As consumer preferences shift and technologies advance in both the food and beverage and the food packaging industries, smaller-sized packages are becoming more popular. Thanks to an increased focus on health, convenience, and environmental sustainability, single-serve and miniature food packaging solutions are in high demand.

RELATED: Taking the Eco-Friendly Packaging Leap

With consumers now placing more importance on dietary intake — having a better understanding of what they’re eating and how much they should be eating — single-serve packaging is becoming the go-to choice for many health-conscious consumers.

Ease of use is another factor; in today’s fast-paced world, consumers desire portability, the ability to eat on the go, kid-friendliness, the ability to meet TSA regulations, and so on.

And finally, as environmental and sustainability concerns mount, steps are now being taken to reduce the risk of food spoilage while minimizing waste.

Companies Driving Demand for Single-Serve Food Packaging

The fast food industry has long depended on miniature packaging for on-the-go, portable condiments, salt, pepper, and other items. More recently, changes to kids’ meals, such as the inclusion of fruit as a side-dish option, are necessitating new miniature packaging solutions.

Traditional retail food producers are also beginning to require single-serve food packaging solutions. Yogurt and beverage producers are introducing portable standup pouches, while producers of items like jam and nut butters are increasing the number and variety of single-serve cup options. Companies in the spice industry are also expanding their product offerings to include individual and premeasured retail options.

Meal-kit services like Blue Apron, Plated, and HelloFresh are some of the largest — and newest — drivers of the single-serve trend in food packaging, as these companies depend on miniature and single-serve packaging to effectively portion out ingredients for consumers. Using this type of packaging for meal-kit services allows for optimal portability and intuitive consumer use.

How Companies are Meeting the Demand for Single-Serve Packaging

Food and food packaging companies are now pursuing various methods to meet consumers’ desire for conveniently packaged food. The specific solutions used, however, depend on the food product itself.

For instance, creating snack-sized packaging — or “snackifying” products — is an increasingly popular technique.

Snack-style packaging designs can be used for a range of products, such as single-serve spices and condiments for at-home use. This type of packaging is novel, convenient, and can help with portion control for consumers with health and dietary concerns.

Nutrition information labeling is also becoming more and more important; in addition to meeting FDA labeling guidelines, food packaging must also appeal to consumer sensibilities — a recent report showed that 61% of grocery shoppers believe that reading food packaging labels is an important step in maintaining health.

The “rightsizing” or downsizing trend in food packaging makes it easier for consumers to portion control and understand the nutritional value of the foods they’re purchasing.

Because producing miniature and single-serve packages inevitably increases the volume of packaging material used and ultimately disposed of, many companies are also focusing on environmentally friendly packaging initiatives.

To reduce waste and meet the growing consumer demand for sustainable business practices, many food packaging companies are offering compostable and even biodegradable packaging products, which are commonly produced using polylactic acid (PLA) based materials.

Partnering with an Experienced Contract and Toll Manufacturer

As demand rises for convenient, sustainable, and healthy food options, food and beverage producers and packaging companies are consistently working on innovation solutions to meet those demands.

To do so, companies often must partner with experienced contract or toll manufacturers; these experts can offer a wide range of services to help food-industry and food-packaging businesses create reliable miniature and single-serve packaging products.

Sierra Coating Technologies is proud to provide industry-leading contract and toll manufacturing services for the food packaging industry. To learn about the cost-saving benefits of working with a contract manufacturer, download our free eBook, “The Financial Case for Contract Manufacturing.”

Manufacturers have been using the process of lamination globally for over a century. One of the earliest variations of this process comes from the French chemist Edouard Benedictus.

In 1903, Benedictus accidentally coated a glass flask with a plastic compound; when the flask fell to the ground, the chemist was shocked to see the glass merely shatter and not break.

This concept behind laminated glass paved the way for several innovations from industrial manufacturers—including those in the paper industry. The modern applications for paper lamination are very distinctive.

• Enhanced product protection.

Laminations are ideal for creating a protective layer against substances such as water, oil, or grease; and is a common requirement in food and beverage packaging.

To ensure products remain sterile until they are ready for use, a vapor barrier—a thin, impermeable coating—can be used in conjunction with various laminates to keep moisture and oxygen out of the packaging.

• Security from counterfeiting.

Paper manufacturers often use specially colored laminating adhesives as a security measure against counterfeit ticketing. When a laminate-treated ticket is torn, the unique color is clearly visible, signifying the ticket’s authenticity. These specialized tickets are resilient enough to withstand contact with water and mild bending.

This practice is used with many types of tickets, such as those for sporting events, musical performances, and even public transportation.

• Light “Block Out” Barriers.

Some laminations are used to create an inside adhesive layer able to block the transmission of light. This “block out” coating is popular for many products that need to keep light from showing through the other side.

