Small Business Food Packaging: Significance and Types

The food business has more potential to succeed due to never-ending food demand. This industry is also the largest manufacturing sector in the world, which means you can also get tough competition if you run a small food business. 

This is why you should look for factors other than food taste that help make your brand different. One of the factors is small business food packaging which should be on point for a distinctive brand identity. 

This blog has highlighted the types and significance of food packaging you should know to grow your business. Read More!

Significance of Custom Food Packaging

The direct contact of food with packaging material and its impact on human health made it important for food business owners to get food-grade packaging. Custom food packaging should qualify for the safety standards set by the FDA. If you customize food-grade and contamination-free packaging, you can get the following benefits:

• Custom food product packaging increases your brand awareness.
• Aesthetically functional food packaging grabs customers' attention.
• Sturdy food packaging ensures safe food delivery to your customers. 
• Eco-friendly food packaging shows your concern for environmental safety. 
• Food grade packaging protects food from oxidation, moisture, and air pollutants.

5 Types of Food Packaging

As a small business owner, you should know about different types of food packaging to choose the one that aligns with your brand image. You can choose the right packaging for packing and presenting your products according to your food niche. 

The following are some major types of packaging that are further categorized according to their features and materials :  

Sustainable Packaging

One of the major concerns of every food business owner is to get sustainable and eco-friendly packaging. This concern is valid as consumers prefer buying sustainably packaged food items. A survey shows that 53% of Americans would pay 1-3% more for sustainably packaged food. Some types of sustainable packaging are as follows:

• Paper Packaging

This is commonly used sustainable packaging made from paper fibers, wood pulp, and paperboard. Some popular types of paper-based packaging are cardboard , kraft paper, corrugated cardboard, and rigid stock. 

• Plant-Based Plastic

Various food businesses started discontinuing the use of plastic packaging due to its negative impact on the environment. Therefore,bio-plastic was discovered. 

Plant-based plastic is made from fermented plants such as starch of corn, sugarcane, bamboo, and other plants. The plastic made from plant starch biodegrades the way plants do.

• Sugarcane Packaging

As the name suggests, this type of packaging is made from sugarcane plants. It is made from fibrous parts of sugarcane which is called bagasse. When the juice is completely extracted, the leftover part is used as a raw material for sugarcane packaging.

It is a perfect sustainable packaging solution for food businesses. Sugarcane packaging could also be used as an alternative to paper-based packaging to prevent deforestation. 

• Mushroom Packaging

It is also called mycelium packaging. Its making process involves the cleanliness of agricultural waste to prepare a substrate. Mycelium is the root part of mushrooms mixed with substrates such as hemp Hurd. It is good for food businesses looking for sustainable yet food-grade packaging.

Edible Packaging

You should know about edible packaging for food for your business as it is used to wrap and pack food items like candies, fruits, gummies, and baked food items packaging. This packaging is made from seaweed, algae, rice paper, fruit peels, and other plant extracts. Therefore, it is safe to consume. Some other edible  examples used as retail food packaging supplies are:

• Edible Cups
• Edible Straws
• Ice Cream Cones
• Plates and Bowls
• Rice Wafer Paper

Smart Packaging

As a small food business owner, one of your concerns might be maintaining the freshness of food items. You should consider smart packaging to add innovation to your business. Smart packaging helps maintain the freshness of food, prolongs the shelf life of products, and enhances the user experience. Following are a few types and features of smart packaging:

• Active Packaging

 An example is alcoholic drinks containing oxygen absorbers that help extend the shelf life of drinks.

• Freshness Indicators

Biosensors attached to food items are used to inform customers about food expiration and freshness conditions. 

• Connected Packaging

QR Codes, Sensors, Bar codes, and tags that enhance the customer experience and ensure products’ authenticity.

• Intelligence Packaging

Sensory stickers attached to frozen foods are one of the best examples. These stickers change their colors with temperature changes. 

• Time Temperature Indicators

TTIs tell you that you are mishandling the product if you try to freeze food that is not good for frozen use.

Read more about Packaging design trends on DesignRush

Flexible Packaging

This type of food packaging is widely used in the form of kraft paper and cardboard. As the name suggests, it is flexible, unlike rigid boxes. Some flexible food packaging bags are made from mylars for long-term food storage due to their excellent barrier properties.
Most food businesses use kraft paper bags due to their food-grade properties to pack food items like burgers, fries, patties etc. The following are some popular types of flexible food packaging:

• Bags 
• Liners
• Wraps
• Pouches
• Mylar Bags

All types of flexible food packaging can be styled differently according to user convenience and product needs. 

Tin Food Packaging 

Various food brands also use tin containers to pack products like cookies, chocolates, cold drinks and processed foods. Tin food packaging is made from steel coated with thin tin plates that are best known for their corrosion-resistant properties. The following are some types of tin food packaging:

• Tin Jars
• Tin Sliders
• Round Tin Boxes With Lid
• Tin Cans (Cylindrical, Square, Rectangular)

Wrap Up!

Choosing the right food packaging helps increase food longevity, ensure protection, and leave a lasting impression on the customers. All this can be achieved only if you get enough information about all types of food packaging. 

After reading this blog, you can easily choose the packaging that aligns with your products and brand image. If you need more assistance with food packaging, reach out to us. We would be happy to assist you!