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Convenience is the one driving force influencing food packaging today. Consumer expectations, from ordering delivery, making a quick lunch or preparing meals for the week, are that packaging is time-saving, reduces mess, and integrates perfectly in their mobile, on-the-go lifestyle. If it is not convenient, it is not kept, no matter how ‘green' it is or how appealing it looks. Let's examine four of the big trends in consumer convenience-driven food packaging.
Easy - Open and Resealable Features
If seals are tight and peel resistant or it's an issue to open a lunch box with scissors, there is instant cause for frustration. Consumers wish to enjoy packages that can be opened easily using one hand, particularly when eating at a desk or on public transport, or on the go while strolling.
Easy open characteristics include tear notches, peel and reseal films and lids with easily visible gripping tabs. Vents which can be opened without removing the entire lid are convenient for microwaveable meals. Resealable closures, press to close hinges, reusable adhesive films or snap fit lids enable consumers to eat part of a meal and store the rest of the meal without transferring food to another container.
Precision engineered lunch box lid fits, which open easily and close securely, are a key feature of lunch boxes that manufacturers such as Xiamen Xiefa design. The objective is not to create the strongest seal possible, but rather to produce an optimal seal with enough strength required to prevent leakage while being transported, and enough to be easily opened by any consumer without tools or frustration.
Single - Serve and Portion - Controlled Formats
Eating alone, at home, at work and out, is a habit that is rapidly increasing. Packaging is also frequently too big, causing waste and inconvenience, especially when it comes to family sizes. Single serve and portion controlled packaging can resolve this issue.
Smaller lunch boxes, snack cups and compartment trays enable consumers to get their ‘fix' of what they want. Health conscious purchasers who monitor calories or macronutrients also enjoy portion control. Lunch boxes with two, three, or four separate compartments prevent mixing of hot and cold, wet and dry, or savory and sweet foods.Single serve is also a more profitable unit for food brands. Consumers are willing to pay more for convenience – no measuring, no leftovers, no washing reusable containers. Xiamen Xiefa's processing technology for PP, PET, PLA and other materials allows for the production of small format containers with precise, high-speed production, even more importantly, clean compartment dividers and wall thickness.
Microwave and Freezer Compatibility
The main goal of convenience is to minimize the number of steps taken. The convenience of a lunch box that can be directly transferred from the freezer to the microwave (no plates or bowls required) is far greater than one that must be transferred to another dish.
PP is the material of choice for this application, and microwave resistant. It won't warp, leech or absorb food odors when reheated. CPET is even more heat resistant, and is suitable for traditional oven reheating. PP and CPET are good for frozen meals as they are tough at freezing temperatures, however some bioplastics can become brittle in freezers.
Clear lids which won't fog while microwaving provide an added convenience. People don't want to have to open their container and lose steam while their food is heating. Anti fog coatings on PET or RPET lids solve this problem – the meal will be visible throughout.
Integrated Cutlery and All - in - One Design
One friction point with takeaway/deliveries is carrying separate cutlery. Unless a person has a fork or spoon with them, he or she cannot eat a meal. The integrated cutlery is the answer to this issue!
The molded compartments found in some lunch boxes now can be used to keep a disposable fork, knife or spoon secure in place. Others are intended to be used with an attached set of cutleries (clips or film seals). The most sophisticated designs include the cutting tools as part of the box design, such as a cutting tool that snaps off the edge of the box.
Xiamen Xiefa not only makes lunch boxes, it also creates disposable cutlery sets (forks, knives, spoons) so that food companies can buy both from them. Pre packing utensils inside container reduces time spent on packing for operators supplying meal kits, airline catering, and others, and prevents the customer from having to pack their own.
All in one design goes beyond cutlery! Compartment trays featuring a main tray and side for the main dish, a cup for a sauce, and a napkin tray will keep the number of separate parts to a minimum. It saves on handling which speeds up packing time at kitchen and time to unpack by the consumer.
Summary
Four trends in food packaging are being felled by consumer convenience: easy open and resealable packaging, single serve and portion controlled, microwave and freezer friendly, and integrated cutlery with all in one design. Time efficient, mess free, and step down from the fridge to mouth packaging wins loyalty and justifies premium pricing. With ISO 9001, BSCI, BRC, HACCP, GRS certifications, Xiamen Xiefa Vacuum Forming Packaging Co., Ltd. is a vacuum forming packaging one-stop solution provider founded in 2009, offering convenient packaging solutions such as PP, RPET/PET, bagasse, paper, cornstarch, PLA, PS and more. Contact them now to see how they can make your customers' convenience experience even better with their packaging designs.
