Life gets busy, and food packaging continues to trend toward portable, snack-friendly formats. Dairy packaging isn’t lagging behind on this trend. With consumers demanding nutritious, single-serve food that’s easy to eat on the go, dairy is stepping up with options that are both portable and healthy.

Stand-up snacking

Stonyfield worked with Clear Lam Packaging (clearlam.com) to create new yogurt pouch packaging films. The material for the film supports a 60-day refrigerated shelf life – offering consumer convenience in a portable pouch package. According to a recent report from Freedonia, stand-up pouches are forecast to grow at 6.5% annually. The pouch packaging format keeps grabbing shelf space from other packaging such as preformed bottles and jars. With distinctive shelf appeal and a reduced environmental impact, the pouch attracts consumers. Additionally, the Stonyfield pouch offers a resealable cap so consumers can control portions, reduce food waste and pack the pouch for on-the-go consumption.

“Grab-and-go snacking is fueling demand for portable packaging while consumers gravitate to organic, nutrition-rich products,” says James Sanfilippo, president and CEO of Clear Lam Packaging, Inc. “Stonyfield has been at the forefront of these trends with their natural, organic foods for babies, toddlers and kids. Clear Lam is proud to support this new product launch with a lightweight and durable packaging solution that meets real consumer needs while delivering sustainability benefits.”

The pouches also make production easy for Stonyfield. The film can run on high-speed processing equipment and allows the packager to get strong seals and tight fitments without compromising speed. The stiff material also helps the pouches stand up straight in the store.

Smoothie sailing

Splash of flavor   Several companies have launched flavoring for bottled water, but MilkSplash is bringing the portable flavor to the dairy market. The zero-calorie milk flavoring offers parents a convenient way to encourage milk consumption for children. According to a survey by Saperstein Associates, 34% of moms reported that their children preferred other beverages to milk while 64% percent of moms said adding flavoring to milk increases their kids’ consumption.    Milk Splash comes in six different flavors that can be mixed to create even more flavors and can be used in warmed milk as well. The squeeze bottles allow consumers to control the intensity of their flavors. Each 1.62-ounce bottle can flavor 24 8-ounce glasses of milk.

Alpina recently reinvented their line of yogurt smoothies. In addition to creating a thicker and creamier texture, they have also redesigned the package with a sleeker look. With each smoothie offering up 20% of daily recommended calcium, consumers can get the nutrition they want in a convenient 7-ounce package.

“Alpina Yogurt Smoothies are the perfect on-the-go snack and are even a healthy dessert alternative,” says Gustavo Badino, Alpina Foods’ general manger. “We’re excited to offer consumers a great tasting dairy option that not only offers convenience but is also so indulgent, you’ll forget how good it is for you.”

Spoons included

RPC Superfos (rpc-superfos.com) has created a molded plastic pot complete with a spoon, making it perfect for meals that must be eaten on the go. Consumers can access the integrated spoon by tearing off the self-adhesive peel-off label on top of the plastic pot. The spoon is designed to be easy to hold with smooth attractive lines – much like the texture of the dairy products the pot will hold.

“It is a very handy and practical solution: The spoon is ready to grab without any need for opening a smaller plastic bag. The key word is simplicity - there is all you need, but no more than that,” says Søren Marcussen, executive VP CSO, from RPC Superfos.

The design comes in two varieties. One features the spoon in the lid while the other offers more room for a topping along with the spoon. The pot comes in two sizes, 210ml and 300ml. The package is also reclosable and stackable.

“The new easy snacking pack has already attracted a good deal of attention and one of our customers is currently planning a dairy product launch later this year in the pot with the in-lid spoon. We trust consumers will receive both content and pack very well,” says Marcussen.

Whether it comes in a bottle, pouch or pot, dairy is answering consumers’ demands by making their products ready to go whenever consumers are on the move. By utilizing single-serve packaging, consumers are able to control portions and grab quick snacks from the refrigerator or store without having to repackage the goods in a to-go container themselves. Light weight pouches are also making dairy more portable and easier to handle for small children, many of whom are used to feeding themselves from a pouch. Packages including the utensils needed to eat the product also gives consumers an easy snack that won’t have them worrying about forgetting a spoon or having to wash one later. These innovations open new opportunities for consumers to carry dairy products into more settings with more convenience.