When deciding on food packaging design, most companies focus on keeping food fresh and cost-effective. But customer impressions are just as important; food packaging should make the product look fresh and tasty. Companies must also find ways to creatively showcase the healthy, quality ingredients they use to stand out in this competitive space.
When considering how to choose the right food packaging for your product, custom food packaging is a great way to achieve these goals.
Good food packaging design can enhance shelf appeal, increase shelf life, and offer a more convenient way for your customer to eat on the go.
Many believe custom food packaging containers are more expensive, but that doesn’t have to be the case, especially when working in high volumes. If your food looks more appealing or catches the eye because it’s delivered in a unique way, custom packaging will entice more people to buy and, in the end, offer a solid return on investment.
Thinking about custom food packaging? Here are some additional benefits to consider when deciding if a custom food packaging design is right for you.
When you’re offering high-quality ingredients and appealing to customer demands for freshness and convenience, custom food packaging offers more ways to deliver in a unique way. Use garnish inserts to bring croutons or a special ingredient to the fore, keeping them fresh and highlighting the added value to the customer, or use vertical packaging where sandwich ingredients are clearly visible and enticing.
With these added options, you no longer have to create food to fit into existing packaging. It allows you to create the recipe, the portion size, and the price point you want.
Custom packaging can also be designed to accommodate seasonal offerings and new recipes in a market that’s more dynamic than ever (without requiring a new container or line setup for every launch). A shared container footprint can hold different portion sizes or ingredient combinations, while interchangeable inserts keep components separate. That lets you refresh the menu while using the same filling, sealing, and labeling process.
A lot goes into your food products: freshness, high-quality, healthy ingredients, and unique options. Your high-quality food needs packaging that showcases this key difference from the competition.
For example, we advise Lacerta custom packaging customers: “Tell us about your food and what you’re looking for, and we’ll design it from scratch. Whether you want a small change to an existing package or a fresh new take, we create contemporary custom food packaging with clean lines and simple, informative labeling.”
A cleaner design allows people to see more of your food and quickly assess what’s inside, which will ultimately help you stand out. Just as importantly, custom packaging makes it easy to tailor features to your target market, whether that’s the grocery store perimeter, c-store shelves, or grab-and-go stations.
You want to present food in a way that’s compelling, and the customer can see its best aspects, whether it’s salad toppings, fresh lettuce in a sandwich, or field-ripened fruits in a healthy snack pack.
When you work with a custom food packaging vendor, you get more options that help you make the most out of shelf placement. Is it at eye level, or is the customer looking down at the food within a case? Your food packaging manufacturer can tell you which package style shows the best aspects of your food.
Custom design can also help you make better use of the space itself. Containers sized to fit the shelf and shaped to stack securely can create a cleaner display while making room for more products.
For more on how packaging shapes a shopper’s first impression, see The Science of Shelf Appeal.
While consumers value convenience, they’re also thinking about sustainability more than ever. Food packaging containers that use recycled materials or are designed to use less plastic are some of the ways manufacturers can help your company meet this demand.
Material choice is one way to reduce a custom package’s reliance on virgin plastic. Recycled PET (rPET) can be incorporated into the container while preserving the clarity needed to show off fresh food. For example, Lacerta’s ReCERTA™ material, used across its PET packaging, contains an average of at least 10% post-consumer recycled content. Custom blends are available when a project calls for a higher percentage and can be incorporated as part of the custom packaging design process.
The container’s structure can also play a key role in its sustainability. A custom design may be able to use less material while still protecting and presenting the food effectively. Lacerta’s Seal N’ Flip® illustrates the principle: replacing a rigid clamshell lid with a bottom-facing film seal gives shoppers a clear view of the food while using up to 50% less plastic than similar-sized clamshells.
Whether it’s creating custom food packaging for your newest menu offering or optimizing the shelf appeal of an existing product, leaning on the expertise of your food packaging manufacturer will help you create custom packaging that’s designed to maintain food integrity. It can help you ensure what you create looks and tastes as intended, extend shelf life, so food lasts longer, and maximize merchandising appeal.
More broadly, the right vendor can function as a true partner across the end-to-end product lifecycle. A trusted custom packaging vendor can actually help you respond to market opportunities faster and more economically by:
Working with Lacerta Group brings these benefits and more. We take a consultative approach to this design process, providing you with access to 30 years of expertise in the industry. We frequently consult with buyers, distributors, and chefs to make food stand out. Our minimalist custom packaging is well-designed and modern, and our dedicated team is known for its service and responsiveness.
We also do all prototyping and designs in-house to make your custom design process more cost-effective. And Lacerta offers faster speed to market, with custom packaging ready in as little as six weeks.
When deciding on custom food packaging, it helps to work with a company that understands your needs to ensure the right design for your food.
See for yourself what an innovative, collaborative partner can do for your food products. Request a sample of our containers.
Custom food packaging is designed around a specific product and the way it will be filled, displayed, and used. Instead of choosing a stock container and adapting the food to fit, you can tailor features such as size, shape, compartments, and sealing to protect the product and present it at its best.
Consider custom packaging when stock options make portions awkward, hide the food, waste shelf space, or do not work well with your filling and sealing process. It can also help when a new product needs a distinctive presentation.
It depends on the design, order volume, and tooling required. Upfront costs should be weighed against how the package performs in production, distribution, and on the shelf. In-house design and tooling can help lower the cost of getting started.
Timelines vary with the design and testing required. Lacerta typically produces an initial prototype within a week and can commercialize some custom solutions in as little as six to eight weeks.
Yes. Material, wall thickness, shape, and closure can all be considered during design to find ways to use less plastic while still protecting the food. Recycled PET can also reduce reliance on virgin material.