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Innovation in packaging keeps the product safe and covered
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Monday, 18 October, 2021, 12 : 00 PM [IST]
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Sumit Rohilla
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Packaging is an art as well as science and technology to keep the product safe and covered. Technically, the box, bottling or wrapping in which a product is offered for sale, the design of such packaging is to its ability to attract customers.
The major role of packaging is to
• Attract attention,
• Assist in promotion,
• Provide machine identification (barcodes)
• Impart essential or additional information, and
• help in the utilisation
Packaging may be of several different types. For example, some packaging is identified as consumer package as one which is directed toward a consumer or household who directly consumes the product after opening a maximum of 2 layers of packaging.
Packaging is relatedto the type of product is being packaged. Some packaging: food, medical device, bulk, chemical, retail food, military materiel, pharmaceutical.
The categorisation of packaging by layer or function:Primary packaging is the material that first envelops the product and holds it and it is in direct contact with the product.Secondary packaging is second layer packaging, and it is used to prevent pilferage or to group primary packages.Tertiary or transit packaging is used for bulk storage, bulk handling, warehousing and transportation, shipping such as palletising.
Packaging Affects Consumers:
Consumer behaviour colour and design in packaging can have a noticeable effect on shopping behaviours. For example, children’s cereal packaging has many bright colours that attract their eyes.Branded packaging consumers will connect a brand’s image with its product’s packaging; Colour patterns similar types of products will often adopt similar packaging colours and designs. Gold, black, and silver are often considered for luxury products whereas white is a popular colour for cleaning products; Secure Packaging using creative design with recycled and biodegradable materials in product packaging will strengthen consumers’ feelings towards the product.
Considering all of the above factors and principles of packaging, consumers are now getting diverted from traditional harmful packaging towards sustainable packaging which is more eco-friendly. Innovation is the need of the consumer and the requirement of the manufacturers.
As the current generation is more responsible and has the knowledge about the global environmental issue and are aware of the circumstance if not taken care of responsibly. The awareness of sustainable development gives a rise to think out of the boxes for the manufacturers about their packaging and make them work on the innovation in the packaging.
Packaging is ‘part of the branding and the product itself',and it should follow the 3 tips: be creative with your packaging; engage with your packaging; and motivate with your packaging.
Innovative and sustainable packing is being in practice. Peoples, as well as the manufacturers, are aware that plastic packaging is harmful to the entire globe i.e. for human beings, animals, as well as for the environment. To reduce the use of plastic packaging, people adopted or we can say getting diverted from plastic to plant based-fibre packaging’s which are eco-friendly.
Computer-aided 3-D printing helps to understand the manufacturer about the actual look of the packaging before spending the actual cost on the special equipment and the raw material.
Zero-waste packaging is in trend, the use of bamboo and cassava plants as packaging are the best examples of zero-waste packaging.
Food and food packaging waste could be a massive concern within the business. To tackle this drawback ‘Advanta’, a world packaging provider, has created a skin pack metal poultry receptacle and film combination that's the primary of its kind.
The food is vacuum packed, and therefore the tin is formed around the food, thus protective poultry from O2 extend the shelf-life by 3 times. The packaging style additionally features a temperature varies of -40o C to 400o C. The metal receptacle is completely reusable creating it a lot environmentally friendly.
Starch sheets: can be used in place of plastic for the packaging of butter or cheese. The starch sheet can be prepared through seaweed or other plants which are a good source of carbohydrates. These sheets further can be prepared as papad after the inner product is consumed.
Self-chilling: cans are the requirement of the current world as no one wants to have their drinks as lukewarm water.These cans are easy to use: just flip the can upside down, turn the base off to release liquefied CO2 that acts as the operational coolant, and wait only 75 to 90 seconds for a nice and refreshing drink. The drink can be lowered to about thirty degrees.
Compostable tea/coffee capsules: These capsules are the best for plants and coffee lovers as these capsules satisfy their craving for tea or coffee and the remaining waste (actually not waste) can be turned into a beautiful plant.
Organic cotton and wax sheets/wraps: This type of wrapping can be replaced with cotton and wax sheets. These sheets are water-resistant and can be used for butter, cheese, candies.
These all are the need and the requirement of the current environmental situation.The peoples of the world are eagerly and responsibly waiting and adopting some of the green and innovative practices.
(The author is assistant professor (food production)
sunderdeep college of hotel management, Ghaziabad. He can be reached at sumitrohilla2@gmail.com)
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