Frozen food industries have been working a lot to preserve and present food for years. During this time, significant revolutionary changes have happened in formulating new and unique packaging templates and designs. To make food preservation easy and convenient, every design element of frozen food packaging plays a tentative role in the frozen food industries.
From choosing the material to making productive structural layouts and storytelling infographics, customized packaging styles have covered every corner of the packaging. The custom food packaging boxes work to keep the food fresh, food preservation, and maintain the food aroma. In this article, we will describe each Frozen Food Packaging Design element in detail, including packaging types, structure and style, packaging material, branding, and design. So, delve into it:
Types of Frozen Food Packaging:
There are two types of frozen food packaging that lead to further designing and customization processes:
1- Primary Food Packaging:
It is a type of packaging in which food items are directly packed or in contact with the packages. Packaging like plastic bags, wrapping sheets, trays, and pouches fall into this category. Effectively, it works as a barrier between food and moisture to prevent humidity or damage. Also, this controls the quality of food and enhances the preservation time.
2- Secondary Food Packaging:
The type of frozen food packaging that you can see on the outer side/layout. It has a complex manufacturing process with multiple layers and coating to hold the food items firmly. Custom boxes, cartons, sleeve boxes, bags, etc., fall into this category. Moreover, it serves as a marketing tool for brands as a showcase or display model of products they are selling in the market.
Structural Designs of Frozen Food Packaging
Frozen food packages incorporate catchy and stylish die cuts with elevated visuals. Moreover, a compatible design keenly depends on the structural factors that lead to a WOW for viewers. The different structure designs are the following:
Pouches:
Pouches are the award-winning medium for wrapping frozen foods. These structures have more space and flexibility to accommodate more food items. Also, the thin layers and non-rigid pouch material make it easy to store food. Pouches have different layouts to accommodate the functionality and quantity of the food. A versatile range of materials can be used in manufacturing, like plastic films (polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon), paperboard, and other biodegradable plastics mixed with paper pulp.
Trays:
Plastic, cardboard, paper, and aluminum trays are solid structures mainly used in frozen meat packaging. These multi-structured trays use transparent polypropylene wrapping sheets around them. Moreover, due to their sturdy structure, they can hold the food weight efficiently. However, the space is not very flexible, so you can only store a portion of food in them. You can get any customized shape for food preservation, from simple trays to pin-lock trays.
Boxes:
Different types of packaging boxes are used for bulk items, such as corrugated boxes, cartons, cardboard boxes, and kraft paperboard boxes. These structures have sturdy material to hold the maximum weight of frozen items. Industries mainly use these packaging materials to carry more products. Additionally, these boxes are highly customizable in terms of box measurements and shapes and are adapted to printing techniques. Therefore, you can easily customize the brand information and display invoices on them.
Different Styles of Frozen Food Packaging Design
Frozen Food Packaging Design is a key to unlocking customization locks to get fundamental shapes and styles that preserve frozen food more efficiently. These packaging styles and layouts are designed to provide appealing structure, brand recognition, and product functionality. Here are the following versatile styles of Frozen Food Packaging:
Flexible Frozen Food Bags and Pouches
Flexible food packaging bags are the most recommended packaging styles in the frozen food industry. These are very easy to use, UV resistant, heat-proof, and provide a moisture-free environment to preserve food for long periods. Plastic films and aluminium sheets are the constructive raw materials used in these packaging pouches. These include a variety of styles and shapes:
1- Stand-up Packaging Pouches
These flat-bottom plastic bags (polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon) are transparent and lightweight, tamper-proof, water and humidity-resistant, come in different sizes, are sustainable, easy to transport, and cost-effective.
2- Mylar Packaging Bags
These are plastic bags made of plastic sheets or paper. Versatile pouches with different shapes are affordable, provide UV protection, are eco-friendly, are easy to use, and are highly used in food packaging. The popular styles are Mylar bags with windows, highly customizable die-cut Mylar bags, compostable kraft Mylar bags, and protective zip-lock Mylar bags.
3- Retort Packaging Pouches
These top-quality metal foil pouches have diverse layers of plastic films to sterilize food. They are the best pouches for preserving food for extended periods, and the sterilizing process keeps the food odor-free.
