The food packaging you choose isn’t just about what looks good on shelf. You also have to consider functional elements like how it will work to contain and protect your product in the short and long-term, how convenient and easy-to-open it is for the consumer, and if it effectively communicates the purpose and benefits of your product. Creating the perfect packaging for your functional food or beverage product is all about finding the balance between the technical side and the artistic side. Oftentimes, brands spend too much time on one or the other, which more often than not, leads to poor management of time and resources, and a less than ideal package that doesn’t tick all the necessary boxes that consumers require. The goal for any brand with its food packaging should be to create a well-designed package that contributes to a positive consumer experience.

1. HOW TO CHOOSE
THE RIGHT
PACKAGING FOR
YOUR PRODUCT
By Tugce Parreidt

2. PACKAGING
All products made of any materials
of any nature to be used for the
containment, protection, handling,
delivery and presentation of goods,
from raw materials to processed
goods, from the producer to the
user or the consumer including non-
returnable items used for the same
purposes. (Directive 94/ 62/EC)

3. MAIN FUNCTIONS OF FOOD PACKAGING
Containment: the ability of the packaging to
maintain its integrity during the handling
involved in filling, sealing, processing.
Protection: generally includes prevention of
biological contamination, moisture change,
aroma loss or gain, and physical damage.
Preservation: the establishment of a barrier
between the contained product and the
environment.
Convenience: providing convenience to the
consumer. Easy opening, easy handling, etc.
Communication: the information that a
package provides involves meeting both legal
requirements and marketing objectives.
Containment
Communication
& Marketing
Convenience
Food package must
serve one or more
functions
Protection
&
Preservation

4. CREATING A FOOD PACKAGE
• Creating a food package is partly art and partly science – both are significant and go hand in hand for the
development or selection of food packages and packaging systems.
• Many commercial food packages are developed by empirical trial-and-error approach that leads waste of
time and sources. On the other hand, the practice of packaging art alone, with little consideration of the
relevant food or food packaging science, is one of the most common food packaging design mistakes and
frequently leads to ineffective designs and poor products.
TRIAL AND ERROR APPROACH WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY

5. SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY OF FOOD PACKAGING
collection and analysis
of data to study the
impact of food
packaging on the
changing society and
economy.
Market pull
FOOD PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY
Food Science Materials Science Information Science Socio- economics
FOOD PACKAGING SCIENCE
Technology push
Examples
modified atmosphere packaging
aseptic packaging
microwavable packaging
Kinetics of food
deterioration
Mass transfer
phenomena
Stress-strain relationship
Mechanical strength, barrier properties,
appearance, and other physical and
chemical properties of packaging
materials
e.g. intelligent packaging
Technology push and market pull are particularly important concepts. Innovations in food packaging science
are pushed forward to seek market acceptance. Similarly, dynamics of socioeconomics create market needs
and the technology seeks solutions to satisfy those trends (e.g., microwavable food packages, concerns of
plastic waste, sustainable packaging alternatives,…).

6. A TYPICAL FOOD PACKAGING DEVELOPMENT
PROCESS
STEP 1
Determine
Product/Package
Requirements
STEP 2
Select Package
Materials and
Equipment
STEP 3
Evaluate Prototype
packages
STEP 4
Test In the Market
• Requirements of food
• Requirements of production
• Requirements of marketing
• Shelf-life testing
• Distribution testing
• Production/package interaction testing
• Identifying options
• Cost and availability
• Identifying potential issues
• Regulation compliance
•Confirm costumer acceptance and monitor feedback
•Refine package/process design if necessary

7. EMERGING TRENDS IN FOOD PACKAGING
This type of packaging allows tracking several parameters like pH, time/temperature indicators,
fermentation, packaging integrity, gas composition, microbial growth to ensure freshness, flavour,
quality and maintain compliance with health standards.
IOSP
time-temperature indicators (TTIs):
radiofrequency identification (RFID)
gas indicators
microwave doneness indicators
others
The Japanese company To-
Genkyo added a bumper
sticker on their products as
freshness indicator. It changes
its color as more ammonia
releases. The bottom of the
hourglass appears gray when
it is not consumable.
(Source: https://adage.com/creativity/work/bad-meat-detector/17360)

