Consumer perceptions of quality, safety and healthiness affect food purchasing decisions among various sectors of society. Packaging designers must look at current trends and realize that environmental and health concerns are much more pronounced today than in the past. Here's a look at how studies continue to point to the need for packaging designers to focus more on sustainable solutions.
Packaging should protect food, according to 54.9 percent of consumers in a 2016 Lebanon study published by Food & Nutrition Science. Another 52 percent said packaging should make the food safe. An even larger majority of 64.9 percent perceived glass bottles to be the safest and highest-quality packaging of juice. For cheese products, participants identified vacuum packaging as the highest quality.
Other studies in New Zealand have echoed the sentiment that glass bottles provide the safest and highest-quality packaging. Modified atmosphere packaging is another option that is perceived favorably in European studies. Part of what makes glass favorable is because it's impermeable to moisture and gases. It also doesn't have chemical reactions with food the way plastics do.
Many plastic bottles contain bisphenol A (BPA), which is a toxic substance that can undergo chemical reactions with food when the package gets warm. The FDA has reported low levels of BPA in food are safe, although in 2012 the agency began to ban the use of the chemical in baby bottles. Scientists have learned that excessive exposure to BPA creates risks of illness and death. Furthermore, research shows even plastics that lack BPA can release substitute chemicals in food.
Over the years consumers have been exposed to enough studies on the dangers of plastic packaging that they've developed a negative image of the material. Many consumers now perceive plastic to be bad for the environment. News reports consistently depict plastic pollution in the ocean, leading to fish spreading toxic chemicals in the food supply. That's why it's becoming increasingly difficult for plastic packagers to convince consumers they have an edge on food safety.
Interestingly, glass is one of the oldest forms of packaging dating back long before metal was a packaging choice. By comparison, metal is a more popular food storage option than glass due to its superior strength and durability. Tin packaging in the form of canning is the most widely used type of food packaging today. Its air-tight qualities protect food from exposure to environmental elements such as bacteria.
The most obvious disadvantage of glass is that it can break with excessive force or when dropped. Glass bottles can break in the shipping process if they aren't handled or stored properly. At any point in the supply chain there's a risk that a glass bottle might not make it to its next stop in its journey from the manufacturer to the end user. Yet metal doesn't pose this risk at any point in the delivery due to its robust design.
Another advantage to metal is that it provides safe alternatives to traditional food packaging. While tin cans may contain chemicals such as BPA, alumnium packaging doesn't. Aluminum is lightweight and doesn't rust, which is ideal for shipping. It's also corrosion-resistant, recyclable and can be easily molded into different shapes. For these reasons, aluminum has been a popular solution for storing liquids.
Food and beverage producers are looking for the most sustainable packaging solutions to cut costs and provide healthier alternatives to traditional packaging. Aluminum is clearly the most sustainable material used in modern packaging, due to its safety, durability and flexibility qualities. Consumers perceive both aluminum and glass as top choices for the safety and protection of food.
Food safety is a deep issue that doesn't get much coverage in mainstream media. Studies on ideal food packaging point to aluminum and glass as sustainable solutions. The FDA categorizes glass packaging to be "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS). Compared with plastic, consumers perceive glass as a much safer choice. While the story on the relationship between consumers and food packaging is evolving, it's clear that people are becoming more aware of food safety in general. Unlike last century, today's consumers are increasingly paying attention to packaging and its functions.
Sustainability is no longer considered a fringe issue in today's consumer marketplace when it comes to the packaging of various products, particularly food. Many people are resisting plastic packaging of food in favor of what they perceive as safer choices such as metal and glass. Packaging designers must now think in terms of assisting consumers in their quest to clean up the environment and become more conscious about food safety.
[1] Food packaging design and consumer perception of the product quality, safety, healthiness and preference (2021), by Christelle Bou-Mitri and Marilyn Abdessater, Hani Zgheib ,and Zeina Akiki.