Picking the correct packaging for your product entails more than just putting it in a bag or box. It should match your product, brand, and consumer expectations while providing optimal protection, functionality, and cost-effectiveness.
Canadian consumer spending rose from $56,265.1 million in 2021 to $65,901.8 million in 2022, growing 1.4% CAGR from 2017 to 2022. As a result of rising consumer spending, local businesses now have access to a wider market for their products.
In the competitive consumer goods industry, product presentation, safety, and user experience depend on reliable packaging suppliers. But how do design, protection, cost, and shipping affect the selection of the right package for your business? Let's find out!
Design: Making Usable and Appealing Packaging
Potential buyers first interact with your product through the package. It is about aesthetics, functionality, information delivery, and user experience. Adequate wrapping conveys your brand, meets regulatory requirements, and is convenient for consumers.
Key Design Elements
Structural Design
Packaging should match the product’s nature and use. For example, the spout design of tetra packs makes them perfect for liquids since they allow easy pouring without spillage. Dry foods like pasta are packaged in upright gusseted bags for shelf display and convenience.
Brand Consistency
Your boxing should reflect your brand through colours, fonts, and imagery that appeal to your audience.
- A luxury brand may use matte finishes, metallic accents, and embossed logos to convey high quality.
- An organic snack brand may use earthy tones and minimalistic design to emphasize natural ingredients.
Informational Design
The law requires the package to include nutritional information, usage instructions, and ingredient lists. Readability and compliance depend on legible fonts and strategic information placement.
Ergonomics and User Experience
Consider how consumers use your products. Easy-open tabs, resealable closures, and handles improve user experience. If you want to keep snacks fresh for longer without sacrificing convenience, consider using stand-up pouches with resealable zippers.
Sustainable Design
Consumers prefer brands with environmental values. Packages with recyclable or compostable material, such as kraft paper or bioplastics, can enhance brand appeal. To show your environmental commitment, include recycling symbols or eco-friendly messaging.
Protection: Freshness and Safety from Production to Consumer
Encasing protects products from physical, chemical, and biological damage. Edibles need solutions that prevent spoilage, contamination, and degradation from manufacturing to consumption.
Protection Mechanisms
Barrier Properties
Edible products need protection against moisture, oxygen, and UV light. Each material varies in barrier protection:
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Example |
Details |
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Plastic Films (e.g., PET, LDPE) |
These flexible materials benefit snacks, baked goods, and frozen foods by providing moisture and gas barriers. |
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Glass |
Glass preserves flavours in liquids, sauces, and pickles by blocking gases and moisture. It is chemically inert, so it will not interact with the contents. |
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Metals (e.g., Aluminum Cans) |
Aluminum is ideal for carbonated drinks, canned foods, and energy drinks because it blocks light, oxygen, and moisture. |
Physical Protection
Shipping and handling require durable packing. Corrugated cardboard boxes, packing peanuts, and bubble wrap are secondary solutions that cushion and resist pressure.
Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)
MAP alters atmospheric composition to extend perishable good shelf life. Fresh meats, seafood, and salads are sometimes treated with an optimal nitrogen and carbon dioxide mix to prevent microbial growth and spoilage.
A safe and uncontaminated meal is essential. Products should use tamper-evident seals, shrink bands, sealed poly mailers, and vacuum-packed seals to show whether they’re tampered with.
Cost: Balancing Quality, Functionality, and Affordability
Cost affects everything from material choice to product price. Consider direct costs (materials, manufacturing, and printing) and indirect (logistics, storage, and waste management).
- Material Selection. Premium materials like glass or high-barrier plastics cost more but protect specific products better. Glass jars are more expensive but ideal for high-acid foods like tomato sauces due to their chemical inertness and barrier properties.
- Production Complexity. Encasement with complex shapes, custom moulds, or multiple components increases manufacturing costs. Simplifying designs or using standard shapes can cut costs without sacrificing functionality.
- Volume and Order Size. Large orders reduce per-unit costs due to economies of scale. However, niche or luxury items with smaller runs can have higher unit costs.
- Sustainability Premium. Sustainable materials like bioplastics or recycled content cost more than conventional plastics. Over time, sustainable choices can boost brand loyalty and consumer preference.
- Shipping Efficiency. Flexible pouches and vacuum-sealed packs maximize pallet loads and reduce shipping costs. In contrast, bulky or heavy supplies like glass can increase logistics expenses.
