This document provides an overview of food product packaging for a seminar presentation. It discusses topics such as creating barcodes, types of packaging materials and formats, labeling requirements, costs associated with packaging design and production, and food safety certifications. Maggie Lawson and Nate Hibl from packaging companies Create It Packaging and Belmark respectively presented on these packaging fundamentals to attendees of the Now We're Cookin' seminar on food product packaging.

1. Food
Packaging
101
Presented
by
Maggie
Lawson
&
Nate
Hibl
Now
We’re
Cookin’
Seminar
“Food
Product
Packaging”
February
10,
2014

2. What
can
I
provide
that
others
cannot?
Where
can
I
get
my
resources?
It
all
starts
with
a
vision
Who
is
my
Target
Market?
Who
are
my
compe,tors?

3. CreaPng
a
Barcode
“Universal
product
codes
—
UPCs
—
are
the
12-­‐digit
numbers
that
appear
under
the
barcodes
on
many
U.S.
products.
They
are
given
out
by
GS1
US,
a
nonprofit
group
that
sets
standards
for
internaPonal
commerce.
Here’s
how
it
works:
Businesses
pay
to
join
GS1
US,
and
in
exchange,
it
assigns
each
member
its
own
idenPficaPon
number
that
appears
as
the
first
part
of
its
UPC.”
Barcodes
come
in
in
all
sizes,
shapes,
and
colors.
What
will
work
best
for
your
product?
www.guides.wsj.com

4. Is
it
Scannable?
u
u
u
What
size
does
it
need
to
be?
Can
it
fit
my
design
–
truncated
barcodes
work
too!
How
much
does
it
cost?

5. Facts
on
Barcodes
u
u
u
u
Truncated
or
shortened
barcodes
work,
however
the
width
will
need
to
be
increased
in
order
to
scan
at
a
grocery
store.
The
width
is
more
important
than
the
height.
Scannable
barcodes
are
read
in
percentages;
100%
scannable,
80%
scannable
(i.e.,
80%
of
the
Pme
it
will
be
scannable).
Colors
DO
maber
in
barcodes.
We
highly
recommend
brown
and
black
to
improve
scan
ability.
The
color
red
is
one
example
that
is
unscannable
due
to
the
red
radar
in
scan
machines.
Standard
barcodes
contain
12
digits
(the
first
number
and
last
number
are
not
always
needed,
one
is
to
signal
the
scanner
device
to
start
reading
and
the
last
is
to
signal
the
scanner
device
to
stop).

6. NLEA
NaPonal
Labeling
&
EducaPon
Act
u
u
u
NutriPon
Facts
must
be
presented
in
bold
print
and
larger
than
any
other
printed
informaPon
in
the
nutriPon
label
Print
must
be
in
both
upper
and
lower
case
in
an
easy
to
read
type
style
and
with
sufficient
contrast
to
assure
readability.
NutriPon
informaPon
must
be
set
off
in
a
box.
The
format
requires
that
headings
and
nutrients
be
separated
by
"bars“
–
visit
hbp://www.fda.gov/iceci/inspecPons/inspecPonguides/ucm074948.htm
for
more
informaPon.

7. Packaging
Types
&
Examples

8. Folded
Carton

9. Flexible
Packaging

10. Pressure
SensiPve

11. Corrugated
Packaging

12. Fulfillment
Side
Fill
Pouch
Top
Fill
Pouch

13. Co-­‐Packers
PROS:
u
Time
is
money
u
Focus
on
other
important
aspects
u
Efficiency
u
Beber
product?
u
Increased
profits?
CONS:
u
Do
they
have
the
same
value
as
your
company?
u
Will
they
meet
your
Pmeline?

14. What
are
the
costs
involved
in
creaPng
a
package?
u
u
u
u
u
CreaPve
Time/Design
~
$100.00
per
hour
Die
Cost
(if
needed,
not
needed
in
digital
prinPng)
~
$400.00
Plate
Charges
(Flexible
Packaging)
~
$300.00
-­‐
$400.00
per
plate
(NOTE:
Keep
in
mind
when
crea9ng
a
design
–
each
color
will
need
a
plate!!!)
Proofs
(usually
there
is
only
a
cost
for
a
“Contract”
or
“Epson”
proof)
~
$150.00
Mockups
(usually
white)
~
Varies
depending
on
size,
but
usually
around
$50.00
-­‐
$100.00
a
piece

15. Food
Safety
CerPficaPons
u
u
AIB
Food
Safety
Audits
h:ps://www.aibonline.org/
ISO
–
InternaPonal
OrganizaPon
for
StandardizaPon
h:p://www.iso.org/iso/home.html

16. Thank
you
for
your
Pme!
u
u
Maggie
Lawson
Create
It
Packaging
-­‐
h:p://www.createitpkg.com/
Nate
Hibl
Belmark
-­‐
h:ps://www.belmark.com/