5 [ستبس] إلى يعبّئ منتوجك

منتوج يعبّئ يستطيع حقّا جعلت أو كسرت قدرتك أن يبيع منتوجك, غير أنّ مع هذا خمسة [ستبس] بسيطة إلى يبدأ يعبّئ منتوجاتك, سيتلقّى أنت كثير يتيح ذهبت من أشياء.

تكون أنت إحساس يقهر خلال يحاول أن يطوّر مجموعة ينوى لمنتوجك جديد تماما? يفاجئ هذا لا واقعيّا في ال بعض. قد جعل يعبّئ اسم ل بنفسي كالصناعة ثالثة كبير في البلد كاملة, وهناك أكثر من [تن ثووسند] يعبّئ صاحب مصنع في الولايات المتّحدة الأمريكيّة فحسب. هناك هكذا كثير مختلفة بائعات وإختبار مادّيّة, مع الإختبار يتوفّر إلى أنت يكون في الواقع لانهائيّة.

[إين وردر تو] بدأت يعبّئ منتوجك, يحتاج أنت أن يكون يمكن أن يضيّق نزولا إلى الموردات وال [متريلس] أنّ يكون يتوفّر إلى أنت. هذا يذهب أن يكون خطوتك أولى ل عندما قد طوّر أنت منتوج دون يطوّر مجموعة أنّ يماثل مع هو. الذي بائعة يكون يذهب أن يكون ال يصحّ بائعة ل أنت? ماذا يكون ال [بكج متريلس] أنّ يتلقّى أنت يتوفّر إلى أنت? تكون أنت مدركة من الفروق دقيقة أنّ يتواجد بين كلّ نوع المادة, [أس ولّ س] ما نوع القيمة كنت سيحضر ب كلّ عندما يذهب منتوجك وه يماثل يعبّئ أن يتسوّق? كيف يكون أنت تذهب أن يفرز من خلال [ألّ وف ث] معلومة [أس ولّ س] موردات خارجا هناك [س ثت] أنت يستطيع بدأت يعبّئ منتوجك جديد تماما? سيحصل هذا خمسة قواعد أنت يذهب.

أتمّت 1 - [فيرست ند فورموست], واجب منزليّك. قبل أن يقرّر أنت حتّى كيف أنت يكون تذهب أن يريد أن يصمّم مجموعتك لمنتوجك, أنت تذهب أن يريد [ت] يرى ويفهم تماما ماذا يكون سابقا يكون جعلت يتوفّر على السوق. Even if your product is being touted as the greatest and newest invention out on the market today, you are still going to have competition of some kind that you will need to contend with. You need to start by checking these things out first and foremost. You should visit outlets that carry products that are similar or at least that fall into the same category. If you have a house ware product that you are trying to sell, you should check out stores that also market house ware products. You should go to a variety of different stores to get a feel for what is available out there. You are not going to want to develop a brand new, excellent packaging concept only to find out that your idea is not as original as you had previously assumed. The more you look around beforehand, the better informed you will end up being in the end. You also want to make sure that you do not go into information overload, which can sometimes happen if you visit too many outlets out there.

2 - Choose your Materials. This is not nearly as simple as it may sound, because there are a number of different influential factors which may impact what products should be packaged in different materials. Certain products are capable of lending themselves to special merchandising, for example. Some products are only capable of being merchandised in certain types of materials. How the product will be merchandised may or may not actually dictate what types of materials are available for your use. For example, if you want clarity so that the entire product can be viewed, then plastic is the most likely material for packaging your product. The choice of materials available for your product packaging may also depend on what is available in your local area.

3 - Optimize the profile for your package. This is commonly regarded as your retail footprint, or in other words, how much space your product is going to take up when it is on the shelf. Your goal should be to have the smallest possible size or the smallest possible amount of packaging that you possibly can while optimizing the shape of the packaging and the design of the packaging as well. It is important that you completely understand the concept of retail footprints in order to have optimized packaging for your product. Retail space is truly at a premium, so if your product takes up less space, your retailer will be much happier with you. This is especially useful when your ideal retailers are picky about who they give space to and how much space they give to each product, so make sure to include your small size and optimized packaging in your sales pitch.

