Meat+Poultry - June 2019 - 67

onvenience packaging makes life
easier for time-starved, active and
nutrition-conscious consumers by
offering safe food options with portion control
and food waste reduction in mind.
No matter what the day might bring,
convenience packaging makes quick meals
and snacks easy and accessible. The need
for convenient options across multiple
dayparts continues to grow as consumers seek
consumption hacks to combat work demands
and increasing commitments. But catching the
attention of busy consumers might be the most
difficult part. Standing out from the crowd
requires packaging with a range of easy-to-use
attributes and branding and graphics that
improve the messaging.
The desire for packaged convenience
is not just a US phenomenon. Demand for
convenience products is increasing around
the world. In 2017, the business of snacking
grew a phenomenal $3.4 billion globally. In the
snacking arena, convenient protein options
remain in high demand. Fifty-five percent of US
households cite high protein as an important
attribute with meat, eggs and dairy being the
primary sources, according to Nielsen. In the
ready-to-eat protein segment the emphasis
is on snack meats, but packaging isn't just
about a quick bite. It also must meet needs for
portability, portion control, food safety and
address the ongoing problem of food waste.
"The throwaway culture of today will evolve
into one that understands and embraces the
role of packaging as a primary means to reduce
global food and product waste," says David
Luttenburger, global packaging director, Mintel.

QUEST FOR CONVENIENCE
Reclosability continues to resonate with
consumers looking for convenience, extended
shelf life and portion control. Grocery and club
stores known for offering large-volume packages geared to the cost-conscious consumer
are now rethinking package sizing. Single-person and smaller family sizes mean the club-size
is no longer the best option for everyone.
"Food waste is caused by multiple reasons,
but an important one is the mismatch between
the amounts of food inside the pack compared

to the actual need of the consumer," says
Irene Buzzoni, marketing and communications
coordinator, Sealpac, Harderwijk, The
Netherlands. "Especially with the number of
single-person households growing around the
globe, this issue has become more evident."
Kansas City, Missouri-based Multivac
Inc. is finding packages built for consumer
convenience are surging across all styles as
consumers short on time prefer options with a
multitude of pre-portioned components.
"Previously, in order to have a balanced
grouping of processed meats, cheese, nuts,
dried fruits, crackers, etc., consumers would
purchase separate bulk packs of each, open
them at home and portion them into zip-top
bags," says Cem Yildirim, strategic market
development manager, Multivac. "Brand names
would be left in the kitchen at home as snacks
became anonymous."
The company offers single-portion, multi,
medley, snack, reclosable, microwave, sousvide and oven-ready packaging. Understanding
the increasing importance of sustainability
in packaging choices, the company offers
its customers an immediate 10 percent to 20
percent savings on material and packaging
costs by switching from pre-formed snack
trays to thermoformed, filled on-line, sealed
snack trays.
Bemis Co., Neenah, Wisconsin, offers total
packaging solutions for flex/flex and flex/rigid
formats with the manufacture of lidding films,
non-forming films, forming films and trays.
Smaller, single-serve packages that incorporate
a peelable lidding film and a flexible or
rigid forming film are popular as they fit the
snacking trend seen in beef jerky sticks and
other meat options.

Convenient, ready-togo packaging is in high
demand as consumers
continue their love of
convenience foods.

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