Modern innovations in plastic packaging design for food offer consumers numerous benefits – from convenience to reducing waste and improving hygiene.Cheese board packaging enables different types of cheese to be individually portioned but packed in one pack. The packaging consists of a tray with separate cavities with a sealed lid. Contour perforation technology on the packaging means that consumers can either peel the lid open completely or push an individual cavity to get the piece of cheese they desire. This helps to keep the food fresh and avoid waste.
New packaging for sliced meat enables consumers to open and then reclose packaging with an adhesive flap. Other meat packaging has two compartments on top of each other separated by an interlayer. This means one compartment can be opened and consumed whilst the other compartment can be opened later, thus keeping the food fresher for longer.
Innovative packaging can help to reduce product weight and the associated transport and storage costs. Plastics containers for fruit and vegetables are easily stackable. A leading UK supermarket uses these containers in place of trays to reduce the packaging weight of their blueberries by 75%. Retailers are already using heat sealed plastic peelable lids in place off clip on lids on their trays of strawberries, saving tones of plastic per year.
Other innovations include zip bags with solid bottoms which can be re-seale (these replace glass jars for tea and coffee) and side gusset pouches for a range of foods. These fold flat before filling, thus reducing freight and storage space and associated costs, and use 75% less plastic than rigid containers. Side gusset pouches also offer longer shelf life without refrigeration.
