Amcor praises resealable design in candy pack prize

The packager, along with a panel of judges from across the food industry, claimed to have picked unique new method of providing chocolate candies that can shared in the palm of a hand without compromising hygiene.

The concept, called ‘Squeeze’ was designed by Pierre Collard from Belgian university, ENSAV La Cambre, as a means of storing sweets like M&Ms that can be shared through a special opening design, according to the company.

Amidst growing concerns about pack waste and sustainability across the food industry, recent studies into confectionery trends suggest that interesting and unique storage designs could be almost as important as the product inside them.

Judges including representatives from M&M maker Mars, hot beverage and bakery group Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate and Arla Foods stated that for the confectionery design prize, the ‘Squeeze’ pack was unique compared to other existing designs on the market.

“By assembling two elliptic shapes, Pierre created an M&M's pack that lies perfectly in the consumers' hands,”​ stated Amcor.

Pack performance​

For designing the pack, Collard is now expected to begin a 12 month placement at Amcor, though the company was unable to clarify whether there would be commercial rollouts of the pack at the time of going to press.

The judges’ choice does reflect an apparent shift in the importance of pack design for confectionery though.

Innovation

Last year, one market analyst suggested functional ingredients and packaging are expected to dominate worldwide growth in the confectionery market in coming years.

Global Industry Analysts said that beyond product formulation, the actual packaging being used to store confectionery will become increasingly important to customers.

“Innovative packaging strategies, including use of attractive jars, bags and tubs, family-sized packs, and resealable packaging, are expected to lure customers and contribute to higher product sales,” ​stated the analyst.

The report claims that for both these strategies to be truly effective though, sustained advertising campaigns and efficient distribution will also be required from manufacturers.