Four Meat Packaging Trends to Watch in 2021

As consumers around the world look for convenient, easy to prepare, yet healthy foods, demand continues for more sustainable packaged meat products. For meat and poultry brands, this presents an opportunity to innovate with attractive and convenient meat packaging that promises long-lasting flavor and reduced food waste.

We explore four meat packaging innovations to watch in 2021 and beyond.

1. The rise of vacuum skin packaging

Shelf life and presentation of the meat itself both have a strong impact on the “buy / do not buy” decision in store, but also on the “consume / do not consume” choice at home.

Using vacuum skin packaging means a longer shelf life that leads to reduced food waste and a better cooking experience, as the meat has time to mature in the pack. This is why vacuum skin packaging is one of the key meat packaging innovations to watch.

Skin packaging decreases the need for protective packaging fillers, making it a cost-effective food packaging option compared to other methods. MAP processes adjust the air composition in the package to reduce oxygen content and therefore limit the potential for oxidation and microbial growth. This is done with a machine that removes the ambient atmosphere surrounding the food and replaces it with a lower-oxygen gas mixture.

VSP, on the other hand, removes all ambient air around the product and does not replace it with another gas or air mixture. VSP significantly reduces or eliminates the exposure of products to any oxygen and also allows the product to adhere more closely to the protective tray and film, reducing the risk of physical damage and extending the product’s shelf life.

Furthermore, skin packaging helps maintain the flavor and quality of meat by increasing the shelf life of the product.

Compared to modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), vacuum – or second skin – meat packaging materials such as Amcor SkinTite maintains a higher barrier to oxygen and water vapour, allowing for an up to 20% longer shelf life, reduced food waste and no drips or leakage.

2. More sustainable packaging options

Consumers want to make more responsible and sustainable choices without sacrificing product quality. Continued retailer and consumer demand for more sustainable products is prompting the development of recyclable meat packaging solutions.

In the UK, retailer Asda moved its entire steak range to 100% recyclable trays in 2019. In line with its ongoing commitment to “use less and recycle more” Asda removed more than 23 million black plastic trays for steaks across its Extra Special, Butchers Selection and Farm Stores lines. According to the retailer, this will save around 700 tonnes of plastic annually.

Our recent research into European consumers’ sustainability preferences shows that people are becoming more conscious about their packaging choices – in fact, 83% say they check on-pack instructions to know how to dispose of packaging correctly.

Offering a more sustainable range of packaging solutions is an excellent way to connect with sustainability-conscious consumers and demonstrate your brand’s commitment to environmental goals.

This is why Amcor has recently launched Eco-Tite® R in Europe, the first designed-to-be-recycled, PVDC-free shrink bag for fresh and processed meat, poultry and some cheeses.

Amcor Eco-Tite® R is designed to maximise shelf life, maintain food safety and reduce food waste, and it can be recycled in existing polyethylene (PE) plastic recycling streams.* This means that more consumers will be able to recycle their meat, poultry and cheese packaging, while enjoying the benefits of longer-lasting food.

3. Frustration-free cooking

Convenience packaging makes life easier for time-poor and nutrition-conscious consumers by offering portion control and food waste reduction. Easiness is a must-have feature for future consumers.

According to a Mintel study, 81% of consumers say they would choose resealable packaging over non-resealable packaging, and more than half (54%) would pay more for packaging with added features such as resealability or portion control.

Resealable packaging means a longer shelf lifea at home, and makes it easier to save snacks and edible items for later.

This kind of packaging gives consumers greater peace of mind around food waste. They are able to retain the product in its original pack and don’t have to use additional plastic film, foil, bags or containers to maintain freshness and quality of the product at home.

Meat packaging with features such as resealability, easy-to-open, easy-to-prepare and portion control are all big draws for consumers and will continue to be a focus for category growth. Amcor BePack™, with its easy-to-open and reclose feature, helps retain superior flavour, freshness and quality in convenient formats.

4. The rise of smart packaging

Transparency is vital to consumers, and this has only become more important since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. To this end, we’re likely to see the growing use of interactive labelling and QR codes, such as Amcor MaxQ, that tell the story of the product’s origin, steps involved in its manufacturing, logistics, and ingredients.

More than ever, people use their smartphones to engage with brands: to discover products, get special offers or learn more about their purchase. When a consumer picks up a product, they want to know what it can do for them. By scanning the digital code printed on the packaging, they’ll be able to find out nutritional information, product origin and product certifications. A scan can also provide detailed cooking instructions and recipes, a welcome support as consumers have had to learn to cook more at home in the past year.

In addition to transparent labelling, we expect to see more innovations in meat packaging design in the years to come.

With a sharp increase in online grocery shopping, meat brands must ensure their packaging is eye-catching – both online and on-shelf. In fact, Midan’s September 2020 COVID-19 survey showed that more than one third of meat consumers expect their primary method of purchasing meat will be online after COVID-19.

To find out more about Amcor’s wide range of meat packaging solutions, click here to get in touch.

Find out more about consumer perceptions and behavior related to packaging in our report: It’s a Wrap: The future of packaging is all about sustainability here.

*European countries with suitable polyethylene (PE) recycling streams currently include Germany, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Austria and Spain.