Today, wrapping is not just the way to preserve the freshness and nutritional properties of products over a long period: it is a marketing tool that can either attract or repel customers. Thus, it is important to know how to present your brand correctly to wisely manage consumer behavior.
This rule is applicable to all sorts of goods. If marketers know how to lead customers to purchase, this skill will help when selling any kind of goods, including pastries.
Essential Functions of Wrapping for Baked Food
Now let’s see how to pack baked goods for shipping. When designing packaging for pastries, manufacturers should make sure that it complies with three main criteria:
- Resistance to tear, punctures and raptures. Packages should be resistant to shocks and external impacts.
- Resistance to ambient factors, such as light, gases, moisture, etc.
- Attractiveness, i.e. interaction with customers.
Depending on these criteria, the following functions of pastry wrappers are highlighted:
- the contain must satisfy the enclosure;
- protection from odors, water, dust and other debris from the environment;
- convenience of use since consumers want to reuse them and continue storing products in packages;
- interaction with consumers to inform them about all the needed characteristics of the product.
Modern wrappers perform far more functions. Food producers set high requirements for baked packaging since the competition in the industry is high and every business strives to make their product stand out on store shelves.
Optimal Parameters for Baked Food Packing and Storage
Now, let’s consider how to wrap baked goods to preserve their nutritional properties and prolong the freshness. Environmental factors and packaging materials can significantly influence the quality of the product:
- High temperatures result in microbial growth or poisonous chemicals emission.
- Humidity level influences the moisture exchange.
- Improper water barrier can cause baked goods to go rancid.
If these conditions are violated, this can lead to the following nasty problems.
- molding;
- rancidity;
- staling;
- fat bloom;
- moisture gain or loss.
It is important to approach seriously the issue of choosing appropriate packaging for bakery products to avoid such mishaps.
TOP Packaging Materials for Pastry
Here are the top materials for wrapping baked goods:
- Polypropylene Films. This material is perfect as a moisture and oxygen barrier, perfectly protects baked food from condensate. At the same time, it is highly transparent, which makes customers more confident about the content of the product. One more pros is the tear-resistance of polypropylene, that provides wrapper integrity during transportation.
- Metallized Polypropylene Films. This material is beneficial due to its perfect ability to trap moisture and heat for a long time. Such films have a high barrier against sunlight and condensate, as well as are favorable to applying all sorts of prints and pictures.
- Custom Food Paper. The main benefit of such option is boosted brand recognition and customer loyalty. Such wrappers look original and unusual. Thus, you’ll be guaranteed to attract consumer attention and stand out on store shelves.
- Plastic Sheeting. The main pros of this option is its transparency, which pumps customer loyalty. They can clearly see the appearance of the product and examine it before purchase.
- Brown paper. This is a kind of cardboard. The material is the cheapest one, but provides perfect shock-resistant qualities. Despite this, it’s not really practical as it cannot be used multiple times.
- Parchment Paper. The option is the most commonly used in the sphere of bakery food selling. It is both attractive and functional. Paper satisfies all the barrier qualities and looks original.
- Metalized Mylar Bags. This material perfectly traps heat and is resistant to moisture.
Ideal Packages for Different Types of Baked Food
Different types of materials are optimal for various kinds of pastry. So, let’s point out some features on how to package baked goods for shipping.
- Bread is usually packed in plastic LDPE bags;
- Biscuits and cookies are sold in RCF (regenerated cellulose film) with OPP or LDPE film;
- Pizza base or pita bread are vacuum sealed;
- Bagels and tortillas are stored in a modified atmosphere;
- Specialty bread is packed in plastic PET or OPP perforated bags.
Optimal Composites for Baked Food Wrappers
Baked food wrappers usually have 3 layers. If pastry contains chocolate or plant oils, the package composition is the following:
- matte, transparent or pearl-white PP protects the content from condensate;
- an adhesive layer with promotional and branding info is placed between both layers;
- metalized PP prevents sunlight from influencing pastry.
For baked products without chocolate, the following wrapping composition is applied:
- matter or transparent PP;
- an adhesive layer;
- white/white-pearl or transparent PP.
The choice of a suitable wrapper composition depends on the type of product, its content, and storage peculiarities.
How to Pack Pastry for Shipping?
The last point to consider is how to pack baked goods for mailing. Follow this guide to prolong shelf life and avoid spoiling during transportation:
- Pack cooled products. Wait until food cools down.
- Make sure to choose a suitable size to tightly fit products.
- Pack each piece individually and separate cookies with parchment paper or cellophane. Use stickers to prevent boxes from opening.
- Fill voids with foam or bubble packaging to prevent food from moving in boxes.
- Shake a closed box. If you hear rattling, open it, and repack it once again.
Additionally, when considering how to pack baked goods for shipping, using labels can add an extra touch of professionalism and branding to your packaging. These labels not only serve as a functional way to provide essential product information but also contribute to enhancing the overall visual appeal of your packaging.
Here’s how to keep baked goods fresh for shipping. Now, you know all subtleties of storing and selling baked food. Compliance with the mentioned rules will help preserve the freshness, taste, aroma and nutritional properties of pastry and bread.
