< Previous20 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING MATERIALS AND DESIGN Delving into the dual aspects of packaging and design, it soon becomes clear how the challenges and powers of each tesselate together to create a successful product. P ackaging and design are closely intertwined when it comes to creating appealing and functional products. A container must be devised with space for consumer information in mind, but should also leave room to communicate a brand’s identity, and how it differentiates itself from the competition. At the same time, aesthetics should never overrule functionality, especially in the food industry where product appearance, preservation and food safety are all essential. The way the two concerns come together ultimately impacts assurances that products hit the market in the best possible condition, with the best chance of success. Let’s start with branding and visual identity, that most powerful tool for communicating uniqueness and values. The design elements, such as colours, typography, logos and imagery, should all be consistent with the brand’s overall image. This can be achieved by 22 Á The duality of packaging and design © stock.adobe.com/rh2010powered by employee share-ownership 02476 420065 Download our app today! kitepackaging.co.uk Find out more WĂĐŬĂŐŝŶŐƐŽůƵƟŽŶƐ for your business ĂŶ͛ƚĮŶĚǁŚĂƚLJŽƵ͛ƌĞůŽŽŬŝŶŐĨŽƌ͍ Browse over 2,500 products online at: kitepackaging.co.uk EĞdžƚĚĂLJĚĞůŝǀĞƌLJ Burger boxes Pizza box WĂƉĞƌĐŽīĞĞĐƵƉƐ <ƌĂŌƚĂŬĞĂǁĂLJďŽdžĞƐ Visit our website to explore a huge range of eco-friendly food packaging products. Paper food bowl Recyclable Recyclable Biodegradable Biodegradable CompostableCompostable Compostable Recyclable RecyclableRecyclable Biodegradable &^ĞƌƟĮĞĚ &^ĞƌƟĮĞĚ 100% 100%100% FREE DELIVERY ON ORDERS OVER £45 Free ĚĞůŝǀĞƌLJ22 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING MATERIALS AND DESIGN ensuring all design and marketing personnel are encouraged to familiarise themselves with your brand, and kept up-to-date with any changes in direction as they arise. Otherwise the consequences can include restricted idea flow or inconsistent messaging in branding and packaging purposes, culminating in lack of engagement in the market, weak design and material choices, or poor consumer experience. Effective packaging design ensures that customers can easily recognise and relate the product to the brand they’re interacting with. But while putting these messages across clearly, packaging also needs to convey essential information to consumers, such as product benefits, usage instructions, nutritional facts and safety warnings. The design should integrate this information seamlessly without damaging the visual appeal of packaging, and here is where choosing the correct materials begins to come in. Any boxes or containers should also be strong enough to hold their contents without getting damaged, and spoiling the effect of carefully planned art and information placement. On the other hand, it shouldn’t be too large or heavy for purpose, as unwieldly packages can be less attractive on shelves. In a competitive market, taking care with packaging and material choices can be a key factor in setting a product apart. Design creates a unique identity that helps consumers remember your brand, but the package itself is quite literally what holds product and appearances together, and can be customised for equal functionality and beauty. Kraft paper and cardboard are some of the most widely used materials for good reason. Versatile and eco-friendly, they can be moulded into various shapes and sizes, making them suitable for a range of products. They also offer excellent printing capabilities, allowing for attractive graphics and branding. These often have an edge on basic plastics which, while combining versatility with durability, are still criticised and avoided for their environmental impact. If strength is essential for a weighty or liquid product, metals like aluminium BAG SEALING MACHINES RM Sealers remain a leading British manufacturer and supplier of high quality Bag Sealing Machines, also known as Rotary Band Sealers and Impulse Sealers. Call 01442 843387 to speak to a member of our team SEALERS © www.rmsealers.co.ukFood & Drink International 23 www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING MATERIALS AND DESIGN offer this plus a sleek and modern appearance, while glass is known for its premium look and feel. Both can provide protection against light, air and moisture with the right combinations or treatments, making them suitable for a variety of applications with products such as processed or preserved foods, alcoholic and soft drinks. Foil and metallic additions can be added for sensory excitement, with light-catching accents for instance. But for an extra touch of luxury, wood evokes a rustic and natural feel for artisanal items, gift packs or any items where engraving or staining could add to visual appeal. Smart packaging can incorporate many innovative and thrilling features, from active protection of