4 - Don’t be afraid to get advice. You may be completely and totally in love with your product, but that simply does not mean that you have all the answers when it comes to optimizing your packaging. You should be willing to listen to what it is that other people have to say when it comes to the packaging for your product rather than simply getting caught up in your own ideas. There are a wide variety of different resources that are out there for getting advice and feedback on your packaging, and many of them are free, so don’t be afraid to ask for suggestions on improvements, as you may be surprised at what you learn.

5 - Don’t be afraid to compromise. Your product may be fantastic, but you may find yourself needing to start out on a much smaller scale than you originally envisioned. Finding a vendor is one of the obstacles that people regularly run into, so don’t be discouraged if you have trouble at first. You should look for stock items that are capable of being customized, customizing your stock containers however you like rather than investing into more costly packaging options at first. There is nothing wrong with improving your packaging later as necessary, but it would be foolish to pour a lot of money into a packaging design only to determine later that it is not what retailers want or what customers are specifically looking for. Designing packaging for your products is a lifetime commitment, so don’t be afraid to experiment and make changes over time.

What are Stick Packs?

Stick packs are a type of flexible pouch suitable for food packaging. Stick packaging gets its name from its shape, which is long and skinny like a stick of gum. The packs themselves are sealed on two shorts ends and have a seal down the back.

They are a specific form of vertical fill, form and seal (F/F/S) pouching. The material can be paper or plastic and can be printed or plain.

Stick packs have been around for a number of years but they have been experiencing resurgence as of late because of a new market for flavored products. Sugar substitutes, diet drink mixes, energy drinks and vitamin waters have all driven the need for this type of food packaging.

The primary benefit of stick packaging over other forms of food packaging is the convenience. Stick packs are narrow so it makes it easy to pour the contents of the package into the neck of a bottle of water. Also, a single stick pack conveniently holds a single serving size so it is compact and fits neatly in your purse or backpack.

But another benefit of a stick pack is that it is smaller than a sugar pack or portion pack so the impact on the environment is less than other forms of packaging.

Additionally, because the packs are small and are produced on dedicated machines the production rates are high and the per-item costs are low. Stick packs are a very economical and efficient form of food packaging.

Smaller Product But Same Packaging

The new trend in product packaging seems to be ?downsizing?, or reducing the amount of product in the package but charging the same amount to consumers. This increases the price of the food, but not the package. In a recent tour of supermarkets, studies found that almost 10% of products examined had gotten smaller, while the prices have stayed the same.

Some examples:

• Bags of chips were cut from 12 ounce sizes to 10 ounces, while maintaining the same price.
• Mayonnaise jars that once contained 32 ounces now hold only 30 ounces.
• Some cereal companies are cutting 1.5 ounces from some boxes. Other companies are taking as much as 2.4 ounces while charging the same as before.
• Major ice cream manufacturers are packaging ice creams in 1.5 quart boxes as opposed to previous 1.75 quart sizes.

Although some companies are receiving many letters of complaint, they are standing by their choice to reduce product amounts, saying it is better than ?to take the price of the package up? and make products unaffordable to consumers.

What Makes Packaging, Green?

One of our readers asked us to explain green packaging.

Q: What is the criterion for good sustainable packaging?

According to one leader in the packaging and environmental arenas, sustainable packaging materials can be designed in America and procured from worldwide locations (though common sense would indicate that shipping packaging supplies from Asia would offset any green benefit) as long as the packaging can meet these basic definitions?

• Is the packaging beneficial, safe, and healthy for individuals and communities throughout its life cycle?
• Does the packaging meet market criteria for performance and cost?
• Is the packaging sourced, manufactured, transported and recycled using renewable energy?
• Does the packaging maximize the use of renewable or recycled source materials?
• Is the packaging manufactured using clean production technologies and best practices?
• Is the packaging made from materials healthy in all probable end-of-life scenarios?
• Is the packaging physically designed to optimize materials and energy?
• Is the packaging effectively recovered and utilized in biological and/or industrial cradle-to-cradle cycles?

