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Why An Extension of Shelf Life is Important to Food Businesses
Spoiled food is an obvious loss to food businesses. Selling a food product and then having to watch it spoil is a loss of sales and a loss of the ingredients that make the food. Shelf life is an important component of food safety and an important component of keeping food businesses productive. A good example of this is a coffee shop that has to throw away a portion of their baked goods because they become stale too quickly. Because of this, a food business is unable to grasp the concept of how food packaging can extend shelf life. This is why the trade off of tech packaging and the potential reduction of food spoilage and the ability to increase their business is so important.
How Food Packaging Works
Food packaging that helps with food safety and protection from spoilage is packaging that keeps the food from stale. The three biggest threats to food freshness are the lack of oxygen, too much moisture, and exposure to grease. Food packaging mainly protects food from moisture and grease and doesn't have to be burned to a crisp to be effective. There are many varying types of food safety packaging, some more effective than others. For example, when food safety is important, foods that are wrapped in food safety paper that is supplemented with a coating that helps with the seeping of moisture are more effective than foods that are wrapped in just a plain, uncoated paper. Consider the example of a fried chicken sandwich. If the sandwich is wrapped in a paper that has a coating that helps with moisture, the grease from the sandwich will not be, and the sandwich will be fresher for 2-3 more hours than it would be if it were wrapped in a normal paper.Let’s also discuss certified materials. Since FDA guidelines for materials that contact food require them to be made in a way that prevents the growth of bacteria, these certified papers actually fit the requirement. Even some of the compostable options, like BPI-certified packaging, fit the bill. They do compost, but they also act as a barrier, while the food is in a fresh state, so you do not have to compromise on sustainability and shelf life.
Structural Design: How the Shape of Packaging Keeps Food Fresh
When looking at packaging, one rarely considers structure as a crucial aspect, but materials aside, it is just as imperative. A prime example is double wall hot cups. They do not only serve the purpose of helping customers avoid burning themselves. The double wall structure creates a small pocket of air that insulates the drink. Insulation is important, as it prevents the condensation that usually forms from the inner surfaces of the cup, and that would otherwise fall onto the coffee and dilute it, making it stale faster. A double wall cup allows a freshly brewed latte to maintain the right temperature and consistency for 4 hours longer than a single wall cup.
We created a double-walled cup with a lining that doesn't allow moisture to form. Now a customer doesn't need to dump a single-walled cup cold brew after six hours. With the new cups, a customer can now keep cold brew in a cup all all day. The cups are just better than the single-walled cups.We were able to show that better packaging can achieve great results with coffee shop chains. They have to rely on single-walled cups that have a double wall. The customer has far more expectable waste than with a single-walled cup. We have proven that better packaging can have great effects with chains coffee shops.
Certifications: The Backbone of Trustworthy Shelf Life Claims
Certifications like the FDA, FSC, and BPI fulfill an important role when it comes to shelf life: ensuring that packaging performs as it is supposed to. For instance, when packaging is BPI-certified, that means it is compostable, and it also means that it is free of “spoilage” chemicals that could compromise the food’s freshness. Likewise, FDA-approved packaging is food safe, and free of contradicting spoilage chemicals.
We once worked with a small bakery customer who, had a paper baking wrap with no certifications. They complained that the croissants were stale after 12 hours. After we switched to FDA-approved greaseproof paper, the croissants stayed flaky for 24 hours. The non-certified paper had a coating that trapped moisture, while the FDA paper was designed to breathe, allowing just the right amount of air to keep the croissants fresh. Paper certifications are a promise of performance.Converting Freshness to Profit: The Money Making Benefits of Extended Shelf Life.
More shelf life equals more profit. For example, if a deli extends shelf life of a sandwich by a day, they can do more sandwiches at a time and optimize their labor. Plus, they can expand their delivery area. With a longer freshness span, they can service a 10 mile radius instead of a 5 mile radius.
We experienced this with a local deli when they began using custom SOS bags for their takeaway meals. The bags are more robust, and due to the moisture barrier, their salads and sandwiches are fresh for 3 more hours. After they began delivering meals to the office park across the street, their revenue increased 20% in just one month. In this example, packaging solved the problem of accessing more customers.
Use food packaging as a barrier to protect the food, a barrier to waste the food, and a barrier to making more money instead of seeing it as a way to waste money. With the right packaging, profit can be made at increased shelf life.