The Ultimate Food Packaging Guide Every F&B Brand Must Read

Quality. Function. Design. These are the main attributes you must consider when it comes to choosing the perfect food packaging for your business. Considering the rise of innovative packaging, takeaway boxes no longer merely serve the sole function for food preservation, but one that helps to promote your brand to capture the hearts and minds of consumers.

Therefore, the art of food packaging selection is not merely limited to choosing a sizable container that’ll fit your dishes. It requires an extensive understanding of your products, a careful elaboration of your needs as well as a splash of your brand’s personality. A synergetic collaboration of these characteristics will produce a food packaging that is unique to your brand, one that is identifiable amidst the endless sea of your competitors.

Before you feel overwhelmed by the amount of deliberation that goes into food packaging, let us help! Whether you are a budding food entrepreneur or a seasoned restaurateur, this article is for you: The ultimate food packaging guide that every F&B brand must read!

Quality assurance

From manufacturing food packaging to the consumer, quality assurance is a key component that dominates every step of the F&B experience.

As a food establishment owner, marketer or leader, how can you assure maximum takeaway quality assurance? One important area would be to select the appropriate material that will ensure the highest protection for your dishes.

The sturdiness of your packaging is an extremely important factor when it comes to preserving the integrity of the food. After all, packaging serves as the ‘protective storage’ for your consumers. This means that the condition, quality and appeal of your takeaway food is highly reliant on the durability of the packaging.

When the exterior is easily susceptible to damage, chances are, it’ll compromise the structural integrity of your dish as well, depending on the type of cuisine that you serve.

Note that most food packaging containers can be compacted. After all, you surely don’t want to utilise bulky packaging that makes storage and distribution difficult. Food bags and pouches on the other hand would be more difficult to handle.

Hence, it is vital to ask yourself these questions: Which material will be able to provide optimal protection that is also compactible? Will your selected material be durable enough to protect your takeaway food against the onslaught of bumps and knocks? What other potential risks do we have to consider?

Packaging quality

Before selecting your preferred packaging material, you have to first anticipate the possible circumstances that’ll lead to potential food damages. Ultimately, the job of your packaging is to ensure that the food remains intact during the journey from your stall to the consumers’ doorstep, minimising the vulnerability against accidental damage, spills or disruption.

Additionally, consider the rising popularity of delivery services. How can you ensure that your food packaging is able to sustain during delivery? How can you diminish the susceptibility against unavoidable weather elements?

Pros and cons of different food packaging containers

While selecting the ideal food packaging material, it is crucial to weigh the pros and cons of each material in order to make the optimal decision.

Choosing a reliable material for packaging that is compatible with your dishes, coupled with design and durability considerations certainly involves substantial deliberation.

Are your containers able to handle heat and moisture? Do you require packaging that comes with grease paper? Is the aesthetic of your packaging an important factor? What other branding elements should you incorporate into the design and functionality of your takeaway containers?

Environmental sustainability - How does it affect your brand?

Yes, preserving food quality is important and the prevention of packaging disintegration is crucial, but what about disposal? After serving its purpose as a takeaway medium, how can you ensure that you play a part in reducing environmental pollution?

With the increasing emphasis on environmental concerns, more and more brands are opting for eco-friendly food packaging. By doing your part for the environment as a food establishment, you’ll be able to promote ethical consumerism while giving back to the ecosystem. In fact, you’ll be more likely to garner and retain support from consumers who are strong advocates of protecting our environment.

Functionality

Once you’ve chosen a sturdy material for your packaging, another aspect to look at would be its function. Apart from a meticulously designed robust exterior, different types of food packaging options are created for different purposes.

Your cuisine

Essentially, your menu dictates the functions that are necessary for your packaging - Do you need packaging that keeps the food warm for as long as possible?

Or perhaps, your menu requires the food to be kept as cold as possible? This brings us to the next segment: Flavour retention. Segregating portions and freshness are all prominent components that postulate the bare essentials when it comes to function.

Food quality

One of the most critical aspects of takeaway is to retain the freshness and quality of the food. To do so, you have to assess the possible factors that might cause potential deterioration during this journey from your establishment to the customer’s destination.