So if you are sourcing greener packaging materials, ask yourself those questions and you will be a giant step ahead of your competition when it comes to things like Wal-Mart?s scorecard and other business and governmental entities that keep track of your company?s green initiatives.

Giving Up On Convenience Packaging?

What would you give up to save the world? What types of packaging could you do without?

A recent survey of consumers by the Nielsen Global Food Packaging says that almost half of global consumers would give up all forms of convenience packaging if it benefited the environment.

This includes packaging that make stacking/storing in the home easier (49%), packaging that can be used for cooking or is resealable (48%) and easily transportable packaging (47%).

Making up the list of things shoppers were least willing to give up was packaging that helped keep products clean and untouched by other humans (27%); packaging meant to keep products in good condition (30%); information on packaging which includes food labeling, cooking and usage instructions (33%) and packaging which helps to preserve the product (34%). Ten percent of consumers said they were not prepared to give up any packaging that would benefit the environment.

Does it matter what country you live in?

Lifestyles and regional factors played a key role in the considerations for Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies. Most North Americans and Europeans said that they would give up packaging designs which aided in storage and stacking at home, and they would also give up resealable packs that could be used for cooking. However, only 42% of Asians said they would be willing to give up stackable and storable packaging, and less than 40% would give up easy transport packaging. In countries like Finland, Ireland, and New Zealand, over 70% of respondents said that would give up stack-and-store packaging. Over 65% of Irish, New Zealand, and Czech customers would give convenience packaging to benefit the earth.

So, what packaging would you give up to save the world? That depends on where you live and how much convienience you are willing to live without.

Sustainable Packaging Buying Decissions

A recent packaging survey in an industry publication suggests that almost half of American consumers consider one or more sustainability factors when shopping for products in stores.

The survey suggests that not only are the products important but the packaging and the store where products are purchased also playing a role. This information could be invaluable to you when designing or sourcing packaging materials.

Some of the surveys other findings include:

• Almost 25% of the respondents consider two or more sustainability issues when making a purchase. Over 29% said that environmentally friendly packaging influenced the brands they bought, and 21% choose stores that carry a wide selection of products in sustainable packaging.
• Sustainability factors are most important in the households of aging baby boomers and those with less than four people. Larger households with smaller budgets may choose products with lower prices instead of sustainability.
• Failing to reach the 55-and-over market could be a problem for companies and retailers because they are missing a large part of their main consumer base.
• Conscious consumers direct most of their buying to drug stores rather than supercenters.
• High sustainability concerned customers have a higher purchase rate in food and beverages.

In terms of packaging, the survey recommends that companies and retailers do the following:

• Utilize all opportunities to reduce packaging and leverage recycled materials, reusable, and biodegradable materials among their private label products.
• Increase the availability of products with eco-friendly packaging.
• Optimize shelf-space as the package size is reduced.
• Signal all significant environmentally friendly packaging improvements.

As you can see, many factors go into making buying decisions for sustainable packaging.

Packaging Inside The Box

Many companies look to contract packagers and packaging supply companies for interesting and unique packaging designs. Everyone wants their packages to look exciting and unique but this could come at a steep price in the marketplace.

Many years ago retailers were open to different colored items in different sizes. Back then they welcomed multi-packs and bonus packs. But with the advent of planograms which make planning product positioning ridged, controlled and consistent, creative and oddball sized packages are a thing of the past.

Package sizes are controlled at the corporate buying level now. Ever notice how every box of laundry detergent is the same size even if they are manufactured by different companies?

This packaging standardization occurs because the buyers have set sizes and locations for products and shelving and expect square pegs to fit into square holes. You may have a package and want to add a premium to it or make it into a bonus pack in order to attract more sales (?Get an extra 20% free!?)? but if that makes your package too tall or too wide then you will not have shelf space for your product.

Also, if you go with a container that looks great but can?t be stacked, then you may run into problems as well. Buyers and stockers appreciate carefully designed packages tha make their lives easier.

So, as you can see, while the marketers in your company are always looking for something unique to attract the eye of the customer, the reality of the situation is that they are forced to think inside the box and conform to industry standard sizes and shapes of packaging.

