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.