Paperboard/Cardboard Frozen Packaging
Paperboard and Cardboard food boxes are the most sustainable, sturdy, and eco-friendly and can be recycled after usage. Frozen food industries preferably use these for bulk shipments and more food storage. Moreover, they are used as secondary packages (the outer layouts in packaging) to protect raw food items from external damage during shipment. The compostable packaging boxes are customizable and printable, brands print their logos, company names, labels, product instructions, and preservation instructions on them. These packages come in different shapes and styles like square, rectangular, triangle, and other customized styles.
Frozen Food Sleeves Packaging
The sleeve boxes are highly versatile and supportive packaging for frozen food products. They have customized die lines to meet the food storage requirements. There are multiple styles of this adjustable and flexible packaging:
- Sleeves with locked cap
- Sleeves with tapered side panels
- Sleeves over tray
- Bowl sleeves
- Paperboard sleeves
These are highly adaptable to printing and customization, so you can design the layouts and die cuts according to your frozen food products. For example, frozen fruit packs, pizza, meat, pie, and other frozen food items use sleeve food packaging.
Window-Display Packaging for Frozen Food
Food brands use window-cut boxes to showcase their food items to buyers. Like sleeve boxes, window-cut packaging allows you to see what is inside. In the market, Customizable window boxes display meat, tortilla wraps, fruits, ready-made food products, and many more frozen food items. These boxes are made of solid cardboard or corrugated material with plastic window sheets for a clear view. The material keeps frozen food refreshing and ready to use. Moreover, these play a significant role in promoting and branding product representations, as they are printable and provide an absorbable surface for printing.
Vacuum Packaging – Airtight and Sealed
These packages completely remove the air and resist the interaction of heat and temperature with the food. These vacuum bags are very potent and helpful in increasing the shelf life of frozen food. Also, the aluminum does not allow UV rays to penetrate food and keeps it frozen, fresh, and odorless.
Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)
Professionals and large industries use MAP to adjust the internal temperature of the packaging using different gases. These packages have a specialized process to slow down degradation and keep moisture away from the food items. Every gas has a unique function, like Carbon Dioxide extending its shelf life and Nitrogen working as an antimicrobial gas.
Shrink Wrap Packaging – Visible Protection
Skin or shrink packaging involves wrapping the food item in a transparent plastic sheet or film. The layers tightly bind the frozen item and work as a barrier between the external atmosphere and the product. This type of packaging is applied to smaller food items or portions.
Packaging Material Frozen Food
Here is the list of materials for frozen food packaging:
1- Plastic Films:
The most popular choice of users is plastic film. These are highly versatile, flexible, and durable and provide high-end protection properties. There are the following subtypes of these highly potent packaging sheets:
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
The widely used transparent polymer is specially designed for frozen food items. It is an unbreakable and recyclable material preferred for both flexible and rigid packaging.
Polyvinylidene Chloride (PVDC)
It is a synthetic thermoplastic with extraordinary oxygen and moisture barrier properties. It resists chemicals that interact with food, monitors temperature changes to keep items frozen, and is flexible to provide protection and reduce any chance of damage. These are widely used in cheese, meat, and egg packaging.
Polypropylene (PP)
PP is a highly flexible laminate that provides optimal frozen food preservation solutions. It works as a barrier between food and sunlight and heat to keep the items fresh. Moreover, its organoleptic property of maintaining food’s aroma, taste, and flavour makes it the best-frozen food packaging material. Trays and containers are examples of Polypropylene.
Polyethylene (PE)
It includes pouches and bags to store frozen food. Significantly, it is the best moisture-resistant material. These are highly designed with seals and locks to prevent leakage, make them easy to open, and are exceptionally moisture-resistant.
2- Paperboard:
Paperboard is another material that is widely used for frozen food packaging all over the world. These packages are secondary packaging cartons and sleeves that protect the food items from external damage. There are the following types of paperboard:
Coated Natural Kraft (CNK)
It is the best material for decoration and design. The paper coatings make the surface superior and provide strength to hold the weight of food products. Also, these layers provide moisture-resistant features to the boxes—sustainable and printable media.
Solid Bleached Sulfate (SBS)
The bleached paper has a chemically whitened pulp surface, making it sustainable for food packaging. For frozen food, a clay-coated layer is applied to preserve the food for a long time.
