Guide to Food Packaging Design

Picture a supermarket shelf. There are two products on the shelf—same price, same quality. Which one will customers purchase? Most likely, they’ll choose the one with the best packaging. Great food packaging can influence buying decisions and increase brand recognition. That’s why you should spend as much time developing your packaging design as you spend on your pricing strategies, recipe preparations and marketing efforts. When packaging food:

1. Choose food packaging that showcases your brand.
2. Include nutrition labels.
3. Highlight the features that make your product unique, such as organic, whole grain or low fat.
4. Choose food packaging boxes and containers that stand up on the shelf.
5. Pick the appropriate packaging material for the type of food you sell.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Packaging food for takeout

If you sell fresh food or gourmet-to-go that is made in-house, packaging food in the appropriate takeout containers is essential.

I recommend: Choose aluminum oven-ready, plastic, Styrofoam, cardboard and Chinese type take-away containers at CreativeFoodPackaging.com. The Brenmar Company sells takeout containers including pizza, donut, cake and bakery boxes and bags and lidded containers for deli items.

Food packaging equipment

Sealing and packaging food on-site can be achieved in a number of ways. Heat-seal food packaging equipment removes most of the air from packages, such as salad bags, to reduce spoilage and extend shelf life. Other food packing options for your assembly line include lidded containers, standup pouches, lamination roll stock and bags.

I recommend: Doug Care Equipment has a full line of shrink wrap machines for foodservice applications. Heatsealco.com offers heat-sealing food packaging equipment for supermarket applications. Cello Pack Corporation makes equipment for food packaging companies and food manufacturer’s assembly lines. Find more food packaging equipment at Business.com.

Food packaging boxes

Sometimes your food packaging can be as simple as a box imprinted with your company logo—for example a pizza box.

I recommend: US Box has a variety of food packaging boxes for pizza, bakery or Chinese takeout. To find more manufacturers and dealers for food packaging boxes and cartons, check out Business.com.

Unique food packaging options

There are times when it’s good to think outside the box for food packaging options. If your product is one that won’t be consumed in one sitting, consider resealable food packaging. Other foods and beverages require tamper-resistant packaging.

I recommend: Zip-Pak custom bags are ideal for anything that needs a resealable package, including snack foods, such as cookies. Portola Packaging manufactures a full line of tamper-evident bottles and beverage cartons. Business.com has a long list of beverage filling and bottling equipment dealers.

Hire a food packaging designer

The colors, images and copy that appear on your packaging can make the difference between a sale and no sale. Take the DIY route on food packaging design and you risk making costly mistakes. This is where professional packaging designers come in. They study the marketplace and know what sells and what doesn’t in package design.

I recommend: Beacon Branding specializes in designing food packaging that includes everything from beer bottles to potato chip bags to canned vegetables. Goodwin Design Group, which specializes in products aimed at kids, has designed labels for Campbell’s soup cans and RainMaker tea bottles. Search the “Packaged Foods and Snack Items” category in Package Design Magazine’s directory for more food packaging companies that offer design services.

Food packaging labels

If you plan to sell your goods at retail stores other than your own establishment, there are two important labels your food packaging must include. One is the FDA-regulated nutrition label, the other is a UPC barcode.

I recommend: Learn what details you need to provide in your nutrition label in order to comply with the Food and Drug Administration requirements at the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition website. Get help from the pros by having your food products lab-tested for nutritional content. Intertek tests food for FDA compliance to assist food manufacturers from pricey recalls for incorrect nutrition labeling. Learn how to obtain a UPC barcode for your products by checking out Work.com’s guide to “Using Barcodes in Your Business.”

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• Have your food analyzed by a professional lab that has expertise in FDA nutrition guideline compliance to prevent costly recalls and/or fines.
• Check with your local health department for county guidelines on food packaging, manufacturing and shipping. Regulations differ from county to county and state to state.
• If you’re packaging food within your restaurant or store, cut costs by purchasing generic food packaging boxes and bags and by simply placing a label with your logo on them.

The official source of Food Packaging Design is the Food Packaging page at Business.com