Depending on your company, shelf stable packaging can be a very important factor to keep in mind. Food manufacturers, for example, have to make sure that their product is still fresh, edible, and safe to eat by the time their customers bring it home from the store and prepare it. This is just as true of items like canned vegetables and soups as it is with ready to make instant rice or microwave meals. You will need to work with an expert to make sure you consider all aspects of shelf stable packaging when creating yours, but here are a few points to keep in mind.
Convenience For Customer
Shoppers always have the choice of either a shelf stable product or a fresh product that requires preparation. More times than not, they will pick the shelf stable item purely for convenience as there is minimal to no preparation involved; they don’t have to make sauces and in many cases, the meal can be microwaved or cooked in a pan in a matter of minutes. This means that you want to do your best to make sure that your packaging for shelf stable foods is as convenient as possible for the customer. If the product will need to be microwaved, consider making the container microwaveable with enough space to accommodate the water or other ingredients they need to add. Make sure the package is also easy to open and has clear instructions.
Airtight Packaging
When dealing with food, airtight packaging is essential. You want to make sure that no air can come in contact with the food as this will leave it open to spoilage due to microorganisms. Gaps in the food packaging may also lead to dust contaminating the food. These are simple safety concerns that will be obvious to most food manufacturers, but are still worth keeping in mind.
Portray Healthiness Of Food
If your business focuses on shelf stable packaging, you may have noticed a slight decrease in sales in recent years. People are beginning to care more about whether a product is good for them and are increasingly likely to pick a fresh vegetable over a canned one with preservatives or chemicals. You can use your packaging to let potential clients know that they don’t have to give up convenience to pick healthy foods. If your product doesn’t contain preservatives, artificial coloring, or some other ingredient that is perceived negatively, write that information in a visible spot on the packaging. Let your clients know that your product is just as healthy as the fresh version or the recipe they would make from scratch, but much more convenient. This will boost your sales.
Standard Packaging Considerations
Finally, you will want to consider all the same aspects of packaging with shelf stable products as you would with any other item. This means that you need your package to show your brand’s logo and company name, convey an idea of what the product is, and let potential clients know how to use it. In the case of food items, that would be basic preparation instructions if necessary. Don’t forget to work with a designer to create eye-catching packaging that will improve the chances of people noticing your product when browsing the aisles.
