Baby food packaging uncompromising on safety and convenience, sustainability strong runner up

29 Jan 2021 --- Pandemic or no: safety, hygiene and convenience remain parents’ key three non-negotiables for baby food packaging. Slowly but surely, sustainability is becoming a fourth condition.

The environmental credentials on packs ensuring health benefits to both baby and the planet are becoming increasingly popular, accelerated by a growing number of global conscious consumers driven by ethics and sustainability. 

PackagingInsights speaks with Amcor, AR Packaging, Danone, Gualapack and Wipak to reveal how they adhere to these four guidelines to provide the very best in packaging for the world’s youngest and most sensitive consumer group.

Parents seek comprehensive and clear information
QR codes and other packaging technologies are becoming a popular tool to equip parents with full supply chain journey information.

“We see that parents in Asia look much more closely at the packaging to detect any types of deviations that would indicate a risk of the pack being counterfeit or tampered with,” says Johan Werme, systems sales director at AR Packaging.

This is especially the case in China, where counterfeit infant formula persists as a major concern even more than a decade after the national melamine contamination scandal.

AR Packaging’s new solutions require specialized equipment to prevent the risk of packs “being copied or re-used by criminals.” 

“This ensures the brand owners that no false packs are entering the market. Several tamper evidence and security features can also be added so that parents have the possibility to check if the pack is genuine,” Werme explains. 

Danone’s Track and Connect QR codes provide twice the guarantee the product was not tampered with before purchase.Scanning for traceability
Safety and brand trust is augmented through transparency, as highlighted in Innova Market Insights’ top F&B trend for 2021, Transparency Triumphs. 

Amcor addressed this concern with technology partner Kezzler to develop a can with a peelable, scannable aluminum membrane closure. 

Consumers can scan the unique QR code printed on each can’s aluminum lidding to experience the farm-to-store journey of that specific product.

The innovation scored Amcor a Can of the Year award in Trivium Packaging’s gold medal project for FrieslandCampina’s infant milk formula packaging, Geoffrey Gendebien, marketing manager at Amcor Flexibles EMEA, explains.

Danone also looks to leverage QR code tech. In early 2020, the dairy giant launched a data-driven Track and Connect service. By scanning a QR code with a smartphone, consumers can trace supply chain journeys and confirm product authenticity.

“This service was first rolled out in China for Danone’s Aptamil and Nutrilon brands and was subsequently adopted by Gallia in France and Karicare in Australia and New Zealand,” adds Agnieszka Tokarek-Nowicka, vice president of packaging for Danone Specialized Nutrition.

Gualapack’s tethered caps keep all pouch components together to prevent littering.Reassurance at first sip
Another safety measure is Gualapack’s anti-choking Babycaps that prevent accidental cap swallowing.

“Through consumer research, we discovered that Latin American consumers would prefer a tamper-evident band that is more visible than the current market standard,” explains Olivia Erfurth, Gualapack’s global marketing manager.

“We therefore developed a new cap and spout system based on our anti-choking Babycap, which features an alarming colored band that shows up once the packaging is opened, giving an immediate impression of tampering.” 

Convenience reigns
With parents’ safety and hygiene concerns satiated, baby food packaging has to perform on the next level of function: convenience.

“Imagine being a parent and preparing a feed for your little one,” prompts Tokarek-Nowicka. 

“You want a pack that is easy to hold and to handle, opens and recloses effortlessly and allows you to scoop out the formula if you’re preparing a bottle.”

Plastics are currently the most popular packaging materials for baby food.Just with safety, there are various ways of ensuring a handy baby food pack. Spouted plastic pouches are gaining industry popularity, not only due to their long shelf life and ability to reduce consumer visits to the supermarket.

According to Innova Market Insights data, one in two global baby and toddler launches use plastic as a packaging material. One in four are held in packets. 

“Spouted pouches are the perfect size for healthy on-the-go snacks and convenient for older children, as they are much easier to handle than jars and don’t require spoons,” shares Josefina Pönkkä, communications and marketing coordinator at Wipak.

Fruit and vegetable purees are known for getting messy, but flexible pouches are durable enough to be kept in a backpack without puncture or leakage. 

“Wipak’s bottom gusseted base allows pouches to stand directly on the shelf, pack efficiently in storage and use minimal space,” Werme adds. 

Sustainability: The latest pillar
Stand up pouches can deliver not just on convenience but also on environmental criteria. “Flexible packaging can improve the carbon footprint of baby food products thanks to its light weight, resource efficiency and ease of transportation compared to other formats,” outlines Amcor’s Gendebien.

Moreover, the company can provide brands with packaging options that contain bio-based materials derived from renewable, plant-based sources.

Wipak also shares it will be introducing mono-PP, recyclable packaging solutions to the market later this year to address “daily requests” for recyclable packaging. 

An example of this in the baby food sector is the recyclable mono-PP pouch from Nestlé’s Gerber brand launched early last year.

AR Packaging’s Sealio has a tailored scoop holder to ensure easy dosing.Overcoming environmental obstacles
While plastic pouches are enjoying their moment in the spotlight, Erfurth of Gualapack points to driving EU plastic-restricting legislation.

“By 2024, product design measures for single-use plastic beverage containers will be mandatory to ensure that caps and lids remain tethered to the container during its use to fight litter and improve recyclability,” she explains.

Long before the regulation takes effect, Gualapack has already developed a strap connecting the cap to the tamper-evident ring, preventing it from ending up in the environment.

AR Packaging System solutions deviate from the trending spouted pouches – a staple also in Amcor’s and Danone’s respective portfolios – to harmonize safety, convenience and environmental requirements in one product. 

Made from cartonboard, Sealio helps reduce plastics use and thereby carbon emissions. The pack rigidity of its fiber-based can Sealio enables the parent to open, dose and reclose the pack with one hand, Werme muses, “all while carrying the baby on the other.” 

By Anni Schleicher