Despite rising concerns about excessive waste, plastic has remained the most commonly used material within the bread industry.
With a growing demand for packaging made with as little plastic as possible, bread companies must find ways to minimise waste while keeping products fresh.
Although minimising plastic usage would be better for the planet in the long term, it could make items stale quicker, causing food waste numbers to rise. Companies are now introducing plastic packaging with a thinner, more flexible film to combat these concerns.
Innova Market Insights identified that up to 10 percent thinner films have been proven to achieve the same results.
Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), the process of exchanging normal air with a suitable gas mixture, is being used by more bakeries than before. This technology gives products a shelf life of up to 30 days and is suitable for gluten-free products that tend to dry out quickly.
Despite these positive changes, it was identified that packaging only takes up five percent of the product's environmental footprint, with the process of making the product and transport accounting for 95 percent.
This means companies within the bakery sector must also focus on incorporating sustainable practices into other aspects of production.
Although sustainability is a priority, the bread industry must maintain the freshness of products over non-plastic packaging as it will decrease food waste.
Read more about packaging, click here.
