Pet Food Packaging Archives - Brand Imaging Solutions

Food Packaging Guidelines

Pippa Walsh — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 11:51:59 +0000

A consumer makes up their opinion of a product within the first seconds of meeting a new brand. And, most of this opinion is formed just by looking at the packaging. While a product should not be judged by its cover, a lot can be understood by the tones used in the branding, the materials chosen, and the information displayed. But, aside from catching the eye of potential buyers, packaging - and what’s printed on them - are essential for other reasons. The 2019 Health Survey for England reports that 28% of adults are obese, and a further 36% are overweight. While these conditions are not only related to diet, they are severe health issues. Additionally, in the UK, over 2 million people suffer from food allergies, and this number is much greater when accounting for people with intolerances. Through clear and transparent labelling information, consumers can make choices that allow them to stay healthy and safe - as well as selecting locally sourced products, counterfeit and preventing waste. Here is all you need to know about displaying the right information on your food, beverages, and pet food labels.

Food Packaging and Labelling Requirements To Meet

The laws and regulations that surround food packaging are country-specific. In fact, it is easy to pinpoint the differences between US and UK labels. Additionally, in the UK, packaging and labels are still integrated into EU food labelling rules. However, nationally, most food labelling regulations were defined by The Food Information Regulations Act of 2014. According to these regulations, you will need to:

Understand industry-specific and food-specific guidelines
Provide essential information such as the name of the product, expiry date, warnings, quantity, ingredients used, country of origin, manufacturer, and cooking instructions.
Ensure that the paackging design is clear, accessible, and not misleading
Ensure that you are using suitable packaging materials

Of course, these regulations vary depending on the type of product you are labelling. However, here is an overview of the most important food packaging guidelines to follow.

General Guidelines

When it comes down to product labelling, there is no particular information that you must show - although the information that is included in the label must be truthful and accurate. However, when labelling food, drinks, and pet food products, you will need to follow the industry-specific and product-specific guidelines. In any case, all prepacked fast-moving consumer foods have to display mandatory information, and this needs to be

Clear and accessible
Easy to read and easily visible
Permanent
Easy to understand
Not misleading

Certain products, such as wine, spirits, bread and flour, milk products, meat products, sugars, irradiated foods, and foods containing genetic modification (GM), need to be labelled according to more specific guidelines.

Information To Be Included

Here is the main information your consumers need to have access to:

Food and product name - the name of the food must be clearly displayed and not misleading. If there is a legal name, that must be used. Alternatively, you should use a customary name or a sufficiently descriptive name.
Ingredients - if your product contains more than two ingredients, you need to include a list of ingredients that is easily identifiable by an “Ingredients” heading. The ingredients in the product need to be listed in descending order of weight.
Allergens - if your product contains any of the 14 most common allergens, you need to declare them by law. Ensure these particular ingredients are emphasized and easily readable - you can do so by using a different colour, a different font, or a bolded text.
QUID (Quantitative Declaration Of Ingredients) - this information shows the percentage of some ingredients contained in the food and needs to be shown immediately next to the ingredient name. While you don’t need to provide the quantity of all ingredients used, you need to do so if:
- That ingredient appears in the product name
- That ingredient is emphasised or bolded
- It characterises the food

Other information that must be displayed according to UK law include:

Net Quantity
Storage conditions and date
The manufacturer’s name and address (changing after EU Exit)
Provenance or country of origin
Preparation or cooking instructions
Nutritional declaration

You should also ensure that your consumer knows that the product contains ingredients such as sweeteners, sugars, colourings, aspartame, caffeine, polyols, and liquorice.