8. EMERGING TRENDS IN FOOD PACKAGING
This type of packaging allows tracking several parameters like pH, time/temperature indicators,
fermentation, packaging integrity, gas composition, microbial growth to ensure freshness, flavour,
quality and maintain compliance with health standards.
 oxygen scavengers
 moisture absorbers
 antimicrobials
 antioxidants
(Source: Ramos et al., 2015)

9. EMERGING TRENDS IN FOOD PACKAGING
The disposal issues of synthetic polymers and their carbon footprint is a growing concern among
consumers.
Bio-based plastics are made in whole or partially from renewable biological resources. For example,
sugar cane is processed to produce ethylene, which can then be used to manufacture for example
polyethylene. Similarly, starch can be processed to produce lactic acid and subsequently polylactic
acid (PLA).
Bio-based
packaging
materials
Natural
polymers
Microbial
polymers
Bio-derived
monomer
polymers
Source: https://www.plasticseurope.org/

10. EMERGING TRENDS IN FOOD PACKAGING
Edible films and coatings are produced from edible biopolymers and food-grade additives. Film-
forming biopolymers can be proteins, polysaccharides, lipids, or their mixture (composites).
Monosol pouches
They dissolve when exposed to water.
(Source: https://www.monosol.com/)
Olive oil packed in Vivamat pouch
Source: http://www.naturality.fr/
Coating of apples with shellac or
carnauba wax to extend the shelf
life and improve their look.

11. EMERGING TRENDS IN FOOD PACKAGING
This type of packaging allows tracking several parameters like pH, time/temperature indicators,
fermentation, packaging integrity, gas composition, microbial growth to ensure freshness, flavour,
quality and maintain compliance with health standards.
Source: https://www.oliveoiltimes.com/business/apulian-startup-promotes-
secular-olive-trees-single-doses/57011
Source: https://www.olizzi.com/shop/

12. EMERGING TRENDS IN FOOD PACKAGING
This type of packaging allows tracking several parameters like pH, time/temperature indicators,
fermentation, packaging integrity, gas composition, microbial growth to ensure freshness, flavour,
quality and maintain compliance with health standards.
• Lightweight glass
containers – without loss of
quality – save raw
materials, weight and
transport costs
• Many consumers struggle
to tell the difference
between filled lightweight
bottles and their heavier
counterparts.
• New Areas for Tetrabrik and
Tetraprisma type containers
• Italy's first ever extra virgin
olive oil to be packed in Tetra
Pak® packages (2018).
• Convenient, easy to open, re-
seal cap.
• Logistical and distribution
efficiency of cartons over the
alternatives
(Source: http://www.wrap.org.uk/) (Source: https://www.tetrapak.com/)

13. References
1. The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. Directive 94/62/ec on packaging and
packaging waste. Off J Eur Union 1994, 50, 10-23.
2. Otles, S.; Yalcin, B. Intelligent food packaging. LogForum 4, 4 2008, 3.
3. Grumezescu, A.M.; Holban, A.M. Food packaging and preservation. Elsevier Science: 2017.
4. Lee, D.S.; Yam, K.L.; Piergiovanni, L. Food packaging science and technology. CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL,
USA, 2008.
5. Ramos, M.; Valdés, A.; Mellinas, A.C.; Garrigós, M.C. New trends in beverage packaging systems: A
review. Beverages 2015, 1, 248-272.
6. Kontominas, M. Olive oil packaging:Recent developments. In Olives and olive oil as functional foods:
Bioactivity, chemistry, and processing, 1st ed.; Kiritsakis, P.; Shahidi, F., Eds. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.: 2017;
pp 279-294.
7. Katiyar, V. Bio-based plastics for food-packaging applications. Smithers Pira: 2017.
8. Han, J.-W.; Ruiz-Garcia, L.; Qian, J.-P.; Yang, X.-T. Food packaging: A comprehensive review and future
trends. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety 2018, 17, 860-877.

14. RaphaelleO’Connor
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Phone: +353876765112