A wide range of ready-to-eat meals and snacks can now be found on the shelves of food retailers and it is impossible to imagine life without them. Some companies are focussing on glass packaging, which enables convenient and sustainable consumption. This is because glass offers numerous advantages as a packaging material.
The food and beverage industry is characterised by constant change and a range of different trends. A few decades ago, the majority of consumers spent a lot of time preparing fresh food. Today, quick, easy and convenient enjoyment is becoming increasingly important for consumers. Be it at home, in the office or on the go, at breakfast, dinner or as a snack between meals. „Convenience“ is the magic word here - practical, ready-to-eat meals, preferably sustainably packaged.
Two fast-growing trends in the FMCG sector (according to GfK Consumer Panel FMCG, FMCG Trends D-Total, 2015 vs. 2018) are therefore convenience and sustainability. For many consumers today, everyday nutrition must be simple, convenient and time-saving, but also sustainable. They implement these needs in their purchasing behaviour and thus have a significant influence on product development in the industry: with annual around 40,000 new products the food industry is meeting the changing expectations of increasingly conscious consumers (Federation of the German Food Industry, Annual Report 2016/2017, page 5).
This is also the case in the convenience sector, where many companies rely on glass packaging. Glass is almost exclusively made from natural raw materials which occur almost indefinitely in nature, and it is not possible to produce 100 per cent infinitely recyclable without loss of quality. Thanks to their practically inert properties, the products are ideally protected and retain their unadulterated flavour.
In addition, glass packaging enjoys consumer confidence and offers Individual design options. Three product examples show how companies from the food industry are responding to these trends and meeting consumer demands.
Organic granola for breakfast
Grandma used to say that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. The founders of HEYHO! share this view and have developed their granola muesli for the perfect breakfast - packaged in a customised jar. The muesli creations are based on sweetened and baked oat flakes called granola.
„We wanted to improve our Granola creations right from the start vegan and therefore sweeten them with agave syrup instead of honey. They are baked in coconut oil,“ says Managing Director Stefan Buchholz. „We opted for glass for the packaging - it looks great, preserves the flavour of our granolas and is super practical - even to take away.“
The creations are made in the company's own roasting plant in Lüneburg and are on metal sheets by hand roasted. The hands that take care of it are all part of the self-proclaimed „oat gang“ behind HEYHO! „We're a colourful bunch, we enjoy our work and prove that positive participation is possible,“ says Stefan Buchholz. „We want a good start to the day for everyone, not just at the breakfast table.“
The HEYHO! team shows social commitment and creates organic quality breakfasts for at home or on the go. With the varieties „Frühsportfreunde“, „Late Night Breakfast“, „Golden ChaiChai“ or „Saltcity Original“ in practical jars, there is something for every taste: fair and to go - in line with the wishes of many consumers.
(Image: NABA Feinkost GmbH)
Colourful bowls with pulses
Crunchy pulses, vegetables, protein-rich seeds: All of this is hidden in the Veggie bowls from Nabio. With beans, lentils and chickpeas, the family business offers varied meals that are rounded off with unusual ingredients such as edamame or hemp seeds.
„With our veggie bowls, we are bringing a To-go product on the market that tastes really good, is innovative and sustainable,“ explains Donata von Reiche, co-partner and marketing manager of NABA Feinkost GmbH, „and at the same time develop a fast food for the nutrition-conscious that allows flexibility in everyday life.“
In a practical, resealable glass jar with enclosed Wooden spork the veggie bowls from Nabio are perfect for on the go. What's more, the entire packaging is recyclable: „We opted for a more expensive wooden spoon instead of plastic for the food. And for the contents, of course Glass as packaging, because that's what our bowls are made of Can be kept unrefrigerated for eight months and thus set an example against the plastic craze on the to-go shelves of German supermarkets,“ says Donata von Reiche.
(Image: ENGLERT Feinkostspezialitäten GmbH & Co. KG)
Drinking soups to go - with caffeine
The Englert delicatessen manufactory offers an alternative to energy drinks and coffee with its innovation, the Drinking soups „Kick to Go“. The basis for the vegetarian, partly vegan soups „with a kick“ is a vegetable stock that is slowly simmered in our own manufactory according to a traditional recipe and supplemented with fresh vegetables, spices and caffeine in powder form.
„We attach particular importance to Pleasure and naturalness of our products and therefore work completely without flavour enhancers or preservatives. The aim is to offer our customers a healthy alternative for on the go and in between meals using the best ingredients,“ says Laura Englert, Junior manager of the family-run Englert Feinkostspezialitäten GmbH and representative of the fourth generation.
The ready-to-drink soups in the flavours „Tomato + Pepper + Nettle“, „Lentil + Cashew“, „Pea + Mint“ and „Sweet Potato + Mango“ can be consumed both hot and cold. „Our innovative soups are perfect for conscious and delicious nutrition on the go. That's one of the reasons why we opted for glass as sustainable packaging,“ adds Laura Englert. With its „Kick to Go“ drinking soups, the company is responding to the call for high-quality enjoyment and redefining a classic product - soup - with the addition of caffeine.
[infotext]A look at practice shows that some companies are following consumer wishes and combining the convenience and sustainability trend in new, convenient products. They are using glass as modern and sustainable packaging[/infotext].
