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Baby food packaging products are exclusively designed for packaging food for infants and toddlers. Different materials like aluminum cans, glass, plastic containers, etc. are used for packaging of baby foods.
Growing urbanization, rising demand for convenient packaging, and a hectic lifestyle of parents are some of the key drivers of the baby food product packaging.
Asia-Pacific is emerging as the significant market for baby food packaging due to the increasing use of packaged baby food by an ever-growing urban population. The global baby food packaging industry is expected to reach $81.83 billion by the year 2020.
Stand-up pouches are becoming very popular for packaging of baby food. These are lightweight and have very high barrier properties which keep the baby products safe and fresh for longer.
The pouches provide for effective flexible packaging for the baby products and allow the convenience to the parents for carrying baby food on the go. Stand up pouches with sprouts is also a popular trend as it offers the ease to squeeze the baby food and also avoiding wastage.
The marketers are moving towards manufacturing eco-friendly baby food pouches which are completely recyclable and have a low environmental footprint.
Materials for Baby Food Pouches
Babies are very delicate and it is critical that the packaging used for baby food keeps the food safe and hygienic. The baby food pouches are made from non-toxic and FDA approved food grade materials.
The packaging materials used are mostly chemically inert which does not react with the packaged baby foods. Generally, PET or polypropylene are used for making baby food pouches for packaging.
The baby food product pouches are manufactured using materials which have excellent barrier properties. Such pouches protect the baby food from external elements and keep the product safe and fresh for longer.
The baby food pouches are also made from recyclable materials which do not pose a serious threat to environmental protection. Materials like recyclable plastic polymers, paper packaging, cardboard etc.
are used for manufacturing baby food pouches. The food pouches have multiple layers of film lining which provide added durable protection to the packaged baby food from getting spoiled.
The food pouches are also BPA free which is a toxic material and is known to have adverse health effects on humans. Baby food pouches made from PET provide durable protection to the baby food during transit and helps to keep it safe.
How to Make Safe Baby Food Pouches
Safety is one of the most important factors for baby foods. The packaging of the baby food products should be done to ensure complete safety of the packaged food. Some of the important tips for making safe baby food pouches are as follows:
Safety of Pouch Packaging
One of the most important considerations for parents while purchasing baby food pouches is the safety of the packaged food. The pouch should be designed in a manner to ensure complete safety of the baby food from external elements.
Good quality packaging not only provides durable protection to the packaged baby food, but it also locks in the nutritional and vitamin content of the food.
The packaging should protect the packaged food from moisture, oxidation, and other elements to ensure that the food is not contaminated and fresh for consumption by the baby. Safe packaging also prevents the wastage of the food.
Making High Barrier Resistant Packaging
The baby food packaging should have excellent barrier resistance properties. The packaging should ensure a high degree of protection of the packaged food from elements like moisture, oxygen, UV light etc.
The packaging can be provided with an additional food grade barrier film to further enhance the protective barrier properties of the packaging. This ensures that the baby food is safe from contamination and spoilage due to the exposure to different external elements.
Protective packaging also helps the baby food to retain its nutritive value for longer and provide the required nutrition to the babies.
Using Chemical Resistant Packaging
Baby food product packaging pouch should provide complete protection. It should ensure that the packaged food inside is not contaminated or spoiled due to chemical reactions with the packaging.
The packaging of the baby food products should be made from materials which are chemically inert or have a high degree of chemical resistance. Such packaging materials do not react with the packaged food product when they come in contact with them for prolonged periods.
This helps the baby food to retain its original characteristics and keeps it safe for infant consumption.
Reusable Packaging
The packaging of the baby food products should offer convenience to the parents and babies in feeding. Most of the times the baby may not be able to consume the entire portion at once and the food may be leftover in the packaging.
The packaging should provide ziplock option which allows the parents to reseal the package after using it once. Generally, the food remains fit for consumption by the baby for another 24-hours after opening the seal.
The reusable properties of the baby food packaging offer considerable utility to the parents as they can prevent unwanted wastage of baby food.
Child-Friendly BPA Free Packaging
The packaging for the baby food products should be children friendly. It has to be used by the infants and they may be self-feeding sometimes which means more precaution should be taken in its designing.
The packaging should be free of any harmful chemicals especially the Bisphenol-A (BPA). If the packaging is not BPA free then harmful chemicals can leach themselves into the packaged baby food which can have a severe health impact on the infants.
BPA has been banned in many countries due to its harmful effects on human, especially in the infants. Hence, the packaging should be BPA free for ensuring the safety of the packaged baby food.
Designing Attractive Baby Food Pouches for Parents
Baby food pouches should be designed to attract the parents and enhance their confidence in buying them. There are many elements of designing which can be considered for making the product more attractive and genuine to the parents. Some of the important considerations for designing attractive baby food pouches for parents are as follows:
Transparency of Packaging
Transparency of packaging of baby food products is becoming a popular trend. The baby products when packaged in transparent packaging allows the parents to see through and verify what the product looks like before making the purchase.
Using a transparent packaging is beneficial for the marketers also as they can make the contents of the packaged baby food visible to the parents. This enhances the trustworthiness of the product and the establishes that they have nothing to hide from the customers.
Using transparent packaging also allows for the packaging to be colorful and attractive which drives the parents to purchase the product.
