Flexible packaging: All wrapped up to ensure food safety

Our practices with respect to consuming food and beverages have been changing over time. In today’s day and time, one of the most important aspects of food safety is packaging. The rapid urbanisation and pace, rising population, and growing purchasing power of consumers have led to changes in the consumption patterns of buyers. These factors have in turn led to consumers progressively relying on convenient, ready-to-eat food products.
 
The amount of packaged food and beverages we consume is startling. Thus, it is about time we focus on figuring out the finer aspects of packaging to ensure safe food. Today, safe food is accorded the highest priority by end consumers. Consequentially, appropriate packaging, which preserves the nutritional value of food, is the need of the hour.

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Nowadays, consumers are well informed, socially connected and are very discerning when it comes to consumption of food products. One such consumer-influenced trend which is gaining importance in the packaging industry is the need to espouse ‘sustainability’.
 
With consumers becoming increasingly aware of global environmental issues, it is imperative to understand the importance of communicating your brand’s commitment towards sustainability in an engaging way, on the packaging. This will enable the brand to attract and retain consumers.
 
Secondly, being health conscious, these days, consumers demand that health credentials of the product be displayed on the package; thus, allowing them to make informed choices about their food. Thirdly, with today’s increasingly busy lifestyles, consumers seek smaller, lighter and easily disposable packaging; thus, making their consumption easier.

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Innovations such as flexible packaging have led to a remarkable shift in the food packaging industry. It is durable, lightweight - hence, reduces transportation costs - and occupies less space as compared to the other packaging products. Flexible packaging products are made of flexible materials such as plastic, aluminium and paper. There is a detailed conversion process that they have to undergo including printing, lamination, coating and extrusion. In order to produce high quality flexible packaging materials, the adhesive used is a key factor. The film composition, the printing ink as well as the adhesive need to be aligned to deliver the required properties of modern flexible packaging.