Page 64 - Ameft Journal 2021-III

PROCESSING & PACKAGING Protecting the Small Pack Trend Lifestyle change has the power to redefine the packaging sector, and we have seen it in recent times, with the “snackification” of meal times. This is particularly true in Asia Pacific where the market value of the savoury snack market alone reached US$35.6 bn in 2020, with the region now ahead of both Western Europe and North America (Source: Statista). Consumers living busy lives in ma- ture markets have sought convenient, timely and portable solutions to keep hunger at bay: smaller packs of food products that they can carry with them, open and reopen. Even at home, a swing towards “grazing” – more fre- quent but smaller portions of nourish- ing food – has propelled the move to smaller packs onwards. The small pack trend also fits com- fortably with a more health-conscious and calorie-counting public: people want ready-to-go products based on 64 AMEFT 3 2021 sensible portion sizes. Products such as small, flexible packs for chocolate con- fectionery, and single-serve portions of breakfast cereal meet the need. Changing demographic factors that have led to smaller average household sizes have also emphasized the need for packaging solutions that meet the requirements for convenience and less food wastage. Then came COVID-19, and it changed many things in the world, including going some way towards curbing the on-the-go lifestyle in many instances. Individuals were subjected to travel and work restrictions to help curtail the health crisis which had a direct im- pact to increase the desire for comfort foods. Throughout the pandemic, we also saw an increase in single-serve and - use packaging due to consumers seeking additional reassurance that their favorite brands were still safe to eat and had been handled by as few people as possible. Food manufacturers during this period have therefore had to quickly learn some new lessons about how swiftly consumer demand can change, and how this can impact packaging trends. These societal changes and their impact upon pack sizes have been matched by innovation in packaging technology. The market is now better able to respond to demands for porta- bility by designing packs that are made from flexible and lightweight mate- rials, and the convenience factor is helped by developments in re-sealable technology. The industry is therefore well-placed to take advantage of a global single-serve packaging market that has been predicted to grow by over USD 30.5 billion from 2018 to 2022, with a CAGR of 5% (Source: Tech- navioi). This same report cites the cost ef- ficiency of single serve packaging as a key driver for this market. (Source: Mettler-Toledo) www.ameft.com