Achieving food and drink packaging success
31st Aug 2025
Corrugated packaging has long been a favoured packaging material for the food and drink industry popular because of its versatility, strength and ability to adapt to diverse product requirements.
Coupled with the demand from consumers and retailers who need packaging that is both protective and sustainable, manufacturers have responded by developing a wide array of corrugated solutions.
Boxes and Packaging has been at the forefront of this packaging development winning awards and satisfying customer demand for our ability to develop workable solutions that meet objectives, solve challenges and ensure all those within the supply chain have their requirements met.
Whilst we don’t manufacture packaging that is direct food contact, we do all other types from transit to shelf ready to promotional to gift to produce trays.
Here’s what you need to consider and how we can help you.
Whilst we guide our customers through the entire process it’s important our customers, their procurement, sales and marketing teams are all on the same page.
With so many types of packaging used in the food and drink industry, customers should understand how their product is packed, how it travels through the supply chain and how it will be used in a retail situation, or what experience they wish to give to their customer if they are delivering direct.
To support our customers, we often undertake site visits and liaise with the wider team in businesses to develop packaging that will either move product from A to B, develop packaging that is suitable for a retail environment or develop packaging that is promotional.
When moving food and drink product from A to B perhaps the most important thing to consider is ensuring the safety of the product as they move through the supply chain.
With correctly designed packaging, appropriate fittings and dividers and correct board grades great success can be achieved removing product return and bolstering brand perception and reliability.
For packaging in retail environment other factors need to be considered too. Whilst ensuring the products travel safely, it is also important to ensure the packs can be easily opened for either stacking onto shelves or displays directly, or for simple to open and use Shelf Ready Packaging (SRP) or other types of Retail Ready Packaging.
For promotional packaging we love creating solutions that make products really stand out in crowded retail environments. From free standing display units (FSDU) to dump bins or even large scale displays that really catch the consumers eye, our teams are adept at translating briefs and developing objectives into creative ideas.
These creative packaging solutions combined with standard FEFCO code boxes means food and drink producers can access a staggering range of packaging ideas and solutions which cover all facets of the food and drink packaging sector.
There are many reasons however perhaps the key factor is the sustainability of corrugated material.
Made from at least 75% recycled material and 100% recyclable, business throughout the modern supply chain enjoy the environmental benefits corrugated brings and how it integrates with their own ESG policies and sustainability targets.
This allows all end users, both commercial and consumer to easily recycle packaging through established recycling channels.
Corrugated is also a very agile packaging material which when placed in the hands of professionals can benefit from expert and innovative designs. This benefits retailers to ensure their products and their brand reputation are protected, that sales are maximised throughout the year but also at peak times and marketing occasions, and that the designs are material efficient whilst meeting all requirements.
And, of course, there is the recyclable element again which we have already touched on.
We would always advise taking expert advice from packaging professionals such as the teams at Boxes and Packaging to ensure your packaging is fit for purpose.
Whilst off the shelf boxes can meet requirements there is often the need for additional void fill which can be costly and which, in many cases, fails to protect the product correctly.
Another advantage of corrugated is the ability to specify print from simple one colour up to six colour high quality print. So whether it’s black on brown for transit or a stunning print finish for gift or display packaging corrugated and our teams can make it possible.
By consulting with a packaging team from the very beginning, great success can be achieved and any challenges alleviated, ensuring all types of packaging required to facilitate all products manufactured or in any given range can have packaging which excels in every way.
One thing is certain, as innovations continue to shape the sector, corrugated packaging remains at the heart of successful food and drink product supply chain and can easily adapt to the evolving demands of a dynamic marketplace.