Tetra Pak, the world’s leading food processing and packaging solutions company, shared the latest insights on the future of the food and beverage industry at the company’s Customer Innovation Centre (CIC) in Singapore. CIC is an experimental facility where the company reveals growth opportunities, help to enhance the innovation process and uncover new or improved solutions. The latest trends that Tetra Pak specialists identified and shared at CIC as the key drivers of the change today were technology and sustainability.
Digital technology is the first trend which is transforming the way that food and beverage manufacturers operate. Research shows that products with new functionality are in demand, with more and more consumers willing to pay more for smart packaged products, mainly because it can ensure food safety. Smart packaging gives shoppers the ability to access vast amounts of information such as where the product was made, the farm that the ingredients came from and where the package can be recycled. For the online grocery industry, which is expected to grow at double-digit rates in the next four years, smart packaging solutions can be utilised throughout the consumer journey to improve logistics and consumer experience. For example, through innovative radio frequency identification (RFID) applications on packages, online retailers have seen up to 30% increases of a specific brand’s sales.
The second key trend identified by Tetra Pak is sustainability. Demand for more sustainable packaging is on the rise globally. In Southeast Asia 49% of consumers think that buying food products that are environmentally friendly is very important. Packaging has an important role to play across in these issues, with beverage cartons being amongst the most environmentally-sound packages available. Not only are they made mostly from renewable materials, carton packaging is 100% recyclable, including the straws and caps. Lightweight beverage cartons are also one of the most logistically efficient to transport, and least likely to result in breakages and therefore unnecessary waste. E-retailers report that space-efficient carton packaging can reduce transport volume by 30% to 50%. It also appeals to urban consumers in small homes with limited storage.
“Technology and sustainability became the key trends in the packaging industry mainly because both consumers and companies focus on them”, said Supanat Ratanadib, Tetra Pak Thailand Marketing Director. “When manufacturers, retailers and shoppers share the agenda, we see a major disruptive process. It is our mission to share important trends like this with our customers to help their business grow today and tomorrow. At CIC, we not only showcase our end-to-end capability but also work in collaboration with customers to generate new ideas and make these trends come to lives.”
CIC in Singapore was set to take Tetra Pak’s customers, prospects and industry opinion leaders through global trends. It is equipped with the latest tools and technologies and is designed to facilitate ideations, brainstorming, prototype product formulations, customize packaging designs and finally refine the product until its full-scale market launch. The centre helps the region’s food manufacturers uncover growth opportunities, enhance product innovation, and create winning solutions for their brands. It’s one-stop-shop brings together the infrastructure, the innovation process and the expertise required to develop an idea from end-to-end.
