PARIS, Feb 21 — Consumers aren’t the only ones thinking up ways to save money as inflation bites. Manufacturers also have a role to play, particularly in rethinking food packaging.

Whether it’s by extending shelf life of products or encouraging alternative cooking methods, packaging innovations are good news for the planet, as they can help reduce food waste.

By comparing prices, choosing cheaper products (or ‘trading down’), picking up goods with short expiry dates, or loading up on offers and promotions, consumers are using all kinds of strategies to make ends meet at a time when inflation is driving up prices and putting pressure on household budgets.

But solutions to cope with the economic situation should not only be sought by consumers themselves, but also by brands and food manufacturers. Here, it’s not a matter of talking about their strategy to secure their margins, but rather to support customers in their need to save money.

And in this endeavor, one unexpected avenue of exploration involves rethinking packaging, according to a study by the firm Mintel, reported by Food Navigator.

"With double-digit inflation common among G20 nations, consumers will look to brands to help them overcome economic-induced stresses with products and packaging that mesh with purchasing abilities and reflect value without compromise,” says the market research firm’s report.

Increasing shelf life

Forget shrinkflation, whereby brands keep the same packaging but reduce the size of the food, if not the quantity, that goes into it. The goal is instead to consider new "recipes” for making the packaging that keeps food fresh, in the aim of extending shelf life.

While in the UK, several supermarket chains (Waitrose, Morrissons) have decided to remove expiry dates from certain foodstuffs that can be consumed beyond a certain period with minimal risk to health, a copper-based packaging film sold to brands operating in Latin America can extend shelf life by 250 per cent.

The company that manufactures this ‘second skin’ is called Amcro LifeSpan and is focusing on the principle of ionisation to slow down the development of microorganisms.

In Italy, research has already been conducted to extend the shelf life of packets of fresh pasta. By using probiotics but also by changing the ratio used to form the gas that fills the packaging, which serves to eliminate oxygen, scientists have managed to extend the shelf life of fresh pasta up to 120 days.

Considering new cooking methods

Other interesting takeaways from this study include packaging that promises consumers energy savings when cooking. How long do you have to preheat the oven before inserting your ready-made lunch?

According to Food Network, Mintel’s report suggests that brands could consider finding ways to inspire consumers to look to alternative cooking methods, citing the example of a ready-to-cook chicken product that can be made in a microwave or air fryer.

If one thing’s for sure, it’s that there is no shortage of ideas when it comes to packaging innovation, and that they are multiplying on all fronts.

Take natural branding, for example, a new way of labelling fruit and vegetables in a bid to reduce waste. — ETX Studio