Organic foods are becoming increasingly popular among health-conscious consumers throughout the world. Words such as “natural”, “organic” and “healthy” are appearing increasingly on food packaging, and “processed” is becoming synonymous with “unhealthy” for a growing number of people.
Going organic
In the US, many classic mainstream brands are changing in response to consumer concerns about what is in their food. One way big companies are dealing with the perceived threat is to buy smaller companies but keep the independent and small image of these companies so that consumers are largely unaware of the change in ownership. Examples of this include Colgate-Palmolive’s acquisition of Tom’s of Maine’s fluoride-free toothpaste and the takeover of organic products Annie’s Homegrown by General Mills.
The core products of some manufacturers are also changing to emphasise the health benefits, even of products that are not organic. For example, packaging incorporating the words “natural” or claiming “no preservatives” is becoming more common. Although some companies are altering the formulation of some products to make them organic, they are also continuing to produce the classic brands that many people know and love. As organic food is typically much more expensive than non-organic food, not everyone is going to want to change their lifestyle.
Labelling and packaging of organic food
According to the Huffington Post, the designs of food packaging can present a lifestyle, capture attention, demonstrate the mission of a brand, and persuade us to choose healthier options. Ultimately, the packaging can determine whether or not we buy a product, so keeping packaging up-to-date with packaging machines is of enormous importance.
About Organics gives information about the requirements for the food labelling and packaging of organic food in the EU. Packaging materials should be recyclable whenever possible and should display the organic accreditation symbol. All unnecessary packaging should be avoided for organic foods, so searching for companies such as http://www.packaging-machines.co.uk/ for packaging machines that comply with strict organic standards is increasingly important.
Products can only be called organic in the title if 95 per cent or more of the ingredients are organic. Changes are generally included on the packaging in a way that describes the improvement but does not cause consumers to have doubts about the new process or ingredients and reassures them that the taste is as good as ever.