Speaking to ConfectioneryNews from the Pack Expo show floor in Las Vegas, Mark Brogan, director of technology and innovation at Printpack said see-through packs were conventionally made with different coated polyester films such as silicon oxide and aluminium oxide, but also with cheaper polypropylene.
“There’s a long track record with polyester, so from a quality standpoint I would say go with polyester. Polypropylene is a little more cost effective, but the history is not there and one mistake can take care of those cost savings.”
Clear packaging trend in confectionery
He said the use of clear packaging was growing fast in the industry.
“You can see it on the shelf and you can see when someone has a real quality or unique shape. Consumers can actually see that and they don’t need to see the picture.”
More expensive, but costs coming down
Brogan said these packs were mainly being used by premium confectioners at present as they were still quite expensive - usually around 20% more than metalized polyester.
“I think you’re going to see that cost difference continue to come down. We’re working hard with our suppliers to find a more economical solution, so it is very similar to a metalized film and at that point I think it will open up the whole market.”
“What you are going to see more and more of is high barrier, high clarity packaging. So you can actually see the product in a lot of cases, but you can still have the high barrier to keep the freshness.”