3- Aluminium Foil:
Aluminium rolls/sheets have the best barrier properties, which is why they are highly recommended for primary packaging. Pouches and lids fall from aluminium foil that works against oxygen, moisture, and light. Moreover, the following features make it a worthy material for extending the shelf life of frozen food:
Heat Resistance Property:
Aluminium is a heat-resistant metal that stabilizes the temperature of frozen food. It does not allow the heat to cross and work against UV rays to protect food.
Barrier Property:
It works as a barrier between food and resists oxygen, bacteria, and moisture from entering. Thus, it increases the shelf-life of food, protecting it from the external environment.
4- Bio/Compostable Media:
These are the hybrid materials in which paperboard is mixed with recyclable plastic – also known as bio-plastics. Include the combinations like:
Paperboard and Plastic Lamination:
In this, paperboard has a thin layer of laminated sheet that protects food from UV rays and provides weight-holding strength to boxes. These are biodegradable and eco-friendly packaging boxes.
Polylactic Acid:
It is a blend of Corn starch and sugarcane resources with polymers. These are compostable, and their barrier properties prolong the life of frozen foods.
Frozen Food Branding and Graphics
To make your products look captivating and catchy in the market, you must provide them with high-quality and appealing branding and graphics. So, here are some considerable features to consider while designing the aesthetical approach to frozen packages:
Striking Imagery Visuals – Brand’s Expression
People buy what they see as the most captivating! Therefore, striking and fascinating imagery and visuals are the most important elements in designing frozen food packages. Here are the following to consider while making visuals:
Add a Focal Product’s Image:
Take a popping-out image of a frozen food item like an ice cream scoop, pieces of meat, slices of minced meat, frozen fruits, frozen ready-to-cook food products, etc. Always go with your main and best-selling food product to grab more audience attention.
Background Images:
Capture cool kitchen or cooking-time backgrounds with a high-resolution camera. Keep the images as real-life photography so that viewers can connect with products with an emotional touch.
Dazzling and Vivid Color Palette for Brand’s Recognition
Choose a color palette with a cohesive brand’s theme and identity. It will make customers trust your brand and provide a distinctive recognition of your products in the frozen food market. Additionally, try to pick colors that evoke a sense of freshness in viewers’ eyes and pop up a chilling vibe in them. Cool hues like blue, silver, green, and white are cool colors that resemble frozen colors. Correspondingly, vibrant and warm colors can be used to differentiate the products and design the backgrounds to establish a balance.
Classic or Conventional Logo – Brand’s Identity
In frozen product packaging design layouts, a brand logo is the key identity factor for the buyers. Most of the people go to shop for products from renowned brands and companies. Therefore, make a well-crafted logo for your brand for your frozen food products. Essential factors of designing a logo are the following:
- The logo design should resemble your company’s name.
- It should look like the logo of a frozen food brand.
- Choose color hues and palettes according to your product requirements.
- The logo should be sleek and prominent on the design layout.
- To get a perfect format, get the proper sizing and measurements.
Minimal and Legible Typography – A voice of the Brand
Typography is all about presenting your product’s value, story, and information as a voice to your customers. Clear and clarified fonts are necessary – the letters should not emerge or cover each other. The fonts must be bold, easy to read, and understandable for readers so that they can understand what you are providing.
Similarly, in frozen product packaging, the typography is a whimsical tool to elevate the brand’s authenticity and reinforce its identity. Moreover, it includes information like the food’s name, nutritional details, temperature ranges, flavors, expiry and manufacturing dates, where to keep it, and how to keep it, etc.
Digital Components – Brand’s Audience Targeting Approach
It is prompt and quick digital time. Technical tools are used to increase your audience with just a single click, and contact details like Manufacturer’s Details, QR Scanner for website details, E-mail address, and Phone Number are added. These additional components make your clients trust your company.
Summarization:
Packaging designs are symbolic shells for frozen foods with respective preservation properties. The availability of styles in different shapes leads to packaging demands concerning the product’s nature. Particularly, materials like plastic films, paperboard, aluminium foil, and bioplastics make them superior mediums to compete with temperature-controlling factors. Moreover, designing structures like boxes, trays, pouches, bags, and multi-shaped packages, allows users to pick the most suitable design for them. Frozen food packaging has made the food industry vast and protective, allowing food to be stored for longer periods.