These products include advertisements (aisle signs or those found in store windows), trading and playing cards, photographic light boxes, and many others.

Learn About Our Paper Lamination Services

At Sierra Coating, we have over 20 years of experience providing customers with consistent, high-quality laminated paper products. In addition to being ISO, FDA, and NSF compliant, our products and services are versatile enough to meet the requirements of any application.

For more information on the extensive lamination services we offered, please contact Sierra Coating today

It’s that time of year again! Actually, holiday gift buying season starts earlier every year, but by now the odds are good that you have already picked up gifts either in the store or online. The odds are also extremely good that most of the products going under the tree are packaged in heat sealed blister packs, laminated or labeled.

At Sierra Coating, our adhesive coating capabilities play a major role in packaging many of the products you will buy or receive this season. Thanks to 20 years of experience in coating and laminating, we offer our customers the best in a long list of adhesive coating services and products including:

Adhesives

• Heat-activated adhesives
• Pressure sensitive adhesives
• Cold seal or Cohesive adhesives
• Laminating adhesives for similar and dissimilar substrates with wet or dry laminations

Labels

• Pressure sensitive
• Water activated
• Permanent
• Repositionable
• Weather resistant

One the main advantages of relying on Sierra Coatings is our ability to customize our adhesive coatings to your unique needs. We take into account every variable, such as the activation temperature of your packaging equipment and dwell time to determine the perfect coating for your application. The same custom and comprehensive approach goes into our lamination capabilities.

If your current adhesive coating and laminating services are putting a lump of coal in your stocking, then visit our website, or contact the adhesive coating and laminating experts at Sierra Coating today!

The reshoring of America is underway and gaining momentum. According to a survey from the Boston Consulting Group, 38% of the American manufacturing executives they polled are in the process of moving production back or at least considering the move to the U.S.A.

It was not too long ago that most manufacturers were touting the virtues of moving out of America to places like China and Central America.  So why the change of heart? Why have companies joined Sierra Coating in embracing the “Made in America” movement? While patriotism does play a role in the decision, in the end, business is business and profitability is king. No matter what continent you make your products, if you cannot keep your costs down, the odds of remaining competitive are low. 

At Sierra Coating, we believe a variety of factors play a role in the rebirth of American manufacturing. They include:

• Less Shipping

The farther away you manufacture or convert your goods, the longer the shipping routes and times. Shorter trip equals lower costs, it is that simple.

• Automation

For years, countries like China and Vietnam could claim lower labor costs. However, thanks to innovations in manufacturing automation, it is possible to make high quality products in America with less labor, faster, and more accurately.

• Regulations

While the U.S has always had tough and often costly environmental regulations, it is only recently that other countries have begun to catch up. The cost saving from less regulation overseas is starting to shrink.

• Pride

It is hard to replace the pride you get from actually seeing a product come to life. We think that it is this sense of accomplishment has been missing from America for far too long. Reshoring means having pride in your work, your products, your people, and best of all, your country.

• Natural Gas
  At Sierra, we have become more competitive because of less reliance on foreign energy.  There is a wealth of natural gas and energy to be used which provides a financial advantage.

While there are other more complex reasons for America’s manufacturing renaissance, these five get at the core of the movement. The Sierra Coating family is excited about the future of manufacturing in the U.S., and we could not be more proud to be leading the charge towards a better America.

There could not be a more exciting time to be involved in the food packaging industry. It feels like every day brings some new and innovative way to package the foods we eat.  In order to bring today’s hi-tech packaging designs into production and to the consumer, there are a few things that you must have.  This blog will not only highlight those “must-haves” but also shine a light on how Sierra Coating Technologies offers them to our clients.

High-Quality Facility

It goes without saying that to produce a high-quality product you need a high-quality facility.  In the food packaging industry, that means one thing, Good Manufacturing Practice or GMP for short.  These general guidelines include making sure your facility:

• Is of suitable size, design, and construction
• Is clean and cleanable
• Has the right equipment with right personnel trained and experienced to run it
• Offers proper labeling, record keeping, and lab controls

Raw Material Standards

While GMP is more of a suggestion than a regulation, when it comes to the raw materials you use, FDA guidelines are set in stone.  No matter the type of food you are dealing with, whether it is fatty foods, meats, or dry foods, you need the perfect raw materials to meet the exacting FDA food packaging standards. If you don’t have access to these materials and a staff capable of understanding the intricacies of the FDA standards, you cannot be a successful food packager.

The next time you choose a coating company for an important food-packaging job, make sure they can offer you a facility that meets GMP guidelines, understands FDA regulations and requirements, and a staff that can get the job done right.   At Sierra Coating Technologies, we can offer you all of the above, and more.