Retaining flavour, structure and temperature

Evidently, hot and cold food items demand drastically different conditions to preserve their quality, which means that they must be kept separate from one another. The goal, however, remains the same: retaining the freshness of the meal while guarding against contamination.

When it comes to cold dishes such as sashimi or ice cream, you might need ice packs or packaging that helps to keep the temperature low in order to ensure maximum freshness.

On the other hand, hot items such as soup require takeaway bowls or containers that are able to withstand and maintain heat for the longest time possible. In the event that it becomes chilly, you can consider using microwavable packaging to maximise your customers’ convenience.

Naturally, food quality preservation doesn’t just apply to hot and cold dishes. Room temperature food also has to be stored in segregated compartments to reduce potential damage to its structure.

Similarly, it is also crucial to separate the wet and dry dishes. Packaging such as bento boxes are a great way to compartmentalise dishes with gravy from its dry counterparts. It’s a practical option that aids in dividing meal proportions accordingly, reducing the need for multiple takeaway boxes to store different dishes!

Bear in mind that spoiled food and messy presentation (depending on the cuisine) will definitely affect your brand’s reputation!

Conclusion

Always remember your packaging considerations: quality, function and design! Are you looking for a food packaging supplier? Check out our range of customisable food packaging products, or find ready-to-order packaging here.

10 Unique Food Packaging Ideas Every F&B Business Can Use

In recent years, food packaging has been widely acknowledged as a form of marketing strategy. With the booming trend of innovative designs, F&B brands around the world are jumping on the bandwagon, competing for a distinctive spot amongst seemingly identical competitors.

All in all, your brand’s packaging is an extension of its identity; it embodies the corporate values, tone and personality that signifies the essence of your brand.

So, amidst a blur of colours, sizes and designs, how do you ensure that consumers are able to set you apart from the ocean of competitors? How can you incorporate your brand’s identity into your food packaging? What are the food packaging ideas you can draw inspiration from to create the perfect packaging design for your brand?

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

Are you ready to explore some of the best food packaging ideas? Let’s go!

Food packaging design: A core aspect of your brand’s identity

F&B brands have certainly evolved over the years, coming up with all sorts of eye-catching and show-stopping designs vying for the attention of consumers. A walking advertisement, simply utilising a well-designed food packaging is pretty much the new 21st century normal. Designs that reflect your brand’s values and personality isn’t enough to make a lasting impression. For your brand to be recognisable, it also has to embody designs that are indistinguishable.

So, why is it so important to make a memorable first impression?

As research shows, consumers can, in fact, make decisions in under 20 seconds. In that fraction of time, you want to ensure that your brand is able to captivate your consumers’ attention at the first glance. With thousands and millions of food stalls selling similar products, you need to stand above your competitors.

Effective food packaging customisation allows you to:

• Design your packaging to be as enticing as possible.

• Utilise design so distinctive that customers will be able to identify it at first glance.

• Convert consumers into existing customers.

• Retain the loyalty of existing customers.

• Influence consumer purchase habits and decisions.

There are plenty of elements you can implement to create a design unique to your brand. Logo colours, the company’s font and illustration styles are all vital considerations that can be incorporated to produce your brand’s unique visual identity.

Ultimately, you get to decide how you want to be perceived by your consumers: What are the feelings and emotions that you want to invoke when potential consumers look at your brand?

1. Hand-drawn illustrations

You’ll probably be familiar with the locally produced D.I.Y sushi chain Maki-San, which is an excellent amplification of utilising conspicuous hand-drawn illustrations.

By fusing a blend of fun and bright coloured graphics, it forms a unique visual brand identity that creates an unforgettable impression to consumers. Furthermore, it exudes the energetic undertone of the brand’s services, relaying the concept of enthusiasm and diversity that embodies the freedom of its D.I.Y cuisine experience.

2. Incorporating relatable pop culture

Don’t we just love beautifully designed paper bags? Local bubble tea brand LiHO combines its personalised touch with well-known pop culture references, which is an ingenious concept that allows consumers to relate to the brand based on all too familiar elements.

