Baking & Snack - August 2021 - 17

isn't going to buy it, " Mr. Wagner said. " Packaging plays
a huge role in the consumer mind in the bakery world. "
Packaging communicates a lot to the consumer.
WE ASK PACKAGING TO
DO A LOT OF THINGS:
PROMOTE THE PRODUCT,
PROTECT, TRANSPORT,
PROVIDE INFORMATION
OF THE PRODUCT.
Tom Egan, PMMI
met the needs of preserving shelf life and speeding up
production, the stand-up pouch, introduced in the '60s,
also brought new form and the ability for resealability to
snack and bakery products. The stand-up pouch opened
up the possibility of packaging beyond the carton.
" The pouch allows flexibility to not only display the
product in a whole different way at endcaps and points of
purchase, but it also allows the convenience to carry it, " Mr.
Egan explained. " When you consume half the contents, the
pouch collapses and takes up less space. It can be squeezed
and fit into spaces a rigid container can't. "
Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) offers the
potential to be the next frontier when it comes to keeping
food fresher for longer. This technology replaces the
oxygen inside a bag, like a bread bag, with a gas mixture
that will stave off staling. It originated in the UK and
Denmark in the 1970s and continues to gain application
across the food industry. In the 1990s, Mr. Wagner
worked with the United States military to use MAP to
extend the shelf life of bread and cake products delivered
to soldiers in the field.
" We developed a MAP extended shelf life technology
that really required just removing the oxygen so
mold couldn't grow and doing some formulation work
so staling couldn't happen, " he said. " In the early '90s,
we developed a three-year shelf life bread and cake item,
which is super relevant for soldiers who hadn't been able
to have bread and cake in the field until that time. "
All about the consumer
While packaging may have started out as an answer to
staling and molding food, ultimately, Mr. Wagner said,
it's about serving a consumer need, whether improving
soldier morale or delivering a satisfying treat.
" The consumer is No. 1 because if it doesn't taste good,
and it doesn't deliver on brand promise, the consumer
www.bakingbusiness.com / August 2021 Baking & Snack 17
Whether it's the brand design and colors on the packaging
or the nutrition and ingredients listed on the packaging,
consumers turn to packaging to tell them a lot
about the product they are looking to purchase. While
eye-catching graphics, a brand story and nutritional information
are obvious elements to communicate with
packaging, even packaging integrity is critical to tell
consumers something about the safety and freshness
about what is inside.
" We had an issue with frozen desserts where the
cartons were getting crushed at retail and the perception
that gave consumers about the brand and how that
would impact consumer trust, " Mr. Wagner said.
A secured, sturdy package communicates to consumers
that the product inside is protected and fresh. A resealable
and tamper-evident closure states that they can
trust what's inside is safe to eat and will stay fresh longer.
Mr. Dunn pointed out that longer supply chains, bakery
Wonder introduced
sliced bread in 1930
nationwide, kicking
off the industrial
baking industry
and the need for
effective packaging.
Bundy Baking Solutions
http://www.bakingbusiness.com
Baking & Snack - August 2021

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