products against external conditions, to bonus digital content or gamification through QR codes. A little extra imagination can pull in new customers with an irresistible hook. Sometimes though, simplicity is more effective than any optional extras. Minimalist packaging designs with clean lines and a focus on typography can communicate sophistication and modernity, while combining a paperboard box with a plastic window offers visibility, protection, and a potential intriguing twist on many neighbouring product packages. Packaging design should also align with environmental concerns, where reimagined plastic materials are evolving away from their lingering harmful reputation. Advancements in bioplastics are making more sustainable options available, allowing companies to use it where required with less guilt and negative consumer opinion attached. But it doesn’t end with greener plastics, as a whole range of sustainable packaging materials and minimalist designs can reduce waste and demonstrate a brand’s commitment to eco-friendliness. Options like plant- based materials and recycled paper are also gaining traction for their appeal to environmentally conscious brands, and the growing number of consumers who actively pursue and support them. All of the aforementioned aspects of BENCHTOP BAG SEALING MACHINE IMPULSE BAG SEALING MACHINE HORIZONTAL BAG SEALING MACHINE VERTICAL BAG SEALING MACHINE 24 Á © stock.adobe.com/etonastenka24 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING MATERIALS AND DESIGN packaging design and construction can lead to greater consumer appeal. Design plays a crucial role in attracting attention and driving purchasing decisions; eye-catching designs, innovative shapes, and unique graphics with attention to materials can make all the difference in a product standing out on the shelf. In essence, packaging and design concerns are interconnected throughout the product development process. They work in tandem to create an attractive, functional and marketable product that appeals to consumers while reflecting the brand’s identity and values. Successful packaging design considers both the aesthetic and practical aspects of a product’s presentation. Cohesive and consistent brand image and messaging should go together with adaptability of shape and material, and safety and function with playfulness wherever possible. Above all, any packaging should be designed to protect the product from damage during transportation and storage. Additionally, it should be easy to open, close, and use. Design elements such as structural integrity, materials and closures all contribute to ensuring that packaging serves its intended purpose. But designers also need to consider the target audience’s preferences, and the power in having fun and evoking emotions should by no means be ignored. A well-designed package might just be the key to heartfelt connections which will make the public want to support your brand for a long time to come. © stock.adobe.com/barmalini1 based on independent research of 5010 consumers Feb 2023 2 based on OPRL member survey 2023 Widely recognised, EPR compliant recycling labels for retailer and brand packaging Become a member and get: •Recycling labels that are EPR-compliant •Tools to help you select the right labels •Support from our team of packaging recycling experts •Industry updates and information on EPR and what it means for you •13 years’ experience in recycling labels •And much more… Find out more at www.oprl.org.uk/join Or email us at join@oprl.org.uk 95 % of consumers believe that packaging should have a recycling label on it 1 91 % of customers say they’re happy with their OPRL membership2 “If we have specific questions about member tools, we can approach the team and rely on their help. We go to them because they’re knowledgeable and supportive.”26 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net LOADING BAYS AND DOORS F rom overhead to pedestrian doors, and from sliding to roller and fabric options, in general, where doors are concerned, well insulated, highly secure, fast-action options are desirable in food industry applications. Saving time, enabling more efficient movement of people and equipment and quicker product flow, high speed doors, by opening and closing quickly, additionally reduce pollution - noise and odour - and help control indoor environments, maintaining temperature by minimising potential heat loss and gain (heightening energy efficiency and lowering energy costs), and prevent pests and entry of the elements. In a high speed, high traffic food processing environment, as goods move rapidly throughout facilities, such doors are critical, with more frequent opening of doors to be expected which can cause a whole host of issues. For example in segregated areas where stringent temperature must be adhered to, uncontrolled and consistent openings may lead to a warmer freezer, production environment or storage area that puts chilled food products at risk of contamination or degradation of quality. For cold food and drink storage one could