3. Minimalistic accents

If you prefer a minimalist design, consider embedding subtle accents to your food packaging.

As seen on Butter Studio, they chose to enhance their dessert box with a simple liquid trickle that resembles sauce drizzles commonly seen on baked goods. By adopting a crucial yet satisfying element into their design, they certainly encapsulated the brand’s core essence.

4. Noticeable colours

Make radical changes by departing from traditional colours. Engage unusual tones to set yourself apart from classic colour schemes commonly found in F&B food packaging. As seen on An Acai Affair, an unconventional mix of pastel pink and a forest-toned green, successfully resulted in an eye-catching takeaway bag.

5. Employ colour psychology

Colour psychology is an excellent technique to express a certain emotion or impression for your brand. For example, bright yellow and red tones embody sentiments of happiness and joy, which is the epitome of McDonald’s persona.

On the other hand, when we look at green shades, our brain shifts to health, trust and eco-consciousness. A prime example would be Whole Foods, which embraces the principles of maintaining one’s health.

6. Two-toned

Design your food packaging with contradictory colours by playing and experimenting with different combinations.

By employing diametrically opposing colours, you can produce a unique result that exemplifies your brand’s individuality and at the same time, capture maximum attention.

7. Monochrome shades

The artisanal chocolate brand Awfully Chocolate demonstrates the concept of lavishness via a sleek monochrome food packaging design. From the logo to the packaging, it portrays the quintessence of minimalism, which exudes a tone of class and minimalistic sophistication.

8. An identifiable font

Brand identity can also be achieved with a signature font. Together with a unique colour scheme and recognisable logo, consumers will be able to identify your brand amongst the sea of competitors. The result? A recognisable brand identity across channels.

9. A Quirky tagline

Spectacular design isn’t the only feature that can be used to entice your customers' attention. A catchy tagline can be incorporated into your food packaging as an eye-catching element.

10. Multi-functional Cake Boxes

Based on your requirements, you can integrate multiple functions when designing your food or drink containers. After all, takeaway services are meant to provide greater accessibility for maximum convenience.

Depart from conventional forms by customising your food packaging by leveraging these corrugated boxes.

Take a leaf from Udders, where their ice cream tub lids come with a handy spoon for that easy sweet tooth indulgence.

Noodle bowls with separators have become an emerging trend amongst food establishments to minimise soggy noodles, which has always been a prominent issue for the takeaway option.

The packaging comes in two separate layers which divide the soup and noodles to prevent them from clumping or drying up, an effective space-saving option.

Final thoughts

There are endless possibilities when it comes to food packaging ideas. Some brands utilise minimalist features, while others choose to employ a unique concoction of vibrant colours. Ultimately, it all boils down to your brand direction.

As a rule of thumb, whether you are going for ready-to-order containers or a customised food packaging option, you have to ensure that your packaging solution remains functional.

Check out our customised packaging gallery for more food packaging ideas!

Interested in crafting a unique food packaging solution? Contact us today!

6 Crucial Details To Note When Selecting Food Packaging

In the era where food delivery has become a prominent phenomenon, brand-oriented food packaging has emerged as a vital feature amidst F&B businesses.

Regardless of the scale of your operation, choosing the right food packaging is imperative for your brand to establish brand visibility and quality assurance outside of your dine-in establishments. It is a deliberate and meticulous process; from the materials you use to the designing phase, the final packaging determines the potential of your brand’s impression for existing and potential customers alike.

So, what can you do to ensure brand visibility through customised packaging? What are the considerations that go into producing quality packaging tailored specifically for your brand? What can be done to ensure that you outshine your competitors?

Let us observe the main criteria for selecting the right food packaging befitting for your brand:

1. Product durability

2. Compartments vs separate containers

3. Shape and size

4. Branding and design

5. The cost of packaging production

6. Environmental sustainability

1. Product durability

The intrinsic value of food packaging relies first and foremost, on product durability and functionality. You want to ensure that it preserves food quality and reduces the susceptibility of damage or leaking during transportation. In fact, how resilient your packaging is affects how your customers will perceive your brand.

