Baking & Snack - August 2021 - 18

SOSLAND PUBLISHING
years
IF IT WEREN'T
FOR CERTAIN
PLASTIC BAGS,
WE WOULDN'T
HAVE BEEN ABLE
TO HAVE A 7-DAY
SHELF LIFE FOR
BREAD INSTEAD
OF A 2-DAY
SHELF LIFE.
Brian Wagner, PTIS, LLC
Packaging
machines, like
this cartoner from
1922, enabled
bakers and snack
manufacturers to
reach new speeds
and throughput
numbers.
PMMI
and snack manufacturer consolidation and retail labor
costs have also all spurred packaging innovation.
" Sturdy plastic trays overwrapped with barrier films
replaced paper 'dump bags' and paperboard cartons
for baked cookies as shock and vibration forces during
transportation increased, " he explained.
Universal Product Codes (UPCs) in 1973 standardized
product identification and tracking and leveled the
playing field for products in front of the consumer.
" The printed UPC on snack and bakery packages gave
powerful customer loyalty opportunities to merchandisers
at the expense of consumer goods brand equity, " Mr.
Dunn explained. " As a result, store brands now compete
effectively with national brands. "
Packaging of the future
Packaging has come a long way from the tried-and-true
carton and the wax paper bread wrapper. Machines and
materials have pushed the limits of automated production
and extended shelf life of products and made food
more convenient for people to eat and store.
Extended shelf life, increased throughput, greater
flexibility and added convenience will always be at the
forefront of packaging needs, but today's challenges have
evolved to other consumers.
Sustainability is at the forefront with plastic being
public enemy No. 1 in some cases. As populations
18 Baking & Snack August 2021 / www.bakingbusiness.com
grow, resources dwindle and consumers become more
concerned with waste. More consumer packaged goods
(CPG) companies than ever are making commitments
to seek out packaging made with recycled or other materials
that are less harmful to the environment. The
Consumer Brands Association (CBA) reports that the
25 largest CPG companies have all made commitments
to minimize packaging or reuse materials, and 80% of
those companies have set goals of using fully recyclable
packaging by 2030.
" There is going to be a billion more people on this
planet, and we won't have the resources, " Mr. Wagner
said. " That's been driving innovation around materials.
How do we use less plastic, different plastics or design
packaging so it can be reused? "
Before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, sustainability
was a top concern for consumers, especially
when it came to packaging. According to a consumer
study by CBA, this is still true, although there is some
more nuance. Eighty-two percent of Americans said
they were concerned with the environment in 2020,
down from 90% the year before, and 80% said they are
concerned about single-use plastics compared with 87%
in 2019. Consumers seem to understand that plastic has
its place - especially in keeping food safe in a pandemic.
CBA's study found that 50% of Americans said recycling
became even more important during the pandemic
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