Design Requirements

As you can see, there is a lot of information that needs to be displayed on your products to be compliant with UK laws. Additionally, legal requirements specify how this information needs to be displayed. Some design label requirements include:

Minimum font size for mandatory information - mandatory information needs to be printed with a minimum x-height font of 1.2mm. However, if you are using a small label and the largest surface area is less than 80cm square, you can also use a font with a minimum x-height of 0.9mm.
Highlight mandatory details - mandatory details to be included in the labels include allergens, ingredients, and warnings. These need to be highlighted by words and numbers. You need to ensure that these details are easy to see and clearly legible.
The information must be difficult or impossible to remove - it is important your food packaging labels are difficult to remove or modify. This can prevent counterfeits and products that have been tampered with.

If you also export your product, there are other design elements you need to include. For example, you need to use the “e” mark for weights.

How Do Food Packaging Guidelines Impact on Design

As we have seen above, when labelling a product, you will need to meet all guidelines defined by your country. These can significantly affect your product packaging’s design and materials used - and it can be hard to find compatibility. For example, you might want to include only a small or plain label, but this will prevent you from offering your consumers vital information. Or, you might choose a certain type of packaging that is appealing but not suitable for the product you are selling. As well as this you also need to consider how you can keep to guidelines whilst also implementing a unified packaging strategy. Unfortunately, displaying the right, accurate information is essential, and you should not overlook this task. Nonetheless, with the help of the right creatives, you can incorporate your brand values, feelings, and themes within a clear and informational label. If you are unsure whether you are meeting all requirements, or wish to enhance the aesthetics of your packaging and labels without affecting their accuracy, we are here to help.

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A Guide to Sustainable Packaging In Pet Food

Pippa Walsh — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 11:30:39 +0000

When looking at the future of pet food packaging, there are some trends that offer hints on what’s about to happen. Firstly, the number of pet acquisitions among Millennials, which was already on the rise in previous years, has reported a sharp increase during the Covid-19 pandemic. Also, the consumers’ generational shift means that eco-conscious Millennials and GenZ’s are leading the way to change. The pet food industry is torn between these two trends. On one hand, the pet food sector is the fastest growing one in the pet care industry, with a reported CAGR of 9.08% over the past four years. On the other is the need to reduce the huge impact owning a pet has on climate change and carbon footprint. The biggest contributor is what you put in your pet’s bowl. So, there is undoubtedly a bright future ahead for your pet food packaging company - but not without a drastic shift towards sustainability. And remember that consumers will make up a brand’s impression within seconds, and your packaging is the first thing they will see - there is no second chance to get it right!

The Need For Sustainability

The pet food packaging industry is not the only one affected by the soaring sustainability trend. In fact, 90% of consumers report checking out a company to ensure that the business’s goals and mission align with their own values, and most buyers have learned how to distinguish between genuine efforts and greenwashing. So, how has this sustainability trend shifted today’s consumer's buying behaviour when choosing food for their pets? Here are a few factors to keep in mind:

Buyers are looking for local, organic, clean, minimally processed foods
Packaging labels and certifications, including “recyclable”, “organic”, “Cruelty-Free” and “BPA-Free” play an important role in the buying process.
Pet owners are more aware of the principles of preventive medicine, and they look for healthier, beneficial foods and ingredients
Larger package sizes that are resealable and durable
Bulk buying to reduce packaging.

The need for sustainability, combined with the perceived humanisation of pets, has encouraged owners to shop for higher-quality products that are also better for the environment - and most of them are ready to pay 20% more for these products!

The Issue With Food-Grade Packaging

Of course, the problem of plastic pollution and waste concerns all industries, and manufacturers across all sectors have learned how to appeal to consumers by cutting down on packaging or simply swapping to eco-friendly alternatives. However, the fast-moving consumer goods market - or the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector - has an added challenge to overcome. In fact, since they are quickly consumed and bought again, these products account for much of a household’s waste. Additionally, the packaging used for these goods needs to be food-grade, which means that it needs to reflect specific health and safety guidelines. Because of all this, the pet food industry is struggling to swap to more sustainable packaging and labelling. However, thanks to developing technologies, positive news tells us that the industry is changing. For example, leading members of the soft-drink industry have generated the first food-grade, fully recycled plastic bottle, and giants of the beverage sector such as Absolute are selling their drinks in Pulpex, a new, eco-friendly packaging technology.

