How to choose the best packaging for a product?

It is the inside that counts, one often says. Although appropriate packaging can give fruit and vegetables an enormous boost. Is your decision based on sustainability, longer shelf life or clever marketing? Prominent wants to stimulate a conscious decision and discusses the added value of great packaging. 

Sustainability is a broad concept
If you go for sustainability, using no packaging at all seems to be the most obvious choice. Think again. Firstly, loose products are touched by consumers, which creates bruising and influences shelf life. Secondly, one can only guess how consumers transport the tomatoes from retailer to their kitchen. In a plastic bag, its paper equivalent or a reusable bag?

Choice of material also plays a role at producers and retailers. What is the origin of the raw materials that are used for their packaging? And what if these are thrown away after use? Is recycling possible? Would this be achievable for consumers? As sometimes the packaging itself can be recycled, whereas the attached sticker cannot.

Great packaging offers protection. That is why organic products are often wrapped in plastic. This might seem contradictive, but organic products are more fragile than non-organic varieties due to their production methods. In this case, plastic packaging guarantees a longer shelf life.

Packaging with numerous functionalities
Next to protection, packaging also has other functionalities. Vine tomatoes – from cocktail tomatoes to their big brothers – are often weighed and displayed in a container. This makes it easier for consumers to quickly grab them off the shelves. Sweet snacking tomatoes are also easy to carry, as they often come in handy buckets.

And since as a producer or retailer, your focus lies on packaging, why not create something beautiful? By making sure your packaging reflects a certain image, it instantly fits your marketing strategy. Consumers are susceptible for appealing concepts. Whether this is reflected in a posh packaging for cocktail tomatoes or a fun illustration to encourage children and their parents to purchase snacking tomatoes.

The right decision has a positive effect on the entire chain
When do you select which packaging? For every tomato you can find a fitting packaging. But are these solutions successful in the long run? And can they also be used on a larger scale, so not only the producer, retailer or consumer but the entire market can benefit from it? By keeping an eye on elements such as sustainability, longer shelf life and marketing, fruit and vegetables can ultimately be taken to the next level.

Prominent is a brand of Growers United UA. This organisation is responsible for the sales, marketing and quality control of the product.