By 2020, the food packaging industry in India will soar to $65 Billion from the current $40 Billion. Being one of the five biggest packaged food sellers globally, India has established its position as a key market globally. The volume makes it Asia’s second largest country with over 34 Million tonnes of sales volume. Despite these promising developments and predictions, it is fair to say that India is still an evolving market for packaged food. This evolution is driving changes in the food packaging too.

Some prominent reasons for developments in F&B packaging include:

1. Urban lifestyle changes
2. Rising incomes of consumers
3. Changing need for preserving food quality
4. Encouraging reduced amounts of food preservatives
5. Drive to reduce food wastage
6. Protection against external and chemical damages
7. Informing customers and marketers about the food quality and its ingredients

2019 F & B packaging trends

Consumers are becoming increasingly aware. F & B brands are encouraging production in close alignment with high-quality, clean, fresh, organic foods, and sustainable or eco-friendly packaging. Undoubtedly, quality certification still remains the top priority. This trend is gaining momentum among marketers and consumers at large. Crowded grocery shelves demand product characteristics and offerings that can make the brand stand out.

Here are some of the top trends in F & B packaging that could transform the food and beverages industry in 2019.

Artistic impression – Artistic impression in F&B packaging often proves to be incredibly effective. Quite the emotional way to connect with consumers, it has been in the trend for almost a year now. Although the design implementation has been sporadic, artistic impression could well work wonders in 2019. More and more brands are incorporating this design trend. Packages will carry intriguing graphics conveying a message from the brand to its customers.

Absolut Chicago has been a trendsetter in this category. Teaming with Chicago’s acclaimed design community, Threadless, to carve an appealing city series edition that portrays the style, heritage, and unique flavor of the city.

Packaged to carry – Consumers on-the-go often resort to making online purchase. Brands face cut-throat competition and must go above and beyond to get loved and consumed by people. In this scenario, packaging could literally help the brand stand out.

Garcon Wines, the first and the leading manufacturer of flat, full-size, innovative wine bottles is a leader of this very trend. The brand presents a 100% eco-friendly, sustainable, convenient, and economical solution by using the post-consumer recycled PET in their bottle packaging.

Reinvigorating the staid look – This worked great for the Rice Ramen Noodle line. The company was actively trying to re-introduce their instant noodle cup into the comparatively healthier, flavorful, and sustainable rice noodle category. Rice Ramen was launched in the Red Miso, Masala Curry, and Tom Yum flavors. With Bulldog Drummond’s concoction of clever language, bold typographic look, playful patterns, and bright hues, the packaging clearly helped the brand showcase their different outlook.

Hues for you – Global brands are making a bold move by introducing bright, contrasting colors on packaging to shine on the shelf and bolster brand recall. Brands are also offering their customers a rare experience by personalizing their products. It’s not only the world’s biggest brands like Coca-Cola or Nutella are up for this. 2019 will witness the rise of smaller brands personalizing their design to attract customers.

Telling customers what’s important – Browsing the shelves for protein bars? There are dozens of them right there and you will have absolutely no idea what they can do to your health. And RxBar was one of them until its packaging was redesigned to give all the vital information the health-conscious consumer could ever need -in big, bold fonts displayed all over the package. In a world where consumers are much more conscious about what goes into their bodies expect this transparency to become the norm in packaging.

RxBar lists out its ingredients and calorie count in one unit on its packaging. A clever idea to save time and efforts of customers in knowing everything they need to know while buying a protein bar!

Eco-friendly, the need of today and tomorrow – A commendable move from Veuve Clicquot! The brand packaging clearly showcased its concern and commitment towards the environment by showcasing products sold in 100% recyclable packaging. The most intriguing part is the material used to develop its packaging – Transformed Grape Skin! Veuve Clicquot has managed to stand up to its commitment of being an eco-friendly brand by reducing waste and carbon-emission percentage. And, it’s done that while staying true to its roots (or should that be its vines?).

Eco-friendly packaging or ingredient-based packaging have already been introduced. We expect that trend to rise, indeed to dominate in 2019. The trends, in this fast-evolving space are changing at a breakneck speed. This is all driven by changing customer values and technological development. Brands will need a visual style that can help them boldly make their presence felt -and it could be by adopting one of these packaging trends that they may achieve that!

 

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