The 3 top concerns for food-packaging in 2019

Statistical analysis of traffic to websites that cater to the food packaging industry, combined with search data from leading publishers within the vertical suggest that among the biggest topics on the minds of industry professionals are date code labeling, a new sustainable packaging material and continuing concerns about chemicals in packaging.

Safety Vs Quality

Recently the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—finally acted to improve the date code labeling guidelines for food sold in the United States, agreeing to recommend standardization of “Best Used By” labeling. The move is intended to fight food and packaging waste.

In America, the “Best Used By” date in food package labeling has been more of a quality assurance measure than a safety measure. Brands have used it as a suggestion of when the product will still be at its best quality. That can result in a lot of food that is still good being tossed because it’s a day or two after the label recommendation, even though the item is still quite safe enough to consume.

Sustainable Options

In the area of consumer packaged goods, there is a lot of concern about plastics, leaving many companies looking for recyclable and compostable options. There has been an increase in regulations to ensure that the raw materials used are recyclable, such as plastic, paper and paperboard, and cellulose. This presents a challenge for companies because these sustainable materials are often higher in cost higher than their non-biodegradable counterparts.

Thinking Outside of The Can

While many brands that have employed cans as their product packaging have replaced linings that previously contained the controversial chemical bisphenol-A (BPA), consumer concerns about chemicals in their food have resulted in many companies considering alternative packaging such as plastic cups, tubs and glass jars, while other seek to improve on the next generation of can linings.

What our you top concerns or challenges in the food packaging industry? We’d like to know.