Goldbeck Recruiting, a globally connected executive search firm based in Vancouver, British Columbia, interviewed industry professionals across the continent and found a boost for locally produced goods.

Behavioral research firm Insights Now has released a report on the Clean Label movement (consumer-driven demand for elimination of allergens and other ingredients from food and non-food products). The report identified consumer misperceptions around food, beverage and supplement ingredient claims.

With increasing concerns about food safety and the environment, there are pros and cons to using plastic packaging for fresh foods. Add to that, consumer demand for convenience, and the question becomes even more complicated. A recent study revealed that about one-third of shoppers prefer to buy their fresh foods in plastics containers.

Consumer trends have contributed to a gradual replacement of rigid pack formats by flexible packaging during the last decade or so. Total flexible packaging sales were at $219.5 billion in 2016, with growth expected at an annual rate of 4.3% to $282.6 billion by 2022. 

With the majority of global consumers already recycling, demand for environmentally friendly packaging will increase further in response to heightened publicity around plastics ending up in the ocean, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.