Convenient Packaging
Convenient packaging features also enhance the appeal of the baby food products and influence the parents into buying them. Baby food pouches can add features like a convenient opening of the pouch and ziplock which increase its functionality and make it more attractive to the parents.
Tear notches allow the parents to easily open the food pouches and ziplock allows them the flexibility of portioning the packaged baby food while knowing that the food is protected from harmful external elements which may spoil it. In today’s hectic lifestyle parents are looking out for such convenient features which can make it easier for them to feed their babies.
Clear and Honest Labeling
Honest labeling is an important feature of the packaged baby food pouches as it allows the parents to know what they are feeding to their babies. The different ingredients used to manufacture the baby food should also be clearly mentioned on the packaging.
The relevant certification of the baby food like USDA approvals should be printed on the packaging as it enhances the value of the brand and also provides greater confidence to the parents into buying it.
The packaging should clearly illustrate the story behind the product beginning from sourcing of the ingredients to the processes involved in manufacturing the baby food.
Barrier Properties
The packaging for the baby food pouches should be designed using materials which have excellent barrier properties. The packaging should protect the packaged baby food from moisture, oxidation, UV light etc.
to ensure that the product is not contaminated. In addition to providing barrier properties, the packaging material should also be chemically resistant. Generally, plastic polymers like polypropylene, PET etc.
are used for this purpose as they have high chemical resistance. They do not react with the food products when they come in contact with them which helps the packaged baby food to retain its original characteristics and prevent spoilage.
Attractive Design and Less Wastage
Attractive and colorfully designed baby food pouches catch the attention of the parents. The baby food pouches should be designed in a visually appealing manner which helps to differentiate them from competition and influencing the parents into buying them.
Since the baby food pouches will be used by the babies, it can lead to wastage of the food if not packaged properly. The baby food pouches should be designed to ensure minimal wastage.
Sprout packages are becoming increasingly popular as they have excellent squeeze rates which result in negligible or no wastage of the packaged food.
Designing Attractive Baby Food Pouches for Children
Designing of the baby food products should be children friendly and should be able to attract the attention of babies. Some of the important points for designing attractive baby food pouches which appeal to the babies are as follows:
Colorful Packaging
The packaging of baby food products should attract children’s attention. Children are attracted to colors and the packaging should be done in colors which the children find attractive. generally, the baby food packaging should be done in pure and clear colors.
Bright and vibrant colors capture children’s senses and also provide a sense of passion and vitality. Babies are more likely to gleefully accept the food packaged in bright colors.
Use of Playful Graphics
Use of colorful and playful graphics are a very important element of baby food packaging. Graphics are a very simple and pure language for visual communication with the babies which produce a strong visual cue for them.
Bright and vivid graphics are very effective in passing information and the features of the baby food. It also leads to easy cognition and reinforcement for the babies as they tend to recognize and associate with specific design and graphics.
Use of Different Shapes
The design of baby food products needs novelty and uniqueness to attract the attention of the babies.
The packaging can be designed in different shapes which the children can find unique and get attracted to. The different shapes of the packaged baby food can visually appeal to the children.
The uniquely shaped baby food packaging can help the children to associate themselves with the shape and eat the baby food with satisfaction and happiness.
Examples of Good Baby Food Pouches
Baby food pouches if designed well can become very popular with the parents and the babies. Brands regularly come up with new packaging ideas to make it more convenient for the babies to feed themselves. Some of the examples of good baby food pouches design are as follows:
Ella’s Kitchen Organic
The product is completely made from organic food and vegetables and nothing is added to it not even water. It comes in different flavors-mangoes, pears, and papayas, broccoli etc. It is suitable for babies over 6 months of age. The packaging is colorful and nicely designed which makes it popular with the parents and babies.
Bellamy’s Organic Food Pouch
The product is made only from certified organic ingredients and does not contain any preservatives, artificial flavors, colors, sugar, salt etc. The baby food is suitable for children aged 6-months and above. The pouches are ideally sized at 90g which is not too large and thus avoids wastage. The texture is also smoother and less runny which prevents it from getting messy while feeding babies.
Plum Organics Baby Food
These stage 2 food pouches are meant for babies over 6-months and are made with unsweetened and unsalted organic ingredients. The baby food comes with a combination of fruits, vegetables, yogurt, and whole grains. The packaging is BPA free, child safe, and comes with the resealable option. The colorful packaging is attractive to the babies.
Heinz Organic Baby Food Pouch
The Heinz organic baby food pouches are manufactured in Australia with completely organic products. These food pouches are for little babies also as they can be offered to babies aged 4-months onward. The baby food comes with a wide variety of flavors. The packaging is BPA free and eco-friendly as it is recyclable.
Nature Inc (Happy Baby) Food Pouch
This is a stage 2 baby food product and is manufactured only from USDA-certified organic foods.
They come in different flavors like apple, cherries, and blueberries, kale and avocado etc. The packaging is colorful and BPA free.
It can be refrigerated after opening and then can be consumed within 24- hours. It also comes in a Greek yogurt flavor which is good for the gut.
Sprout Baby Organic Food
The baby product is made from organic foods and is high on nutrition. The baby food does not contain any added preservatives, flavors, and artificial colors. The packaging is BPA free and child-friendly. The colorfully designed food pouch catches the baby’s attention and also provides them healthy nourishment.
