the outset, improvements to current packaging are exceedingly hard to make. During product development, packaging needs to be addressed. Before making any decisions regarding how to package a product, the manufacturer must closely examine several factors. First, what are the storage conditions of the product, both before and after delivery to the customer? Second, does the product need to withstand heat or cold in the preparation process? Third, is the appropriate packaging in proportion to the product's cost? Packaging that costs more than the product seems kind of crazy, but in some cases – a can of soda for instance – it has to be a reality.

With the myriad improvements to food packaging technology in recent years, costs are coming down. As more and more manufacturers make changes to their processes and reevaluate the return on their investment that innovative packaging can provide, the cost to make use of some of these new technologies isn't as hefty as it once seemed.

Last, But Not Least –- Certainly Not Least –- Does Your Packaging Sell Your Product?

Food packaging obviously needs to meet many important utilitarian needs, but if it doesn't attract the consumer while sitting on the store shelf, it's not doing you a whole lot of good! This is one of the basic things that food packaging needs to do for your product – make it look snazzy, differentiate it from the other products on the shelf, and help get your product into the consumer's shopping cart. When choosing the packaging that will house your product, you need to remember that it is serving as the "cover" to your "book" – the first impression that could be the difference between the purchase of your product and that of your competitor's.