Posts made in June 2020

There has been an effort throughout the United States to increase the use of recycled materials, including plastic. The FDA becomes involved when industries collect used polymeric materials (typically food containers) and propose to recycle these materials to make new food containers. The FDA’s safety concerns with the use of recycled plastic materials in food-contact containers and packaging supplies in Minneapolis are:

• That contaminants from the previously used consumer material may appear in the final food-contact product made from the recycled material, and;
• That recycled post-consumer material which was not regulated for food-contact use may be unknowingly incorporated into food-contact packaging, and;
• That components of recycled plastic may not comply with the existing regulations for food-contact use.

To address these objections, the FDA considers each proposed use of recycled plastic for food packaging supplies on a case-by-case basis. It then issues advice as to whether the recycling process can be expected to produce plastic that is suitable for food-contact applications. The FDA has prepared a reference document entitled Guidance for Industry – Use of Recycled Plastics in Food Packaging: Chemistry Considerations that can help manufacturers of food packaging evaluate their processes for recycling plastic into food packaging.

The U.S. has the largest portion of the worldwide pet care market. Consumer desire for premium pet food brands has supported continued growth in the sector, and the increase in the number of households with no children and high levels of disposable income is spurring the per-capita pet expenditure.

With this increased disposable income and the increasing trends of pet humanization and concerns about pet health, we have seen a rise in consumers seeking quality packaged food products for their animals. Consumers are demanding options in packaging supplies in Minneapolis that have quality standards similar to human food packaging.

Pet owners increasingly want the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) compliant materials. These stringent pet food quality regulations can be a possible restraining feature when it comes to packaging innovation. Plastics in the forms of PVC, HDPE, PET, and others are some of the most widely used materials in the pet packaging supplies to protect food from contaminants and preserve nutritional value. These materials offer cost efficiency, temperature resistance, and durability. And along with features such as single-serve flip-open and zipper flaps, they add to customer appeal in the pet food packaging market.

In addition to safety concerns, sustainability also motivates consumers to purchase certain brands of pet food. Consumers continue to be increasingly concerned with and aware of the waste and environmental impact of traditional packaging supplies. Environmentally friendly packaging can heavily influence consumer buying decisions.