Relationship between packaging, ingredients becoming major influence in innovation of global food and beverage industry, with trends focusing on sustainability and material reduction, resealable packaging

Andrew Rogers

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany , October 8, 2012 (press release) – The interplay between packaging and ingredients is expected to become a major force in the innovation of the food and beverage industry worldwide. Packaging provides essential functions to the product like communicating product characteristics, ensuring product safety and enabling convenience. Identifying and exploiting the synergies between these packaging functions and the ingredients is a key success factor for manufacturers of food and drink products. Three sociographic shifts in the populations of the industrialized and developing countries currently characterize the dynamic segment of packaging innovations: urbanization, ageing and morality in terms of sustainable living.

These key trends will be presented at the Hi Europe, NuW (Nutrition and Wellness Solutions) trade show in Frankfurt/Main from November 13 to 15 - the world's leading event for functional foods and ingredients, nutritional supplements and health products.

Sustainability / Naturalness: Elaborate, unnecessarily wasteful packaging is increasingly being viewed critically by consumers. Biodegradable, recyclable and renewable materials that support a natural product image are undeniably taking the spotlight, with bio-plastics and paper- or carton-based packaging clearly becoming the topic of the hour. Also, implementation of the upcoming world ISO standards on packaging and environment - publication date October 2012 - is on the agenda. Ingredients which require or eliminate specific packaging materials or technologies can be subject of study here.

Single sizes: In the city, the single-person household has already become the predominant way of life. Gone are the days of the family-size package. Buying behaviour is focused more on immediate needs than on stockpiling. Apart from small sizes, the big trend here is innovative, resealable packaging. Ingredients and packaging may play together here in delivering longer storage-time or easier ways to prepare foods, e.g. in the microwave.

Products that cater to the needs of "Best Agers": In addition to small size, this means packaging must be easy to open and labeling clearly legible.


Specialized background information on key packaging developments (materials, accessible design, new legislative developments and technologies to enhance patient compliance) is provided by NVC Netherlands Packaging Centre (http://www.nvc.nl), the business intelligence partner of the exhibition.

"With great pleasure we work support the exchange of business ideas on packaging and the use of ingredients at the exhibition. We are convinced that this interaction will be instrumental to the creation of many new fruitful innovations throughout the industry", comments Michael Nieuwesteeg, Managing Director of the NVC Netherlands Packaging Centre. NVC will be onsite at Health ingredients Europe & NuW in Frankfurt conducting seminars discussing sustainable packaging, packaging innovations and smart & intelligent packaging.

About Health ingredients Europe & NuW

Health ingredients Europe is part of the world leading Food ingredients, Natural ingredients and Health ingredients series of ingredients trade shows. These highly professional trade shows have been held successfully since 1986. Health ingredients Europe was launched in 2000 with Hi Europe (NuW) 2012 being the 7th edition of this show. Health ingredients Europe will be joining NuW Nutrition + Wellness Solutions in 2012, creating a new exhibition that provides a complete 360 perspective of the entire nutrition and wellness industry. For more information, visit http://www.nuwsolutions.com

About the organiser

UBM Live is a division of UBMplc, which is headquartered in London, UK. The office in the Netherlands is the organiser of the world-leading Health ingredients, Food ingredients, CPhi, ICSE and Informex series of food and pharmaceutical ingredients trade shows. The Dutch office also publishes International Food Ingredients Magazine and organises related conference activities. For more information, visit http://www.ingredientsnetwork.com

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