Demand For Food In Pouches Rising In US, Says Matrade

KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) says packaged food makers in the US are increasingly utilising pouches as a convenient and cost savings means of packaging and transport. According to market research company Mintel Group, it said, pouch use in consumer products had increased 37 per cent in the US since 2007 with snack pouches leading the growth and quickly replacing the use traditional packaging such as bottles and cans. In a statement on Monday, MATRADE said the trend was most obvious in the under 35 age group for whom pouched goods have a much broader appeal as well as greater convenience and ease of use. "Pouched products are also perceived as a very contemporary packaging alternative that promotes a better quality experience for the food. "Pouches also allow for greater flexibility of design and application including squeezable pouches with nozzles and varied sizes," it said. It added that current pouch technology developments had doubled the shelf life of food products from one year to two, while overall cost savings for manufacturers in terms of packaging and shipping from the migration of packing in traditional containers to pouches amounted to 10-15 per cent. This also allowed for effective marketing and product positioning in cost conscious consumer environments. "Pouch use has been prominent in Europe and Central and South America for the past five years and is slowy but surely gaining a foothold in the US," MATRADE said, advising Malaysian companies to fine-tune their packaging processes with the needs of their US clients while providing more creative consumer solutions including for more non-food items and going beyond just packaging. -- BERNAMA