PET Food Processing - March 2020 - 67

PACKAGING

the
singles
scene
Single-serve and sample-size
products reveal the power of one.
By Lynn Petrak | petfoodprocessing@sosland.com

Good things come in small packages, right? That adage
has extended into the pet market driven by the demand
for convenience and portion control, underscoring both
the humanization of pets and pet parents' own ongoing
quest for ease of use.
According to Mintel GNPD (Global New Products
Database) data, 18% of new pet food products introduced in 2018 had some kind of convenience claim. A
2018 report on pet product packaging innovations from
Packaged Facts confirms that pet parents are interested
in convenience.
"This is a growing business," reports Julian Stauffer,
chief operating officer for Hawthorne, New York-based
PTI, Packaging Technologies and Inspection. According
to Stauffer, the company's pouch and cup solutions are
generally single-serve, whether for human or pet meals.
Lori Gobris, senior marketing manager for Amcor
Flexibles North America, Oskhosh, Wisconsin, agrees
that there are new formats and opportunities for singleserve packaging in this industry. "The addition of singleserve portions in pet food is starting to be seen on shelf,
such as a larger bag with individual pouches of a single
serving of dry food. This is only to be expected as pet
parents want to take their pets along with them in their
active lives and start to look for that type of convenience
for their pets as well. This could be for a long day of hiking where their dog needs some additional hydration or

Snacking is a
noticeable trend
among millennials
that's expected
to influence their
Nibble meets kibble
pet food and
Indeed, various aspects of convenience have propelled treat purchasing
the launch of more single-serve pet food and treats, decisions.
sold individually or in multipacks. Pet snacking is one ePac Flexible Packaging
of those aspects. "A major trend in the food industry is
more snacking versus regular meals. A recent study by
Mondale International and The Harris Poll found that
snacking is preferred to eating meals for 59% of adults
worldwide. For millennials, that figure jumps to 70%. So
I think we will definitely see the snacking trend increase
for pets, too," observes Joel Schmidt, director, business
development for Austin, Texas-headquartered ePac
Flexible Packaging, which produces stand-up pouches,
flat pouches and rollstock for flow-wrapped items for
single-serve and sample items.
While many pet treats have long been merchandised
in single-serve form, including individual rawhide rolls
or shrink-wrapped bone-shaped treats, there are a host
of innovative snacks on the market today.
Plato Pet Treats, Fresno, California, offers products
like THINKERS meat sticks in single-serve packaging
designed for sales at the checkout counter, something
a weekend away where they want to have only the right
amount of food along," she observes, adding that this
will likely be a niche area to complement the current variety of sizes in the market.

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PET Food Processing - March 2020

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