As you probably already know, there are many factors that come into play when you are packaging food products, and we understand that generalizing food as a category really broadens the scope. With numerous types of foods, each with different regulations and guidelines that must be followed it can be an overwhelming topic. Which is why we're covering the top six 'need-to-know' topics that any type of food manufacturer should know for their product packaging.

The summer sun brightens our days and keeps us warm, but it can take a toll on your product packaging. If you manufacture temperature sensitive goods such as chocolates, produce, flowers, meats or other perishable items including pharmaceuticals or certain health care products, it's imperative to have procedures in place for proper handling of your packaged goods in any type of climate. In order to keep damages and repackaging to a minimum, we've gathered some tips to guide you during the dog days of summer.

As the Manager or Supervisor in charge of manufacturing and production floors, your goals for increased productivity and lower costs are almost always at the top of the priorities list. According to several voices across the web, freight and labor costs as well as inventory control are the main contributors to lower productivity and increasing costs. Not mentioned enough is how to impact these numbers, or where to begin. By reviewing your packaging process and your overall production line, you can find several ways reduce your total cost of packaging and impact your labor numbers while improving efficiency. Here are the top seven ways that packaging can positively impact these numbers.

SQF, or Safe Quality Food, is a rigorous certification program in the safe handling of foods for manufacturers and distributors that is recognized all over the world. It’s not new - it’s been around for over 20 years, and is designed to be used in all sectors of the food industry including farming, manufacturing, packaging, warehousing and even food for our pets. This certification minimizes the incidence of unsafe food reaching the market place and involves training a SQF practitioner, possibly contracting a consultant, getting a program written, passing a desk audit and then, at last, passing the on-site certification audit. It takes a good amount of perseverance to get this certificate, but fear not! There are some great benefits to this effort. Here are 5 compelling reasons to implementing an SQF program:

When it comes to void fill for shipping protection, air pillows are effectively the 'new guy in town'. The ecommerce giant Amazon has led by example and made the switch to air pillows thanks to their ease-of-use and low cost, not to mention they are more environmentally-friendly when compared to alternative forms of void fill. Consumer frustration over complex, bulky and difficult to open packaging is another reason that air pillows are growing in popularity. Your warehouse, plant floors, and production KPI's will also find the small footprint of storing pillows to be an added benefit when space is limited. We’ve listed the top 4 reasons why air pillows can benefit businesses of all sizes.

The products you manufacture for consumer purchase must be designed with proper planning and research to provide the most value with the lowest cost of production. This means that the packaging you go to market will require attention to detail in order to gain visibility in the marketplace as well as to convey the value that the product holds. The packaging materials themselves and the visual appeal are vital in grasping consumer’s attention, making the sale, and gaining repeat business. Think more of product packaging as an investment - rather than an added cost.