Sustainability Throughout the Packaging’s Lifecycle

Pet owners and pet food buyers might be looking for recyclable products, but this is no longer the only indicator that a certain packaging type is eco-friendly. In fact, in the UK, around 68% of packaging waste and 46% of household waste is recycled - the rest of it does end up in landfills. So, the solution to the waste problem is not to create products that may or may not be recycled. Instead, it is important to weave sustainability in every step of the pet food packaging manufacturing process. From the start, each piece of pet food packaging needs to be manufactured from materials that are ethical and sustainably sourced. Additionally, it is important to separate the different materials, so that they can be easily disposed of in the right way. And of course, each material used should be recycled, recovered, or biodegradable where possible.

Less is More: When Luxury Becomes Minimalist

As we have seen, sustainability is the main trend reshaping the pet food packaging industry. However, the increasing pet humanisation is also impacting the pet food packaging sector. In fact, consumers are not only looking for products that are wrapped in recyclable materials. They are also looking for premium quality, minimally processed, and responsibly sourced ingredients that can help them take the best care of their pets. And, such a premium product needs to be wrapped in a luxurious label. This is where luxury meets minimalism: today’s designers need to increase a product’s perceived value for money while also sticking to the principles of sustainability.

New Brands Are Born Sustainable

Pet food packaging companies that have recently joined the booming market are based on sustainability - which is also integrated into their mission statement and consumer offer. A great example is Scrumbles. For these new brands, sustainable packaging is often the only possible option, especially if they are involved with environmental causes, such as protecting the oceans, turtle conservation, or animal equality. After all, choosing another alternative to sustainable packaging, for them, would mean actively going against their values, which is something that can inhibit customer loyalty and affect the brand reputation.

What Do You Want To Communicate Through Your Pet Food Packaging?

For many pet food packaging companies, the sustainability trend and the consumer’s request to switch to sustainable packaging represents a significant challenge. At the same time, the labels and packaging you use offer your brand unparalleled opportunities to tell your consumers all about your story - at a glance. Minimalist packaging, earthy colours, recycled and upcycled materials, minimally-dyed labels, and premium ingredients can be enough for eco-conscious consumers to learn more about your brand and decide to switch to your products. While you might be looking for a long-term solution for your products, it is important to understand that technology keeps developing, thus allowing for new possibilities to reduce your brand’s footprint and gain your consumers’ loyalty in an always more competitive landscape. Make sure to collaborate with an expert pet food packaging design that can tell you about the latest advancements in sustainable materials and allow you to create labels that convey the right message. If you would like to work with experts in packaging production on your pet food brand then get in touch today and email pippa.walsh@brandims.com.

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3 Trends in Pet Food Packaging

Pippa Walsh — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 14:12:51 +0000

The pet care industry has been growing for a few years, but the sharp rise in pet adoption during the Covid-19 pandemic has made this a market to watch closely. Aside from this impressive growth, new trends have allowed businesses in this industry to diversify and win over the minds and hearts of pet owners.

At a glance, the pet food industry has been the fastest-growing segment in the pet care sector, with a whopping CAGR of 9.08% between 2017 and 2021 - and it is expected to grow by 8 billion by 2023. At the same time, a sharp shift towards sustainability, organic products, and high-quality pet food has given brands plenty of opportunities to reconsider their offer and packaging to appeal to today’s pet parents. Here are the three emerging trends in the pet food packaging market to watch.

The Rise of eCommerce, Larger Sizes, and Resealable Packaging

No industry is completely immune to the rise of eCommerce - including the pet food packaging sector! The advent of online stores and shops stocking pet supplies has been disrupting the market - a trend that the consequences of the pandemic have heightened.

And, while retailers scramble to adjust to new business models in the pet food market, the search for more suitable packaging solutions continues. Indeed, there has been an increased need for high-quality bags and pouches that are not only able to maintain the freshness and flavor of luxury kibbles but also withstand shipping and delivery.

