International Fare originates from worldwide packaging research at GIO Global Intelligence, Chicago. GIO conducts fieldwork in product categories in 27 countries to gain insights on how packaging appeals to local consumers.

Global market and packaging research. At GIO Intelligence, contact Joe Dollens at 312.280.1669 or jdollens@gio.com, or visit www.gio.com

Andros, a French manufacturer of fruit purees and jams, offers active kids a fruit concentrate snack in a single-serve bottle. The Andros Snack bottle is a 100-gram package sealed with aluminum foil, which imparts high barrier properties to protect the fruit snack inside.

“All of the various tastes in the range are apple-based. Apple is a very challenging ingredient, since it requires good protection against oxygen in order to not lose its original color and taste,” explains Nicolas Plantec, consumer goods sales and marketing manager for barrier material supplier Huhtamaki (www.huhtamaki.com).

The single-serve package is designed to fit easily in a backpack or lunch sack for kids to enjoy as an anytime snack.

Portability comes to the hair care aisle with Brylcreem’s Gel Shots, distinctive oval pods that contain single “servings” of hair gel. The product, aimed at 16 to 24-year-old males, can be stowed in a gym locker or sport bag to ensure the consumer isn’t left empty-handed when faced with a hair styling “emergency”. Two variations—Gel Shots Ultra Gel and Wet Look—are packaged in a six-count blister package from Klocke Group (www.klocke.com). Perforated openings on a four-color printed card offer consumers easy access to the individual pods. Brylcreem was first to market with this type of packaging technology in the UK.

This single-serving package consists of a polymer-coated steel bowl and easy-to-open peelable lid, offering functionality and preservation properties. William Saurin, a producer of ready-made meals, selected the package from Crown Food Europe (www.crowncork.com) for its Salades Gourmandes line of salads due to its portability and ease of use.

Product quality and freshness are preserved along the entire supply chain and extending to storage by the consumer until use. The Peel Seam™ lid features a handy tab consumers can use to easily and safely remove the lid from the top of the bowl. The product can be eaten directly from the can, so consumers can enjoy a tasty meal with a new level of ease. The can is also 100 percent recyclable and offers a three-year shelf life.

This innovative microwaveable tray from RPC Group (www.rpc-beboplastik.de) features a convenient fork compartment built into the pack’s base. The package, which contains Currywurst (a traditional German curried sausage), was developed to meet the increasing popularity of complete meal solutions for on-the-go eating.

The unusual design of the tray features a secondary inverted compartment inside the main section. Accessed from the underside, it allows a fork and a curry powder sachet to be stored inside the pack without affecting the overall on-shelf appearance.

The compartment is sealed with an adhesive label with an easy-open tab, which allows the consumer to remove the fork and sachet before placing the tray in the microwave. The thermoformed polypropylene tray is sealed with a full-color printed film sheet for maximum product freshness and aesthetic appeal.