Food Packaging - Suitable Materials for presenting tea, coffee and spices

Luxury foodstuffs comprising psychoactive ingredients and taste that stimulates a mood. Exotic versions of tea, coffee and spices fall into this category. The packaging of luxury foodstuffs must be as intriguing as the taste. Here are ways to connect with an affluent target market willing to pay more for higher quality.

Classy Packaging Materials

Affluent consumers tend to gravitate toward packaging that looks modern with a touch of class. Metal and plastic are some of the most frequently used packaging materials due to durability and capability of withstanding frequent moving throughout the supply chain.

While conventional coffee is sold in cans, gourmet coffee brands tend to use pouches, bottles and boxes with unique shapes. Different sectors of consumers have different perceptions as to what gourmet means, but most consumers understand that it's more about quality than price. Not only must the coffee have a fresh taste, the packaging needs to convey a sense of exclusivity for connoisseurs.

Popular spices are commonly marketed in small glass bottles. To be different, gourmet spices can be packaged in thinner, longer transparent tube cylinders or small tin cans. Silver and white with blue trim is an example of what a more upscale tin container looks like, compared with the flashy colours on soda pop cans. Gold is another classy colour that goes well with gourmet imagery.

Glass conveys a clean look, which is why it works well with luxury foodstuffs, especially spices. It can be tinted different colours and be molded into a wide variety of shapes. Just like a glass table, glass containers often look classy enough to be part of kitchen or dining room decor. That's why glass salt and pepper shakers often stay on the dining table after cleanup.

Bags Within Containers

Tea typically comes in small bags inside a box. When it comes to gourmet tea, the container is usually artistic such as having an eye-catching shape or elegant design on the container. Selling a variety of teas in one package allows you to differentiate different flavors with different coloured tea bags. Multiple colours can be used to create a unique rainbow effect that captures the imagination of people who admire sophistication.

Coffee, tea and spices can all be packaged many different ways since they each have grainy properties. That means these foodstuffs can fit into packages of any imaginable size or shape. A practical and artistic choice for packaging luxury grainy items is a round metal container. Metal is shiny and looks authoritative. As long as it doesn't look like a conventional coffee can, rounder packages may stand out among more rigid packages in a store.

Sustainable Solutions

An increasing number of consumers are associating sustainability with higher quality and awareness. People who are conscious of the environment often look for eco-friendly packaging, which makes them feel good about contributing to environmental safety. Sustainable materials include tinplate and aluminum, which can both be recycled and used over and over.

Aluminum and tinplate are widely used in packaging for all types of products because they are both durable and flexible. The metal is soft enough to be easily cut or bent into innovative shapes yet strong enough to last through supply chain cycles and beyond. Scraps from cutting materials can then be recycled, reducing waste in the production process.

The more containers extend shelf life of a product, the more they are potentially helping the environment. Perishable products often have short shelf lives if they are not packaged in air-tight containers, which is what aluminum and tinplate provide. Sometimes people end up throwing away fruit or vegetables because they let them sit in the refrigerator too long and spoil. But with air-tight containers, you don't have to worry about wasting food.

The shape of the package contributes significantly to the perception of sustainability. Economy of space is important, as well as safety concerns. The package must preserve and protect the product, so it must be practical, but it also needs an artistic presentation to attract gourmet shoppers. Curved edges can look more innovative than a perfect box or rectangle. Minimalism is an effective aesthetic for designing sustainable packaging.

Stylish Paper and Plastic Containers

Although cardboard is used for packaging many mainstream products, one of its limitations is that it's not as durable as glass, tinplate or aluminum. The advantage to using cardboard for coffee, tea and spices is that it's more lightweight and easy to carry. Light products can convey ecological efficiency and finesse at the same time. Cardboard, like glass, tinplate and aluminum, is flexible and can be shaped multiple ways.

Stand up pouches made of paper or plastic provide a sensible and attractive way to package tea. They can even keep tea fresh for longer periods, as they usually protect tea from moisture and exposure to oxygen. The heavy duty ziplock pouch format preserves tea well while maintaining a strong and somewhat curvy appearance. Zippers, valves, rounded corners and premium film coating add to the subtle look of luxury.

For coffee packaging, lined bags with valves can help preserve flavours, allowing coffee beans to release carbon dioxide through venting. This technique keeps coffee as fresh tasting as it was right after roasting. Plastic valves, however, cannot be recycled, so it comes down to weighing your packaging objectives.

The manner in which coffee is roasted will also play a role in the most appropriate type of packaging, since roasting affects how gas is released from coffee beans. Ultimately, paper allows coffee beans to breathe and release gas, which is important for maintaining a rich taste that mesmerizes gourmet coffee drinkers.

Conclusion

Packaging for gourmet luxury foodstuffs must paint a pleasure-seeking experience as a reward for elite customers. At the same time it must preserve flavour richness, so that the product meets the high quality taste expectations of the consumer. Aluminum, tinplate, glass, plastic and paper are all sufficient for packaging coffee, tea and spices. For gourmet shoppers, packaging must balance substance and style with a sense that buying the product makes consumers feel they belong to a special group.