The overwhelming demand for grab-and-go food items has heavily influenced packaging materials and styles. In response to shifting consumer trends, companies are evolving their containers to accommodate new product perceptions.
How Are Consumers Driving Change?
Consumers’ views have evolved since the COVID-19 pandemic, driving significant change in the food packaging sector. Their priorities have heavily shifted to favor convenience, sustainability and quality. Since grab-and-go containers traditionally relied on ease of use and portability, packaging manufacturers have had to adjust to accommodate more mindful consumers.
Generally, consumers are becoming more aware of cleanliness and view pre-packaged items more favorably. In fact, people are much less likely to touch fresh, unpackaged produce because their awareness of potential contamination is much higher. If they interact with it, they generally report a lower satisfaction rate during their shopping experience.
As people shift away from restaurants and fresh food, pre-packaged grab-and-go food has grown in appeal. However, consumers have yet to accept conventional packaging styles. Instead, they opt for greater sustainability and accessibility since they crave convenience but do not want to compromise their values.
Many people have grown more knowledgeable about their impact on the planet, which has affected their purchasing habits. This awareness is significant, considering around 65% of global waste generation comes from packaging materials. While studies show particular demographics value sustainability more than others, most consumers generally feel some level of responsibility for the environment.
Although consumers may not know the exact statistics, you can be sure they are more environmentally conscious than ever. According to one survey, nearly 94% of Canadians feel personally incentivized to lower the widespread use of single-use food packaging.
How Does Grab-and-Go Food Impact Packaging?
Grab-and-go food emphasizes ease of use while appealing to consumer trends, impacting packaging production, materials and style.
1. Safety
With the desire for fresh grab-and-go food increasing, packaging has had to change to accommodate perishable items. While the cold chain’s introduction into pre-packaged territory is nothing new, the ever-growing demand for freshness without compromising convenience necessitates a significant adjustment.
While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends keeping frozen foods at zero degrees Fahrenheit or lower, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) specifies they can go down to negative 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Grab-and-go packaging has to comply with these safety guidelines to keep products safe and high quality.
2. Automation
In line with consumers’ views on convenience and cleanliness, packaging is moving toward automation. Since the technology improves production at a lower price point, manufacturers can afford to alter packaging to appeal to consumer trends.
Since COVID-19 altered consumers’ perception of cleanliness and health, packaging additions like tamper-evident seals have become widespread. Technology like the cap inspection machine is becoming more common, as people prefer their items to be completely sealed and protected.
By overhauling the production process this way, manufacturers improve their yield while maintaining a lower operating cost. For example, the flow wrapper can wrap up to 120 items every minute to produce the highest output with the lowest price point. Fewer workers interact with the products, so processes continue despite their absence.
With the flow wrapper, the plastic is clear and the food has minimal contact with humans during the packaging process. Since consumers view packaged produce favorably, they appreciate the protective barrier keeping others from touching the product. They also enjoy being able to see it before they purchase it to check its quality.
3. Sustainability
As consumers’ perceptions about packaging sustainability grow alongside their desire for grab-and-go food, companies must adjust their material use to reflect demand. Luckily, the overabundance of environmentally friendly substances gives them many fantastic choices.
Plant-based materials have become a popular plastic alternative as many food packaging companies have looked into sustainable research and development. For instance, many are attempting to adjust their production styles to accommodate natural fiber packages. Consumers prefer this material over plastic, making it an ideal choice.
Adequate nutrition and information labels are also quickly becoming a necessity, as people who eat grab-and-go items are very conscious of what they are consuming. For example,
4. Convenience
Grab-and-go food products are among a few convenient packaging categories that have skyrocketed in popularity even after lockdowns lifted and people could return to restaurants. They have grown used to the accessibility of products that do not require prep work or cooking and want their packaging to reflect that.
In fact, around 72% of people increased the number of grab-and-go food items they purchased in 2023 because they are accessible, affordable and widely available. Since more are eating in and favoring pre-packaged grocery store meals, packaging had to change to accommodate a higher shelf life and ease of use.
If retailers were going to increase their grab-and-go sections to accommodate demand increases, they had to figure out how to make items last longer. For example, one company developed a proprietary film to increase the shelf life of their deli items. Since the packaging alterations differ depending on the food’s type, various solutions exist.
Grab-and-Go Food Is Innovating Packaging
Grab-and-go food products will have a lasting impact on packaging materials and styles. As consumers continue to value ease of use and remain environmentally conscious, the sector may see further significant shifts toward new industry innovations.
Emily Newton is the Editor-in-Chief of Revolutionized. She regularly covers trends in the industrial sector.