Put yourself in your customers’ shoes: Imagine you’ve ordered from your favourite restaurant, anticipating an amazing dinner. When it arrives, the containers are half-soaked in condensation, flattened at one side with gravy spilling all over the bag. In this scenario, you’ll probably feel disgruntled and extremely despondent towards the food establishment. Similarly, you’ll risk providing abysmal services with a lack of detail towards your food packaging and brand’s dependability.

In essence, when you maintain package integrity and food quality standards for takeaways, you’re likely to retain your customer’s loyalty. Therefore, you must ensure your food remains presentable, from delivery to the doorstep.

2. Compartments vs separate containers

Food packaging with compartments, generally known as bento boxes, are made to segregate different types of dishes into one package. Especially when it comes to sweet and savoury foodstuffs, it’s preferable to isolate them from one another to avoid an undesired mixture by the end of the delivery!

3. Shape and size

Your menu dictates the shape and size of your packaging. Between a pizza fast-food chain and an al-fresco that sells hotdogs, they require different shapes of takeaway boxes. In terms of size, some stalls require a variety of dimensions to accommodate meals with individual proportions.

4. Branding and design

When it comes to branding and design, these are the considerations:

• Colour scheme

• Logo visibility

• Uniquity

The main objective of incorporating your branding into your packaging is to be as eye-catching as possible in order to promote brand awareness. Doing so will make all the difference to become conspicuous amidst your competitors and garner awareness from potential customers. From the colour scheme to the visibility of your logo, it should be consistent and recognisable at first glance, encompassing the uniqueness and personality of your brand.

An example of how design plays an essential part would be an observation of how businesses embellish their packaging during festive events.

When it comes to occasions such as Christmas, New Year and the Mooncake festival, F&B businesses tend to utilise unique packaging to commemorate the event and spread the festive cheer. Especially during Mooncake festival popups, we will see an array of exemplary designs that dazzle our sight. With the amalgamation of jolly emotions and breathtaking exhibitions of design, we’ll tend to select based on the elements that capture our attention the most, next to the familiarity with the brand.

Food packaging has proven to be a valuable marketing tool; the more distinctive your brand is, the higher the recognition will be. Utilising branding via food packaging is an ideal way to spread your business!

If you’re searching for personalised food packaging branding, take a look at our range of customisation options!

5. The cost of packaging production

With all the above in mind, you’ll have to ensure that your food packaging satisfies your

standards while remaining within your budget. So how can you ensure that your decision will be cost-efficient?

First, you have to ensure that your packaging design is of satisfactory quality. At Dillic Packaging, we offer a prototype of your desired packaging to ensure that you are completely content before moving on to mass production. This relieves you from investing in production with deplorable results.

Second, consider buying in bulk as they tend to be a cheaper alternative. However, there may be an issue with storage with over-ordered stocks, so make sure to check the Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) of the product before engaging the packaging services.

Third, you have to be sure that the materials you’ll be using are easily accessible. Rare and seasonal materials will definitely come with a heftier price tag.

6. Environmental sustainability

In an effort to reduce single-use non-biodegradable packaging, many brands are making the switch to eco-friendly materials for their disposables due to rising global environmental concerns.

In fact, here at Dillic Packaging, we are strong advocates for sustainable practices. We believe in eliminating unnecessary waste with sustainable options, encouraging eco friendly food packaging from our suppliers to our clients!

Conclusion

With these guidelines in mind, it’s imperative that you draw out a deliberate plan before approaching your packaging supplier. Always remember, customer’s expectations expand beyond the in-house dining experience. For delivery, you have to ensure that customers perceive your brand positively and selecting food packaging that’s suitable is one area to look at in maintaining quality and consistency.

With a combination of sturdy food packaging and outstanding branding, you can promote your brand’s visibility by empowering your package to speak for itself!

You can check out our range of ready-made products here:

https://shop.dillicpackaging.com

For customised food packaging, reach out to us via the link below:

https://www.dillicpackaging.com/map