Fresh, convenient? Packaging innovation promotes the rapid development of a new generation of snacks

Global salty snacks market in 2015 is expected to grow from US $ 94.5 billion in 2020 to $ 138.2 billion (GlobalData, 2016), and because consumer health concerns, the definition of snacks are also being changed.

Nielsen's survey shows that in the US market, snacks account for 11% of the dining consumption, and consumers are looking for more than just potato chips and biscuits. They are increasingly concerned about healthy eating patterns and the ingredients contained in foods. Fifty-four percent of consumers said they would eat as much vegetables as possible.

For European consumers, they are also concerned about the health of snacks. Two-thirds of Europeans eat salty snacks such as potato chips and nuts at least once a week, and 11% eat several times a day. More than one-third of European respondents are more concerned with natural or even organic ingredients in food than fat and calories .

â–Ž meat snack bar gradually popular

As consumers pay more attention to health components, the definition of snacks is changing. The meat snack bar that is now growing in popularity is the best example of this trend.

Wild Zora is a fast-growing brand that mainly produces meat & vegetable snack bars such as Mediterranean lamb flavors with spinach, rosemary and turmeric.

â–² Wild Zora The Original Meat & Veggie Bar

The Wilde Boldr brand introduced slow-fired beef, turkey and chicken snack bars. In addition, the brand recently launched a series of chicken chips, known as "the ultimate portable protein."

â–² Wilde Boldr Savory Whole Food Bar

â–² Wilde Boldr Chicken Chips

Millennials are more concerned with health issues than baby boomers. According to GlobalData 's data, 57 % of consumers believe that health is very important. For consumers 25 to 34 years old, this number has risen to 65 %. In response to this demand, major brands have also started to use consumer-approved ingredients to adjust their snack formulas to respond.

For example, Mediterranean-style snack company Mediterra has introduced a series of salty snack bars, including cabbage and pumpkin seeds, bell peppers and green olives, and dried tomatoes and basil.

â–² Mediterra Savory Bar

The power of soft packaging

With these changes in the snack food industry, brand owners have begun to favor soft packaging designed for snacks that can be enjoyed anywhere, anytime, and on the basis of maintaining the quality of snack products to bring greater convenience to today's busy consumers. As a result, some packaging solutions, such as barrier films, zipper closures, and hermetic seals, are helping to maintain the new trends and new quality of new-generation snack products and new technologies are increasingly focused on snacks or bakery companies.

According to the Mintel “ Global Food and Beverage Trends 2017 ” research report, the industry will focus more on products that emphasize plant-based ingredients. More packaged snacks will use fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, and other plants to meet consumption. Health claims. Sal Pellingra vice president of technology and innovation ProAmpac company explained that the flexible packaging so that the brand can have a clear display window, so that consumers can see the pictures on the food they buy and the packaging are consistent.

In the U.S. market, millennials have boosted the demand for soft packs for snacks. They believe that this type of packaging is more modern, and marketers are using this method to attract consumers' attention. In Asia, snack soft packaging is also widely adopted. Developing countries like Thailand do not even deal with rigid packaging infrastructure. Therefore, they generally use flexible packaging when developing packaging systems because it is more convenient and environmentally friendly.

Bill Kuecker, Mondi 's vice president of marketing, said: "When the packaging solution changes from a rigid package to a flexible package, consumer satisfaction scores have increased. In addition, the demand for packaging has changed due to different display environments, and the right packaging options can be Make brand owners more flexible in the market.” Technomic reported that 48 % of shoppers prefer to buy healthy snacks from convenience stores rather than grocery stores. The ability to distribute goods in different channels is an advantage for zero food cards.

Freshness Solutions

Consumers are pursuing products that contain less preservatives, so snack makers need to maintain product freshness as much as possible and extend their shelf life, which is good for consumers and brands. Mondi 's Kercker explained that preservation is an important driving force for the profitability of baked goods brands. Products with limited shelf life, such as fresh baked goods or perishable products, can cause economic losses due to material damage and discounts. Packaging that can extend shelf life can help reduce these losses while helping retailers make larger baked goods displays.

Heather Chandler , president of Sealstrip , said: “This is not simply to pack the product in the lowest cost single-layer structure. Now the barrier properties of the package can effectively help to prolong the preservation time of food. Therefore, the air in the package after consumption by consumers is reduced. It is also a requirement Sealstrip 's Peel & Seal and FreshPak packaging comes with a zipper-like pressure-sensitive tape seal that can be used as part of a flexible package that is currently used by Frito-Lay and Mission Foods . The brand is used in all parts of the world, and its products include French fries, donuts, tortillas and biscuits, etc. This hermetically sealed package can delay the deterioration of food and consumers can store it for longer.

Chandler observes that Europe and Australia are working hard to reduce the amount of preservatives to improve their packaging. Foods containing less preservatives have a longer shelf life; in developing countries such as Pakistan, Thailand, and India, the packaging systems of brands are increasing. The more automated, the shelf life of the product is also increasing.

â–Ž Provide more convenience

According to the Technomic report, as people’s lifestyles change, 59 % of consumers consider it important to maintain a small-size package of snacks. In recent years, many portable, weight-controlled snack products have also been launched in the market. Mintel 's data indicates that the number of products with portable claims that were listed globally in 2016 has increased by 54% .

Pelingra , vice president of innovation and technology at ProAmpac, said that consumers should not underestimate the demand for portable food. They want to enjoy healthy food anytime, anywhere, and are willing to pay for it. Nielsen's research found that the sales revenue of optimized packaging products increased by an average of 5.5 %.

Therefore, snack manufacturers need to take every opportunity to improve the convenience of snacks, including repetitive sealing and microwave safety. ProAmpac 's EZ SnackPak packaging is a new single- serve food package that can be turned into a tray when opened, providing consumers with great convenience. This functional tetrahedron shape makes it Stand out on the shelves.

The innovation in the packaging industry will bring unprecedented advantages to the zero food brand merchants. It will be more powerful than ever before in attracting and retaining customers.

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