Research shows consumers are looking for environmentally friendly packaging. However, they also are used to seeing a specific type of packaging for their portioned fresh meat and poultry, says Eva Almenar, a professor in the School of Packaging at Michigan State University, in East Lansing.
For many years, the industry has been shifting away from polystyrene (PS) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) trays wrapped in film, but with portioned fresh meat and poultry being an established category, packaging changes haven’t been readily received by consumers. Instead, the fresh meat and poultry areas showing the most packaging innovation is for products aiming to reach niche consumers, such as those seeking organic and grass-fed proteins.