The Contract With The Copacker

This packaging tip is an excerpt from “Choosing and Using a Copacker” by John E. Rushing, Ph.D. It is published by North Carolina State University.

North Carolina State University’s Department of Food Science ranks among the top food science departments in the country. This recognition is the result of excellence achieved in all areas of the university’s mission: teaching, research, and extension.

The contract

Obviously, written orders should be placed with the copacker. Specifications should be furnished for supplies, ingredients, processing and finished products. A written contract can help you avoid a lot of problems later on. Be sure you understand what you’re contracting for. Check with your attorney.

Below are items which should, at a minimum, be addressed in the contract:

• What are the services you are contracting for? Who will handle raw product testing? Where are records to be kept? How will final product quality be checked?
• What ingredients and supplies are you responsible for purchasing or providing? What is the disposal for excess ingredients or supplies which you purchase or furnish? Where will they be stored between processing runs?
• What processing manipulations will be required for ingredients such as slicing, dicing, or blanching? Are piece sizes specified?
• Will there be samples furnished for your approval prior to the first production run? Will there be storage/stability or finished product tests?
• Are you to be present and consulted during processing plant runs? If so, are you covered under insurance or Workman’s Compensation?
• Will you have any coverage under the manufacturer’s product liability insurance? If so, what will it be? Note that it will be necessary for you to furnish your own liability insurance to sell your product to stores.
• What are the critical factors which must be met in processing, such as pH, packing temperatures, or heat processing? Require documentation that these have been measured and met.
• Are ingredient substitutions accepted? What are the limits? Are these covered in your ingredient specifications? Note that manipulation of ingredients may render your ingredient statement or nutritional information on your label inadequate.
• The contract should note scheduled processes which must be filed and certifications which must be obtained. If the product is listed under a marketing program such as “Goodness Grows in North Carolina” there must be certification of use of required ingredients.
• What is the delivery date of the finished product? Must it be immediately removed from the premises?
• What are the payment terms? Usually these are 10% down and the remainder on delivery.
• What will render the product unacceptable? What are the appearance factors such as color, separation, piece size, and texture? Who will judge adequacy of flavor and taste?
• What are the appearance factors for the container, such as label placement, closure gasket materials and closure color, or neckband placement, size and color? How tight is the closure to be?
• Who is responsible for disposal and disposal costs or rework of unacceptable product?
• The entrepreneur should furnish labels, what size are they to be, what style and orientation, and how are they to be wound? (It is recommended you have the copacker specify the labels in writing to be sure they will run on his equipment).
• How much lead-time is necessary for the next and subsequent production runs to be delivered?
• Will the copacker be required to furnish grade certifications, third party audits or other certifications of lots and batches? The copacker should certify that the label statements are accurate.
• What lot or batch coding is to be used? Where will it be placed on the container and how will ingredient processing and testing records be filed to correlate with the code?
• What is the manufacturer’s recall plan? Be sure you have a copy. How are you to be notified?
• Is there a noncompete agreement with the copacker? Are confidentiality and privacy issues covered?
• What finished product testing will be provided?

While there may be many other points to be covered in the contract, the above represents those points for which many disagreements occur. While we recommend an attorney’s advice on contracts, the small entrepreneur may find the cost prohibitive.

Make the Relationship Good

A good working relationship with your copacker and an agreement which covers what he is expected to provide will make your venture more pleasant, and hopefully, more profitable. Get the copacker on your team. Give him a chance to be properly reimbursed for his services, then concentrate on selling your product!

Finding The Right Copacker

This packaging tip is an excerpt from “Choosing and Using a Copacker” by John E. Rushing, Ph.D. It is published by North Carolina State University.

North Carolina State University’s Department of Food Science ranks among the top food science departments in the country. This recognition is the result of excellence achieved in all areas of the university’s mission: teaching, research, and extension.

How do I find the right copacker?

For the entrepreneur, the best source of information about copackers, their abilities and how they work with entrepreneurs is often other entrepreneurs. Meet other entrepreneurs at state association meetings, food shows, and trade shows. More specialized copackers will often advertise in food industry trade periodicals and directories. State directories of manufacturers will provide information about manufacturing companies. Those who list private-label products are usually copackers. University extension services and state food and drug or agricultural marketing agencies can also be of help.

