Posted by Food and Drink Towers, Friday 30th of July 2010 11:06:00 AM.
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Traditional flavours - modern packaging

Editorial by Zip-Pak

Consider the following scenario:

Cheese producer X, following traditional techniques perfected over several generations, creates cheese to match its exacting standards. Through suppliers and distributors, the final product ends up on a supermarket shelf, surrounded by competing brands. Even though cheese X boasts a far superior flavour and represents significantly better value, it is outsold by its shelf-competitors. Initially a superior product, the effort invested in making cheese X was wholly undone by inferior packaging.

Packaging problems and resealable solutions

• A bag of shredded cheese is rarely eaten in one sitting. Once opened, cheese quickly dries out, affecting both flavor and freshness. Non-resealable packaging presents a consumer with two choices: either tolerate this declining product quality and brand image, or transfer the food to an alternative, generic container.

Resealable packaging allows multi-serve, with the product remaining fresh and full of flavor up until the last helping. It also negates any need for food transferal; an added convenience for consumers, whether eating straight from the fridge, or when out of the house. Resealability is an important aspect of today’s packaging as it supports brand value and has a real impact on consumer perception. As resealability helps extend fridge life by keeping the cheese fresher for longer, consumers will gain trust in the product quality and will stay faithful to the brand. Therefore, producers benefit from a positive visual brand image, maintained throughout product life.

• Unsecured packaging risks being compromised in the shop or the home environment - a factor sure to put off customers looking for good hygienic standards and trust from a brand. 

Resealable solutions are secure and tamper-evident, particularly new solutions such as Zip-Pak’s Double Zip™. The newest member of the ZIP-PAK^® Press-to-Close™ family of resealable packaging technologies provides consumers with an easy way to achieve a complete seal - every time they use the product. The technology is easily incorporated onto a variety of package styles from stand-up pouches to lay-flat bags, to refresh the look and functionality of brands in any type of packaging. According to a research conducted by Perception Research Services, consumers form an indelible link between package quality and the superiority of the food it contains. 

• Inferior packaging creates an environmental problem: rapid food deterioration inevitably leads to increased food waste. According to research conducted by the Waste Resources and Action Programme, UK households alone are responsible for more than £10bn of food waste a year[1]. Methane given off by degrading food waste is roughly 23 times more harmful to the environment than C02[2]. 

Preserved freshness through resealable technology has the opposite effect: increasing fridge-life and reducing food waste. Resealable features appeal to environmentally-aware demographics, who demand sustainability as well as quality from the cheese they purchase.  

Zip it up

Zip-Pak has helped numerous manufacturers retrofit existing vertical form/fill/seal machines to accommodate resealable technology. The advantages intrinsic to our zipper technology have allowed customers to significantly expand market share, by as much as 30 percent.[3] As an example, press-to-close zipper technology has benefited the immensely popular UK Cathedral cheese brand, ensuring that their West-country mature cheddar tastes amazing right up to the last serving. Resealable packaging preserves traditional flavors, and gives them the modern twist they need to remain successful.

About Zip-Pak

Zip-Pak, celebrating over 20 years of resealable packaging innovations, offers seven distinct technologies that provide the framework for more than 200 patented zipper profiles. A global leader for resealable packaging solutions, Zip-Pak is an Illinois Tool Works (ITW) Company. World headquarters are located in Manteno, IL, USA. Zip-Pak is a proud member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition.

For further information on Zip-Pak, please visit www.zippak.com or contact Elizabeth Sheaffer at +1-815-468-6500 or elizabeth.sheaffer@zippak.com.

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