The advent of eCommerce has opened up several opportunities, including:

Packaging personalization - humans always feel closer to their pets, and they are more likely to invest in higher-quality, more expensive products. For example, online retailers offer owners the chance to put their pet’s name on the package.
More flexible and durable packaging - packaging now has to be more durable than ever as it has to be shipped to the customer’s door.
Larger sizes - Customers can choose larger, and therefore more affordable, packages without having to worry about carrying them home.
Resealable packages - these allow owners to buy larger pet food bags without having to worry about possible wastage.

Ultimately, pet owners have started to shop online for larger bags of pet food. When doing so, they want the pet food purchased to land on their doorstep intact and in a resealable bag, so they can make it last for longer.

Buying pet food online is a trend that is only likely to increase, especially as this comes with the added convenience and affordability for pet owners. Indeed, consumers no longer need to carry heavy bags or buy smaller packages because of their fear of wasting premium kibbles.

As the economy will start to open up again over the next few months, it is important for brands to understand the local economy better. However, in the meanwhile, business owners working in the pet food industry should be operating online, offering higher-quality food in larger, resealable bags.

A Shift Towards Higher-Quality Pet Food

It is impossible to understand the pet food packaging market without looking into the pet food market itself. And, when doing so, you will notice the rising humanization of pets by their owners. More than companion animals, pets are today seen as family members who celebrate birthdays, have their own social media handles, and deserve the highest-quality products on the market.

To heighten this trend is the shift in the pet-owner relationship that happened during the pandemic when pets have helped many people overcome stress, anxiety, and depression.

As pets take on an always more important role in family life, owners have realized how important nutrition is to keep their furry friends healthy and happy. In turn, families are prone to invest more money to ensure that their pet receives the best nutritional support.

Some of the trends that are disrupting the pet food market include:

Preventive medicine through certain foods
Healthier foods
Higher-quality ingredients
Less processed foods

And, as these trends evolve, the pet food packaging industry can reap its own opportunities. Indeed, there is a substantial need for high-quality packaging that can envelop and preserve premium kibbles and wet food. All this while also being able to deliver a feeling of exclusivity and luxury.

The humanization of pets is in continuous development, and it is stemming into new trends. In terms of nutrition, it is easy to see how this leads to natural, organic, gluten-free, or even plant-based diets. While the ethical and sustainability expectations of pet owners are always increasing, it is also worth considering that they are more prone to pay higher prices for the right product.

Sustainable Packaging is the Packaging of The Future

While plastic might not be totally out of our lives, it might be out of the pet food packaging market. To understand this growing green trend, it is important to look at the changing buying process of today’s pet owners.

Almost 90% of consumers will check out a company before committing to a purchase and, since all the information is accessible online, they can gain an idea of the company’s values within seconds. At the same time, the marketing campaigns carried out by several companies have encouraged the greenwashing phenomenon.

Undoubtedly, pet owners, just like other consumers, are looking for sustainable, ethically sourced, recyclable, and plastic-free products and packaging. At the same time, they have learned how to distinguish between brands that use sustainability as a marketing tool and those that uphold it as a core value.

Aside from the materials used in pet food packaging, it is important to display ingredients, processes, and sustainability standards clearly.

As pet food brands are increasingly concerned with offering organic, clean, and ethical ingredients, packaging manufacturers should find solutions that are entirely recyclable, BPA-free, and clean labels.

When exploring this trend, it becomes evident that there will be an increased need for designs that associate luxury with a natural, organic, and minimalist feel.

Bottom Line

The pet food packaging market is always in evolution, following the trends set by the pet food and pet care markets. However, some consumer trends have been disrupting the market - from a sharp increase in online purchases to a higher need for sustainable, recyclable packaging. While brands in the pet food packaging market have to keep looking out for sharp changes of direction, these trends have opened up impressive opportunities in an always-growing market.

We are experts in Pet Food packaging and have worked with leading brands. Get in touch today to find out more.

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