People are reinventing the way they address health risks and wellness-related choices. Spending on wellness is currently more than half as much as spending on global health, as reported by the Global Wellness Institute (GWI). When it comes to health and wellness, the importance of packaging goes far beyond mere containment. In recent years, the packaging industry has undergone a transformative shift. It now focuses on sustainability and consumer well-being apart from functionality.
By Ismail Sutaria, Lead Consultant, Packaging and Materials, Future Market Insights
Consumers now want not only high-quality items but packaging that matches their lifestyle choices, making the relationship between common products and health more apparent than ever. Beverage packaging is changing to satisfy the requirements of consumers as health gains prominence in their list of priorities.
The packaging guarantees the product’s efficacy and safety for customers while also protecting it, whether it be vitamins, supplements, organic foods, or personal care products. In order to preserve product quality and promote individual well-being, let’s examine the importance of health and wellness packaging in this article.
Preserving Product Potency
Consumer well-being is greatly impacted by the materials used in food and beverage as well as supplement and nutraceutical packaging. Sustainable packaging has gained more attention in the health and wellness sector in the past several years. Research indicates that around one-third of customers are concerned with environmental health and find it significant that their decisions have an influence on the environment globally. Therefore, it is becoming more common for brands to choose environmentally friendly materials and package designs that balance product efficacy and safety with minimal negative effects on the environment.
Recyclable Packaging: Paper and glass are said to be healthier than plastic since they don’t react when handled. Advances in bioplastics, meantime, are opening the door to more sustainable and safe alternatives.
To keep air and moisture from destroying the substance, a lot of powdered vitamins and health supplements are packaged in jars or bottles with firmly sealed lids. These containers are often opaque or tinted to shield light-sensitive ingredients. For instance, the Los Angeles-based firm Phenomenon designed the packaging and fresh trademark for the fatty15 supplement in March 2021. The glass bottle with a bamboo screw top, colored green, and a reusable seafoam green color is ideal.
Barrier Packaging: Blister packs or foil pouches are examples of barrier packaging materials. They provide an impermeable barrier to preserve efficacy and prolong shelf life for items that are sensitive to moisture and oxygen, such as probiotics and some pharmaceuticals.
Melodea introduced a barrier solution for recyclable food packaging in December 2023. The goal of the new barrier is to minimize plastic waste sustainably while preserving food freshness. MelOx NGen is a plant-based, water-based coating that is intended to be applied to the inside surface of packaging, including films, bags, pouches, lidding, and blister packs that are used to hold CPG items.
Resealable Packaging: Meal replacement shakes, and protein powders are two examples of products with resealable packaging that ensure freshness and save waste.
Kate Farms® said in November 2023 that it is going to introduce its first line of whole-food blended meals. It is scheduled to be unveiled as the first whole food formula with resealable packaging that is modeled like meals prepared at home.
Enhancing Consumer Convenience
Demand for packaging that preserves beverage quality and encourages wellness has surged as consumers become more health-conscious. Packaging now serves a purpose beyond just protection, from designs that promote healthy choices to materials that stop chemicals from leaching. Features and functionalities of packaging are designed to satisfy the requirements and tastes of contemporary customers looking for hassle-free solutions for their wellness and health demands.
Portion-controlled Packaging: Single-serve packaging options for drinks, snacks, and supplements are getting popular as they provide easy portion control. These enable users to better monitor their consumption and uphold healthy behaviors while on the go.
Kind Minis, a 100-calorie or less snack that meets the needs of consumers looking for on-the-go snacks that taste excellent and provide balanced nutrition, was released by Kind Healthy Snacks in December 2018.
On-the-Go Packaging: The demands of busy customers looking for portable solutions for their basics for health and wellness are met by convenient, travel-friendly packaging forms such as sachets, stick packs, and pouches.
A vitamin dispenser that opens with a fingertip was introduced by CVS Pharmacy in June 2023. Daily vitamins and supplements are visible with this new CVS Health QuickServe Vitamin Dispensing System. It is also a reusable dispenser that gives one pill at a time without clogging the cartridges.
Information Accessibility: Clear labeling and packaging designs that prioritize essential product information make it easier for consumers to make informed purchasing decisions. It also promotes transparency and trust between brands and consumers. The Food and Drug Administration called for the creation of required front-of-package nutrition labeling in August 2022.
MegaFood stated in November 2022 that new labels for a couple of important product lines are going to be introduced. Best-selling items, including Blood Builder® Iron, Baby & Me 2™ prenatal supplements, and MegaFood Multivitamins, were among the first to have the updated label design.
Implementing Latest Innovation
As the health and wellness industry continues to evolve, so too does packaging innovation. An improved knowledge of ingredients in the things people wear and eat is now possible for customers with the help of smart technology. Packing technology is changing the face of health and wellness packaging with smart packaging solutions that track product freshness and biodegradable materials that lessen environmental impact.
Smart Packaging: Incorporating sensors and indicators into packaging design allows for real-time monitoring of product freshness and integrity. This ensures optimal quality and safety throughout the product lifecycle.
Brands that sell nutraceuticals interact with customers through smart packaging. ImpacX began testing its Vitamins.io 2.0 technology in January 2022 with the goal of “revolutionizing” nutrition and packaging. The startup uses personalized smart packaging that uses an app to remind customers to take and replenish their vitamins automatically.
Biodegradable Materials: Bioplastics derived from renewable sources like plant-based polymers are gaining traction as eco-friendly alternatives to traditional petroleum-based plastics. They have a lower environmental effect and are biodegradable.
Desert Harvest, a brand of nutritional supplements, stated in February 2022 that it is going to introduce two new environmentally friendly packaging designs gradually. These are refillable smart bottles for the whole supplement range from the firm, as well as biodegradable plant-based bags.
Nanotechnology: The food business has a lot of potential now that nanotechnology has been introduced. Nanotechnology has been used to improve the quality and functionality of food packaging materials in multiple recent developments.
Nanomaterials and coatings are being explored for their potential to enhance packaging properties such as barrier protection and antimicrobial properties. They offer new avenues for improving product stability and safety.
Chitosan-based nanoparticles and cinnamon essential oil are used to create zein-based films. These films have improved mechanical properties and antibacterial activity. The characteristics of zein nanoparticles increase the resilience of bioactive materials and plastics used in food packaging.
Conclusion
Looking ahead, the future of health and wellness packaging holds promise for even greater strides in sustainability, safety, and consumer well-being. It is reasonable to anticipate the development of packaging solutions that actively support the monitoring and control of human health while simultaneously safeguarding products as technology progresses. The potential for health and wellness packaging to positively touch lives is immense. It is opening the door to a more sustainable and healthy future through creative thinking, collaborative effort, and consumer-centric design.
____
Ismail Sutaria (Lead Consultant, Packaging and Materials) has over 8 years of experience in market research and consulting in the packaging & materials industry. He is a regular at industry conferences and expos and has been widely covered in electronic and print media. He is a Speaker at the upcoming Talk show – Rise of the Intelligent Packaging.
