Freshness, Convenience? Packaging Innovations Drive the Rapid Growth of the New Generation of Snacks

The global savory snack market is expected to grow from $94.5 billion in 2015 to $138.2 billion in 2020 (GlobalData, 2016), and the definition of snacks is changing due to consumer health concerns.

Nielsen's survey shows that snacks account for 11% of dining consumption in the U.S. market, and consumers are looking for more than just chips and crackers, they are increasingly paying attention to healthy eating patterns and the ingredients contained in food, and 54% of consumers say they will consume as many vegetables as possible.

For European consumers, they are also concerned about the health of snacks, with two-thirds of Europeans eating salty snacks like chips and nuts at least once a week, and 11% eating them several times a day. More than one-third of European respondents are more concerned about natural ingredients or even organic ingredients in food than fat content and calories.

Meat snack bars are gradually gaining popularity

As consumers become more concerned about healthy ingredients, the definition of snacks is changing. Meat snack bars, which are gaining popularity today, are the best example of this trend.

With these changes in the snack industry, brands are turning to flexible packaging designed for convenient snacks to enjoy anytime, anywhere, bringing more convenience to today's busy consumers while maintaining the quality of snack products. Therefore, some packaging solutions that can provide packaging solutions, such as barrier films, zipper closures and airtight seals, help to maintain the freshness and quality of the next generation of snack products New trends and new technologies are increasingly attracting the attention of snack or bakery companies.

According to Mintel's "Global Food & Beverage Trends 2017" research report, the industry will focus more on products that emphasize plant-based ingredients, and more packaged snacks will use fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains and other plants to meet consumer health needs. Sal Pellingra, vice president of innovation and technology at ProAmpac, explained that flexible packaging allows brands to have a clear display window so that consumers can see if the food they buy matches the image on the package.

In the U.S. market, millennials are driving the demand for flexible snack packaging, which they find more modern and marketers are using to attract consumers' attention. In Asia, flexible packaging for snacks is also widely adopted, and developing countries like Thailand do not even have the infrastructure to handle rigid packaging, so they commonly use flexible packaging when developing packaging systems because it is more convenient and environmentally friendly.

Bill Kuecker, vice president of marketing at Mondi, said: "When packaging solutions switch from rigid to flexible, consumer satisfaction scores improve. In addition, the needs of packaging change depending on the display environment, and the right packaging choice can allow brands to be more flexible in the market. Technomic reports that 48% of shoppers prefer to buy healthy snacks from convenience stores rather than grocery stores. The ability to sell in different channels is an advantage for snack brands.

▎Preservation solutions

Consumers are looking for products that contain fewer preservatives, so snack producers need to keep their products as fresh as possible and extend their shelf life, which is good for both consumers and brands. Mondi's Kercker explained that freshness preservation is an important driver of profitability for baked goods brands, and products with limited shelf life, such as fresh baked goods or perishable products, can cause financial losses due to material damage, discounts and other factors. Packaging that extends shelf life can help reduce these losses while helping retailers display baked goods on a larger scale.

"It's not just about simply packaging products in the lowest cost single-layer structure, the barrier properties of today's packaging can help extend the shelf life of food," said Heather Chandler, president of Sealstrip. Therefore, the reduction of air in the packaging after consumption by consumers is also a need. Sealstrip manufactures Peel & Seal and FreshPak packaging with a pressure-sensitive tape closure similar to a zipper that can act as part of flexible packaging. These packages are now used by brands such as Frito-Lay and Mission Foods around the world, including chips, donuts, tortillas, and cookies. This airtight sealed packaging delays food spoilage and consumers can store it for longer.

Chandler observed that Europe and Australia are working to improve packaging to reduce preservatives, and food products containing fewer preservatives have longer shelf lives; In developing countries such as Pakistan, Thailand and India, brand owners are increasingly automating their packaging systems and increasing the shelf life of their products.

▎Provide more convenience

Technomic reports that as people's lifestyles change, 59% of consumers believe it is important to keep snacks in small size packaging. In recent years, many portable and portion-controlled snack products have also been introduced on the market, with Mintel data showing that the number of products with portable claims on the market worldwide increased by 54% in 2016.

Pellingra, vice president of innovation and technology at ProAmpac, said that consumers should not underestimate the demand for on-the-go food, they want healthy food anytime, anywhere, and are willing to pay for it. Nielsen's research found that products with optimized packaging saw an average increase of 5.5% in sales revenue.

Therefore, snack manufacturers need to seize every opportunity to improve the convenience of snacks, including repeatable sealing and microwave safety. ProAmpac's E-Z SnackPak packaging is a new single-serve food packaging bag that can be turned into a tray when opened, offering great convenience to consumers, and this functional tetrahedral shape makes it stand out on the shelf.

Innovation in the packaging industry will give snack brands an unprecedented advantage and will be more powerful than ever in attracting and retaining customers.