Page 42 - Food&Drink Magazine October 2021

ENVIRONMENT MATTERS
Packaging your credentials
Changing consumer attitudes and increasing urgency for global climate action means action by all is non-negotiable. tna solutions CEO and managing director Alf Taylor breaks down the top three ways sustainability is shaping consumer demand, and how brands can adapt their packaging operations to keep shoppers coming back for more.
A “code red for humanity” is how the United Nations secretary general described the most recent IPCC report, which details the impact on the planet if decisive action is not taken to limit climate change. Language like this reflects the seriousness with which the international community is treating the climate crisis challenge – a sentiment that has also prompted a marked shift in consumer behaviour.
Driven by a growing sense of environmental consciousness, consumers are looking to shop more responsibly, reduce food waste and make informed decisions about the products they buy, and the companies they support. To keep up with these demands, food manufacturers must remain sensitive to consumers’ shifting environmental attitudes, without neglecting the other key trends shaping shoppers’ decisions in the post-pandemic world.
1HEALTH IS STILL KING Just as world events have made consumers more
environmentally aware, the pandemic is still fuelling an intense focus on health and wellness. In contrast to pre- COVID-19 attitudes, shoppers are less likely to gravitate towards fad diets. Instead, many are
looking to make long-term changes to the eating habits to lead a healthier,
happier and ultimately longer life.
This quest for holistic wellness currently seems to be eclipsing consumers’ desire to shop more
sustainably. Indeed, 57 per
cent of those surveyed by GlobalData state that how a
product effects their health influences their decision to buy, versus 42 per cent who say the same of a product’s
environmental impact. Making their offering more
sustainable could also help brands appeal to wellness- focused consumers. Often
called the ‘health halo’ effect, research has found that shoppers perceive eco-friendly products
to be fresher and healthier, making them more likely
to buy based on health and environmental responsibility.
The meteoric rise of plant- based products is a prime example of how the health halo can boost sales. Among the many reasons people choose to consume plant- based alternatives, 60 per cent cite improved health and wellness as their main incentive, with the next most popular factor being animal welfare and sustainability.
Clearly, ideas around sustainability and healthfulness are closely linked in consumers’ minds, meaning producers have everything to gain by targeting both trends.
For food manufacturers, the key to success in this area is choosing flexible, efficient processing and packaging solutions that can be adapted quickly to produce plant-based or ‘better-for-you’ products.
Power and resource saving features, such as automated gas-flow analysis software, can help boost the power of the health halo effect even further – minimising energy wastage and ensuring fewer packs are rejected due to being under or over-filled with gas.
2
Like attitudes concerning health and nutrition, the pandemic has radically altered consumers’ ideas about food hygiene and safety. In a recent survey conducted by GlobalData, ‘comfort and safety’ ranked highest among consumer purchase drivers, with 57 per cent stating that a product’s trustworthiness usually factors into their decision to buy, while 51 per cent said that ‘tamper proof ’ packaging has become more important to them because of the pandemic.
The same survey found that
tna’s latest model of its flagship robag vertical form fill and seal packaging system can achieve wastage as low as 0.1 per cent with maximum efficiency and enhanced energy savings.
SAFETY FIRST, THEN
SUSTAINABILITY?
42 | Food&Drink business | October 2021 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au