Bring your specifications and checklist to your first meeting with the copacker. You may wish to consult your attorney for instructions on protecting the confidentiality of your documents and conversation. Some copackers will restrict confidentiality agreements only to written specifications, formulations, pricing and customer information. Most will not agree to non-compete arrangements, as that would restrict their livelihood and their business interests. You may be able to use a model confidentiality contract furnished by the copacker.

The costs of all services at a copacker must be recovered. Be sure to have an agreed-upon price for each of these. Once an agreement is reached, be sure you will need a contract for services. Be sure to get a guaranteed price for at least a year.

Some copackers have an in-house R&D department. This can produce a considerable savings in time and development costs.

Ask to tour the copacker’s facilities. Note the state of cleanliness and order. Look at the most recent inspection report. Is the copacker operating under a quality control or food safety system such as HACCP? Do they have the equipment needed to process, label, and package your product correctly?

Request from the copacker the names of others he has copacked for. It is a good idea to speak with them about what it’s like to work with the copacker; ask about his commitment to schedules and to quality. Ask about concerns they might have.

Share both your present and future needs with the copacker. Early in the relationship, you may need small production runs, later you may wish to have more volume. Can the copacker deliver on production? What about peak seasons? In the specialty foods business, there are often seasonal needs, such as, the Christmas holidays, when turn-around time for resupply of stores may be short. Can the copacker accommodate this?

Usually, early in the process, it will be necessary to produce product for storage/stability testing. You may wish to produce samples in alternate sizes or different containers. Check to make sure these can be processed.

Choosing a Copacker

This packaging tip is an excerpt from “Choosing and Using a Copacker” by John E. Rushing, Ph.D. It is published by North Carolina State University.

North Carolina State University’s Department of Food Science ranks among the top food science departments in the country. This recognition is the result of excellence achieved in all areas of the university’s mission: teaching, research, and extension.

Before you visit the copacker

Before choosing a copacker, do your homework. You should have business and marketing plans in place which outline your product needs in terms of size and type of container, number of units per given period, price to the buyer and sales price. Small Business Technology and Development Center can be of assistance. Get technical help from a university, a consultant or a testing laboratory to determine needs for product stability and safety.

Once you have established the product information, write preparation and process instructions. Write specifications for ingredients, packaging materials, regulatory compliance, and finished product.

Prepare a checklist of needs you have from the copacker.

• Will you require product development assistance such as safety determinations, coloring, stabilizers and emulsifiers, or preservatives?
• What are special product concerns such as; acidity, thermal process, refrigerated ingredients, refrigerated product storage?
• Are there special ingredient concerns?
• Will the product require specialized ingredients in terms of variety, function, or piece size?
• Will ingredient preparation such as onsite chopping, peeling, coring, or sugaring be necessary?
• Can ingredients be purchased ready-to-use?
• Are there alternative sources for specialized ingredients?

Consult with your attorney and insurance carrier. What do they feel you should require of your copacker? Will a site visit be necessary for them?

Remember, scale-up of production from the home kitchen to the first plant trial may produce unsaleable or unusable product. Factors such as rate of heating, agitation during incorporation of ingredients, holding at high temperatures and pumping can affect ingredient functionality and product appearance. Adequate product development prior to the pilot run will minimize this, but unforeseen factors may still cause differences in product.

How will the final product be distributed? If it is to be shipped to a central warehouse, what requirements will you have for the copacker? Many companies are under mandatory solid waste reduction. Will the product be shipped in boxes or overwrapped trays? On which kind of pallet shall they be furnished? Should the boxes be overwrapped or glued to keep them on the pallet?

Will you need storage of ingredients, supplies, or finished products? Will you need the copacker to order or ship these materials? How much inventory will you need to have on hand?

Will the potential buyers of your product require that the food be manufactured under particular quality, safety, or certification systems such as HACCP, ISO 9000, Kosher or Halal? Do regulations require USDA compliance, or certification for low-acid canned foods or acidified foods? Is there mandatory HACCP compliance required? Is a third party audit required?

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