Shipping Tests: Verifying Performance
Your packaging must pass shipping tests to withstand transport and handling. These tests simulate drops, impacts, extreme temperatures, and humidity to help manufacturers optimize designs and materials.
Drop Test
Tests resilience against accidental drops during handling. The structure is tested at various angles and heights to find weak points. Drop tests determine how well plastic containers or cold cups protect liquid or fragile items.
Vibration Test
Simulation of road, rail, and air transportation vibrations. Products can shift, collide, or damage seals due to vibrations. This test prevents seals from breaking and products from leaking.
Compression Test
It measures strength under stacking pressure. Warehouse-stored or bulk-shipped products need this. Corrugated boxes undergo compression tests to ensure they can support stacked boxes and keep items safe.
Temperature and Humidity Tests
These tests examine how materials react to temperature and moisture. At low temperatures, frozen foods need flexible wrappings, while dehydrated foods need moisture-proof barriers.
Product Integrity Through Packaging
Containers must protect and maintain product quality and safety throughout its lifespan. Product integrity requires choosing materials that match the product’s environmental sensitivity and ensuring hygiene.
Strategies to Ensure Integrity
- Material Compatibility. Materials should not react with the product. Acidic foods like citrus or tomatoes can soak through paper, requiring PE lining to prevent corrosion and flavour changes.
- Seal Quality and Testing. Seal quality affects freshness and safety. Heat seals, ultrasonic seals, and zip closures must be high-quality to maintain a vacuum or modified atmosphere inside the wrapping.
- Sterility and Food Safety. “Aseptic packaging” refers to preserving perishable goods in a sterile environment before opening. Juices, soups, and dairy alternatives are processed using ultra-high-temperature (UHT) solutions.
- Labelling for Freshness. Oxygen or moisture absorbers can extend the shelf life of oxygen-sensitive products like chips and coffee. These additives absorb gases and moisture to maintain ideal conditions.
Regulatory Requirements in Canada: Warnings, Barcodes, and Certifications
Warnings and Instructions
Food allergens, dietary restrictions, and storage instructions must be marked on the encasing. The Canadian Food and Drug Regulations (FDR) requires clear labelling of peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, soy, wheat, and seafood allergens.
Instructions like “Refrigerate After Opening” or “Keep Frozen” are essential. Noncompliance can result in product recalls and consumer health risks.
Barcodes and Traceability
As the Canadian food industry grows, traceability codes help manufacturers and consumers track a product’s origin and supply chain.
- This helps identify affected batches quickly during recalls.
- The Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) improve safety by tracing food from farm to fork.
Certifications
- Canada Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) certifications are essential for ensuring the safety and quality of food in Canada.
- Materials must meet Health Canada’s food contact material standards to protect consumers.
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) verifies organic claims to ensure products meet strict standards.
Eco-Certifications
Canadian consumers care about sustainability, so eco-certifications add value and appeal to products.
- The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for paper materials.
- Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) for compostable supplies.
- Energy Star or EnerGuide certifications from Canada for energy-efficient solutions.
Product Selection for Your Business
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Material |
Product Suggestion |
Benefits |
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PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) |
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Paper with PE Lining |
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PP (Polypropylene) |
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Kraft |
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Meet Your Packaging Needs With a Reliable Supplier
You must balance design, protection, cost, and regulatory compliance when choosing custom packaging solutions. Carefully chosen shipping supplies convey brand values, meet consumer expectations, and boost product sales.
Patek Packaging offers packaging supplies that can showcase your brand, streamline the packaging process, and are eco-friendly. Our packaging company provides cost-effective solutions with high-quality construction and material choices.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can companies ensure Health Canada-compliant packing?
Health Canada’s food contact material guidelines require materials to be tested by certified labs. Compliance requires containers not to leach harmful chemicals into food, and third-party certification can provide additional assurance.
How does bilingual labelling impact requirements in Canada?
British Columbia regulations require the display of all necessary information in English and French, including ingredients, allergens, and warnings. This bilingual requirement guarantees accessibility and comprehension for all consumers across Canada and is essential for food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.
Are there specific requirements for materials used in e-commerce?
Canada requires hazard warnings and clear product descriptions on e-commerce packing. Furthermore, there is a rising focus on using recyclable or minimal wrapping to reduce waste associated with e-commerce.