The growing number of flexitarians has prompted manufacturers to provide cleaner, greener packaging.
Flexitarians are ‘flexible vegetarians’ who have a meat-free meal at least once a week, or on rare occasions.
Alan Davey, the director of innovation at global packaging company LINPAC, believes packaging manufacturers need to respond quickly to satisfy consumer demand in this area.
“If a consumer is looking to manage the amount of meat they include in their diet for health and wellness reasons, we also tend to see a preference for green-coloured and environmentally friendly packaging,” he says.
“The two desires seem to be interlinked due to some consumers’ concerns over the environmental impact of meat production.
“More consumers are buying green-coloured packaging and placing a greater emphasis on the eco-friendliness of products.
“Retailers and manufacturers need to communicate the suitability of their products to those customers.”
In some European countries, dedicated packaging for the vegetarian and non-meat sector has emerged.
LINPAC has had an interest in this sector since 2011, when a Dutch customer approached the company in need of green-coloured trays.
Four years later, LINPAC is now supplying 35 million trays to six customers in five different shades of green.
“In addition to this, growing numbers of consumers believe meat alternatives use higher quality ingredients and are therefore healthier,” Davey says.
“For retailers and brands, using premium packaging can help support this positioning.
“For example, some meat-free sausages and burgers that we see on our shop shelves are packed in 'butcher-style' packaging to create the same premium and personal experience created by your local butcher.
“When we go to the supermarket to buy meat, the product is clearly visible through the pack. We can see what we’re buying.
“Transparent packaging, traditionally seen in the meat category as it allows consumers to see the freshness and quality of the product, is now seen in the vegetarian category as well.”
Davey predicts new tastes will be emphasised through loud, bold and colourful designs on the packs, grabbing the attention of the flexitarian consumer.
“According to recent research, meat alternatives are predicted to grow by 12 per cent between 2015 and 2020,” he says.
“A desire to cut down on meat, rather than cutting it out altogether, is not a short-term fad but a trend that has established itself over the last few years.”
LINPAC has an Australian arm in Victoria.
WHAT TO EXPECT AS FLEXITARIANISM GROWS:
- Green-coloured trays and eco-friendly packaging
- More premium packaging such as meat-free sausages wrapped in 'butcher-style' packaging
- Transparent packaging for the vegetarian category.
