The way food is packaged and marketed is constantly changing, thanks in part to consumer trends, the goal of packaging sustainability and the never-ending fight to reduce food waste. This has resulted in a wide variety of enhancements that continue to evolve.

Americans throw out about $161 billion worth of food each year, and consumer uncertainty about the meaning of the dates that appear on the labels of packaged foods is believed to contribute to about 20 percent of food waste in the home. To dispel this confusion and reduce food waste, the FDA is pushing for clearer food labels.

Nestlé, Unilever, Kraft Heinz and Premier Foods are just some of the food companies that have signed a U.K. initiative to cut food waste by 50 percent.

Everyone should know Kit Kat chocolate bars—but did you know the wafer in the center is actually made from broken Kit Kat bars? Kit Kat manufacturers leave no bar uneaten. If quality assurance deems that a certain Kit Kat is not up to standards, it will go in the reject pile, ready to be crushed and used to fill other Kit Kats.

The SAVE FOOD Initiative has now passed the 1,000 member mark. The 1,067 supporters currently registered include groups of companies, corporations and professional associations as well as research institutes and NGOs from the entire food value chain. With Lidl Deutschland as the latest member, retail is now also represented as a link in this supply chain.  

Sonoco announces a new research partnership with Clemson University: the Sonoco FRESH (Food Research Excellence for Safety and Health) initiative will develop new technologies and new forms of packaging to optimize the fresh food lifecycle.

Snact, a fruit snacks manufacturer on a mission to reduce food waste in the UK, has unveiled a distinctive new brand identity, with design by B&B studio. The brand rescues as much of the apples and bananas that are thrown away due to being an unusual or ‘ugly’ shape as possible and transforms it into fruit jerky and banana bars. 

The Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) is pleased to announce a new infographic that highlights how flexible packaging is helping to keep food fresher and prevent food waste.

I came across a very cool eco-friendly kitchen tool the other day. Bee’s Wrap is a new alternative to plastic wrap, and it is reusable. Reusable faux plastic wrap? I had to know more.

More than half of this waste occurs in households and poorly-designed packaging is one of the primary culprits.