In May 2012, the Pepperidge Farm Deli Flats Package received both an AmeriStar Award in the Food Category and a Gold DuPont Packaging Award for Excellence in Innovation and Waste Reduction for the new Pepperidge Farm Deli Flats package. Pepperidge Farm shares the awards with Printpack, CP Flexible Packaging, and Sealstrip Corporation.The initial Pepperidge Farm Deli Flats and Goldfish Sandwich Bread (Flats Packaging) tray-in-bag format was developed to set Pepperidge Farm apart from the competition and improve on-shelf merchandising. It achieved those goals, however, with the continuing challenge to lower costs and improve sustainability, the opportunity to raise the bar led to a new package format that not only reduced costs, but also is more sustainable, tamper evident, resealable, and has improved barrier properties over the original package.
The new, unique horizontal flow wrap package features a pressure
sensitive Sealstrip closure (instead of a conventional zipper). The Sealstrip creates an easy open package that is also resealable multiple times. The product inside stays fresh, and resealability lasts well beyond the number of times a consumer would open the package to remove product.
Removal of the tray used in the old package design resulted in 65% less plastic usage in the new package, making the package considerably more sustainable. Because material use is less, 25% more packages ship in the same amount of space as the old packages did. The eliminated tray also means there is less inbound freight to Pepperidge Farm. The result is fewer trucks on the road, a reduced carbon footprint for the package, and a reduction in overall freight costs for Pepperidge Farm.
Consumer response to the new package was quite good, particularly around its addressing of the easyopen/reclose and consumer convenience trends. Response from retailers has been equally positive.