thus choose a high speed fabric door designed for interior thermal control and minimising temperature loss with high opening speeds and using materials such as layers of PVC-coated polyester and an insulated curtain with Fast pace Maintaining fast pace and efficient operations is critical in the food industry. The quicker goods can be processed, packaged, transported, loaded and unloaded, the more products a business can output. Food & Drink International 27 www.fdiforum.net LOADING BAYS AND DOORS actively heated guides ensuring a constant temperature and smooth door movement. High speed rolling doors are also ideal at food storage facilities, particularly entry points, with the potential to provide excellent thermal insulation, with many offering galvanised steel, primed steel, stainless steel, and aluminium doors with good wind load ratings. Moreover, in modern production environments employing automation and robotics, high speed doors can be especially useful with full integration possible between robots and doors to allow seamless operation. While slow opening and closing doors can cause costly hold ups, with automatic high speed doors the pace of traffic can be significantly improved, particularly when used in conjunction with smart sensing systems, and can enhance safety too. Furthermore when selecting doors for food facilities one should look for those with tight seals and that accommodate hygienic design, to avoid bacteria build up and dust, liquid and debris collection. Doors should also be made of corrosion resistant material. For consistent and flawless door operation regular maintenance is also important. A malfunction can see costly downtime, leave surrounding areas unprotected and exposed, and biosecurity risked. Through regular maintenance, small problems can be detected and rectified before becoming a larger issue, 28 Á28 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net LOADING BAYS AND DOORS reducing potentially expensive repairs if a door fails and extending the lifespan of doors. Where the wrong, inefficient, and unkept door can cause major problems for food facilities and product movement, so can loading bays. The bottleneck of a facility, a loading bay must maintain efficiency, safety, and speed, but with a plethora of machines, components and systems, the risks of something going wrong is high, leading to accidents as well as slow loading, delayed deliveries, energy waste, and subsequent revenue loss. There’s much to consider in the selection, construction, and upgrade of loading bay solutions to increase productivity, efficiency and safety, from utilising the right dock scheduling and technology, to making use of equipment like dock shelters, dock bumpers, dock levellers, lighting, and advanced control units. In choosing the right dock shelter, vehicles can enter and exit without delay, keeping loading and unloading times to a minimum. Solid dock shelters, and seals, also combat a key issue at loading bays - small gaps around a trailer, which bleed money due to heating and air conditioning escaping, while gaps allow the ingress of unwanted elements and contamination threats. While this can create an uncomfortable climate for employees and contribute to product damage, with quality dock shelters and seals, goods and employees can be info@rubbuk.com | +44 (0) 191 482 22 11 | www.rubbuk.com Building Systems Flexible cold storage solutions © stock.adobe.com/ Александр БайдукFood & Drink International 29 www.fdiforum.net LOADING BAYS AND DOORS protected from the elements, including bouts of rainy weather and subsequent slips in the loading area, while a firm seal maintains precisely set building temperatures when doors are open for loading and unloading. By forming a seal between loading bays and vehicles, dock shelters boost hygiene, insulation and safety. Inflatable dock shelters come highly recommended in the food industry due to their optimal sealing, moulding to the contours of a vehicle, creating a sterile environment and enabling temperature to be regulated properly. Inflatable dock shelters are often regarded as the peak in thermal insulation, sealing a facility’s environment with cushions filled with high volume, low pressure air, keeping steady contact to provide a tight seal and reduce ingress of contaminants. Preventing injuries while speeding up processes and enhancing efficiency in loading bays by removing the human element are automated loading systems, which continue to grow, completing tasks in a fraction of the time it would take with a forklift, removing driver delay and upping drive time. By connecting auto- loading/unloading docks to a further conveyor or autonomous guided vehicles (AGV), the loading procedure can be de-manned - a much safer option next to manually operated systems - and one can gain more certainty on delivery timelines. Automated systems are also preferable during a time of staff shortages. Gressenhall | Dereham | Norfolk | NR20 4DT | +44 (0)1362 861066 | www.premierpalletinverter.co.uk © stock.adobe.com/ DZMITRY PALUBIATKANext >