What Are The Trends That Affected Food Packaging in 2021?

In the food industry, packaging is as important as the content itself: food packaging markets the product, prolongs its shelf life and facilitates long-distance transport. Keeping your A-Game in your packaging options can keep you up to date with the latest trends in food packaging.

How do you find the best design for your products? What modern food packaging trends do you need to know about? We will take a look.

Food packaging trends that affected the industry in 2021

1. Transparent and clear labeling

According to the 2021 Consumer Behavior and Packaging Study, "38% of consumers are ready to buy a newly launched product with clear product information." People know what they eat. Although food packaging contains information about ingredients, the fine print can be difficult to read. Companies use transparent packaging and transparent labels to list the contents of products. Clean labeling can help you improve your brand identity and help consumers make an informed purchase.

2. Vintage-inspired designs

Vintage designs have a nostalgic value. They make people happy and remind them of easier times. The term "vintage" refers to any design or reference to a bygone era. It can be one time or a combination of times. Such designs release much more than attractive emotions for people who have been through this period. They also attract millennials who have probably never experienced this period before.

3. Technology-based solutions

Smart packaging is a smart way to package products. Technology can now be integrated directly into packaging for consumer convenience, safety and information. Ready To Eat Food packaging comes with built-in NFC chips or printed QR codes, smart labels that can be scanned with a smartphone to provide more information about the product.

The smart packaging also follows various parameters such as pH, temperature, fermentation to ensure freshness, taste and quality and to ensure compliance with hygiene standards. For example, Nestlé's Maggi Healthy Soups uses its proprietary “granulation-based technology” to maintain the freshness of key ingredients.

4. Minimal designs

Minimalism is a big trend in packaging design. The packaging industry has gone from fancy fonts and messy designs to simple, clean labels and packaging. Minimalism is here to stay due to its pragmatic nature. This helps to highlight the value of the product and not overwhelm the customer with graphics. This design trend can be found in just about every modern food packaging, be it a snack bar, ketchup bottle, or paper restaurant takeout packaging. The simple design not only cleans the packaging, but also reduces costs.

5. Durability

"84% of consumers are willing to pay a surcharge of up to INR 3 for sustainable packaging" - Food packaging has become more environmentally friendly in recent years. The search for environmentally friendly solutions has led major brands to abandon single-use plastics and offer biodegradable, recyclable or reusable packaging.

Today more than ever we see the use of paper packaging. For example, plastic food trays are being replaced by biodegradable food trays. Much research is also being done on edible food packaging, where the packaging itself can be consumed as part of food. Several startups have also started making disposable cutlery and food containers from plant materials to improve sustainability.

Time to change with the new

The role of packaging in the consumer journey has extended beyond the shelves. New trends in the food packaging industry are strongly influenced by the need for smart, clean, practical and sustainable solutions. It's time to embrace these new trends for your brands and move on.