The glass jar has, for several decades, been almost synonymous with pickled products. The advantages are apparent – good barrier properties, chemical durability, and traditional design. Over time, however, with changes in consumption patterns and increasing awareness about sustainability, various deficiencies in glass jars become more and more apparent:
Weight and shipping charges: Glass being heavier than other containers means that glass containers weigh more, and shipping charges also increase due to their weight and, of course, their volume.
Breakage Risk: Fragility makes items susceptible to damage, from manufacturing production lines to dinner tables.
Opening difficulty: Especially difficult for the elderly and those who have arthritis.
Space inefficiency: Inefficient use of space with rigid shapes.
Why is flexible packaging the best option?
1. Light
Flexible packaging weighs only one-tenth the weight of glass packaging of the same capacity because it is lighter and compact enough to be carried around by consumers.
2. Superior Freshness Preservation
Contemporary flexible packaging employs multi-layer composite materials that are largely food-grade. These packaging materials possess superior oxygen barrier properties and light resistance. This implies that pickled foods will keep longer and possess less preservative content.
3. Improved User Experience
Stand-up pouches retain their stability, pour well, and can be made resealable for convenient drinking, with some models boasting precision pour spouts for portioning.
4. Sustainability Advantages
The usage of plastic in flexible packaging also stands lower compared to rigid packaging. This is because flexible packaging takes less plastic and translates to lower carbon emissions due to the efficiency that comes with the lower weight and volume related in the process of transportation. In addition, flexible packaging always sets the trends in the usage of environmentally sustainable alternatives.
Conclusion: Flexible Packaging – The Future Leader of the Pickled Food Industry
The change in flexible packaging of pickled foods from traditional glass and tin packaging to flexible packaging is not only an innovation in technology but also an answer to consumer demand in terms of sustainable development. The flexible packaging technology is not only more specialized in terms of retention of freshness but also more convenient in terms of portability and eco-friendliness compared to traditional packaging. The rise in demand for pickled foods across the world will lead to more advancements in flexible packaging technology to support their global development.
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