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Consumers are not the only players in the strategy to adopt to save money in these times of inflation. Manufacturers also have a role to play, in particular by rethinking food packaging. By extending their lifespan or by imagining other cooking methods, packaging innovations are good news for the planet: potentially, they could reduce food waste.
Price comparison, choice of cheaper products (with the “trading down” phenomenon) or short expiry dates, promotions… Consumers use, and multiply, various strategies to make ends meet as inflation s is estimated at 6% over one year at the end of January, according to INSEE data. In addition to soaring energy prices, around +16.3%, food shopping is also more expensive, in this case +13.3%.
Rethinking packaging
The solutions to deal with the situation should not only, in the long term, be undertaken by the consumers themselves, but also by the brands and the agro-food manufacturers. It is not a question of evoking their strategy in an inflationary period to secure their margins, but of supporting their customers in their desire to save money. And in this quest, there is an unexpected line of thought: rethinking packaging, according to a study by Mintel, identified by the media Food Navigator. “With double-digit inflation in G20 countries, consumers will look to brands to help weather the strains induced by the economy with products and packaging that match purchasing abilities and reflect value without compromise”underlines the analysis.
Extend shelf life
We are not talking here about the phenomenon of “shrinkflation” whereby brands keep packaging but reduce the size of the food, if not the quantity, found there. Rather, the goal is to consider new “recipes” for making that which preserves food shopping. Objective: to extend the conservation date. While in the United Kingdom several supermarket chains (Waitrose, Morrissons) have decided to remove the expiry date for foodstuffs whose consumption beyond a certain period would not represent any health risk, a film by copper-based packaging and sold by brands operating in Latin America can extend shelf life by 250%. The company that manufactures this second skin is called Amcro LifeSpan and is interested in the principle of ionization to slow down the development of microorganisms.
In Italy, research has already been carried out to extend the life of a pack of fresh pasta. By using probiotics but also by changing the ratio to form the gas used in the packaging, the principle of which is to eliminate oxygen, scientists have succeeded in extending the conservation of fresh twists up to 120 days.
Rethinking cooking methods
Among the other interesting avenues of reflection highlighted by this study, there is that of packaging promising consumers to save energy when cooking. How many times should you preheat the oven before inserting your ready-to-eat lunch? “Brands could inspire consumers by making them want to cook their meals using new cooking methods“, indicates Mintel. This one takes the example of a chicken ready to be cooked in a microwave or in an air fryer (aifryer).
One thing is certain: there is no shortage of ideas and they are multiplying in all directions in the packaging innovation department. Take the tattoo for plants… “Natural branding” is a new way of labeling fruits and vegetables in order to reduce waste.