Flexibility in packaging helps meet changing consumer needs
With a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, the produce aisle presents some of the most plentiful offerings found at the grocery store. A critical component to keeping fruits and vegetables fresh and ready for sale and making them appealing to consumers is packaging.
To accommodate the many packaging styles popular with produce, food manufacturers need flexibility in their packaging machinery. The ability for an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to deliver a multitude of packaging solutions to meet the needs of produce manufacturers today and into the future is a great value that should not be overlooked.
Here are a few points to consider for your next produce packaging line.
PLETHORA OF PACKAGING OPTIONS
Most produce manufacturers handle multiple SKUs, but even producers specializing in a single variety will often run multiple package types to fit different quantities of sliced or whole products. Much of this demand is driven by grocery retailers, who are increasingly looking for different and more convenient options for customers.
The large, family-size package that used to be an industry go-to has been largely replaced by smaller quantities or even pre-sliced products ready for cooking or eating. Meal kits are also rising in popularity with all the ingredients needed for a recipe measured, prepared and put together into one package to streamline shopping and expedite cooking.
This trend has led to an increase in both the number of packages required to sell the same amount of product and the variety of SKUs a machine needs to be able to run. Many operations are producing hundreds of packaging styles between the different dimensions and variations.
Perhaps the most popular, proven packaging style for produce is tray overwrappers, which present products well to consumers through precise, tightly wrapped packaging. Flow wrappers and tray sealers are two other common types of packaging styles well-liked by retailers and consumers alike. All three excel in maintaining strict sanitation standards for extended shelf life.
A CRUCIAL COMPONENT
Accurate labeling is not just important for pricing and design; it can also be crucial to consumer safety. When a product recall is issued, finding the products subject to the recall is exponentially easier and faster with detailed and correct labeling.
In addition to protecting public health, proper traceability protects the produce purveyor. People in this industry care deeply about providing safe, quality products for customers to enjoy. Their reputation is often built off years of good business practices, and they would be understandably devastated to see it fall apart because a recalled product was not tracked properly.
Even without a safety concern, precise product tracking is critical to ensure proper logistics. There are labeling systems available that can tell workers what the product is and how it needs to be loaded onto pallets and trucks to increase efficiency and avoid damage. The logistics of getting correct orders to customers is also much easier with proper labeling. Some labelers match products to pallets and pallets to customer accounts. This speeds up delivery, keeps customers happy and minimizes product losses from transport damage and mix-ups.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
One of the other major demands that produce companies are facing is making operations eco-friendlier. Switching to a biodegradable film for tray overwrapping, or switching to flow wrappers, which generally use less materials to package products, can be great steps in that direction to align with consumers’ attitudes on packaging sustainability.
Recent polls show that 67% of shoppers are concerned about the amount of plastic in landfills. Clearly there is a desire and market for sustainability in packaging. But accomplishing that requires a bit of added knowledge about using recycled films.
Different films have different properties, and not all machines can handle all kinds of films. This can be especially true for films made from plant-derived or recycled materials, some of which may be thinner than traditional plastics and could be more prone to ripping or sealing improperly. With the relative recency of this demand, new technology in lower-waste films is also still in development.
Packaging equipment needs to handle the many plant- derived packaging materials options of today and be ready for the new films of tomorrow. Reputable film suppliers and packaging OEMs are leading the charge by collaborating to develop new materials for both films and trays that give food and produce manufacturers the right combination of sustainability and product performance to help them meet their stringent eco-friendly goals in 2024 and beyond.
PLANTING THE SEEDS
All these considerations should be part of the decision- making process for packaging equipment acquisitions, with a focus on both current and projected expectations. Many line operators are locked in on finding the best price for a machine that can accommodate their current needs, but they’re unable to see past that.
This now-centric approach often leads to operations outgrowing their machines before the investment can pay for itself, resulting in the company needing to replace equipment at a loss.
No one can predict the future, but that does not mean a packaging line cannot be futureproofed. Investing in a machine that offers more SKU capabilities, a higher throughput rate and more material flexibility than the operation currently requires in addition to quick, accurate changeover, gives the company space to grow into whatever the future will bring.
Robert McLaughlin is a regional sales manager for packaging equipment manufacturer Ossid (www.ossid.com). He can be reached at robert.mclaughlin@ promachbuilt.com.
