Baked goods are increasingly being packaged in stand up pouches
Advertisement
-->
-->
Pop-up bowl for oat flakes in practical cardboard packaging. Shown here folded to save space. Photo: GFB, theglutenfreebar.com
Stand up pouches popular as packaging for baked goods
The advantages of stand up pouches
According to a recent study by market research company Smithers Pira, the market for stand up pouches is booming throughout the entire foods industry.
Stand up pouches offer advantages compared to bag-in-box solutions:
less packaging materials, which in turn means less waste
product information is available until final consumption (the outer packaging, which contains the nutritional information, is often disposed of immediately)
low weight
practical use
easy to open
long shelf-life, long-lasting freshness
transparent windows allow consumers to see content prior to opening
also available in single size portions
resealable closures prevent food waste and contamination
surface provides an ideal communication space for marketing
Grain products are always sensitive to moisture. To prevent the moisture from penetrating the packaging and potentially causing microbial spoilage, the packaging material is of particular importance. Plastics such as polypropylene and polyethylene are still often used and mixed together. Like most laminate foils, these cannot be recycled completely. However, the demand for bio-based packaging solutions is increasing—and the packaging industry is reacting.
Examples of bio-based packaging for baked goods around the world
Mexico: Frozen cheese sandwich in a resealable, biodegradable, paper-based bag
Brazil: Muesli in plastic packaging and a biodegradable, compostable cardboard bowl
India: Wholemeal wheat flour in a biodegradable and resealable plastic bag
South Africa: Oat flakes in 100 percent compostable plastic packaging, which is also biodegradable in the ocean. Box made of recycled fibres, top layer made of fresh fibres certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Labels printed using vegetable-based ink
Germany: Porridge in cardboard packaging, consisting of 90 percent recycled paper. The paper bottom enables consumers to quickly split the individual packaging parts into separate recycling streams
USA: Pop-up bowl for oat flakes in practical cardboard packaging—flat for easier storage, for consumption simply open the upper perforation and fill to the line with hot water
Top up with hot water—ready to eat. Photo: GFB, theglutenfreebar.com