Novelty Beats Sustainability Packaging for New Candies

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While eco-friendly confectionery packaging accounted for 4 percent of global confectionery launches in the first half of 2010, up from 3 percent from July to December 2009, novelty and colorful designs led in packaging innovations, according to Mintel's Global New Products Database (GNPD), reports Confectionary News.

The market researchers indicate that the sustainable packaging promoted as part of new gum and sweet launches primarily focused on established "green" traits such as being recyclable or biodegradable, with less emphasis on renewable or lighter materials, according to the article.

However, Mintel says several leading confectioners have opted for reduced packaging. As an example, UK based Tangerine confectionery has switched to greener packaging and reformulated the hard eating gums in its Lion range to meet the growing demand for clean labels and environmentally sustainable products

Tangerine told Confectionary News that it was using 20/20 micron oriented polypropylene film for its 215g and 113g bag options.

Tangerine's announcement was followed by Wrigley's plan to transition from aluminum foil wrappers to paper for the packaging of its five leading chewing-gum brands. The gum maker told the publication the packaging initiative will save about 850 tons of aluminum foil and about 13 percent in costs.

According to findings of a recent North America based Mintel survey, 19 percent of the respondents indicated that they wanted gum and mints to have more environmentally sustainable packaging, reports Confectionary News.

Packaging suppliers and research institutes also are working on the development of sustainable packaging for candy. As an example cited in the article, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed a nano-based coating that is claimed to reduce packaging waste and could be used in chocolate packaging.

UK cellulose acetate film supplier Clarifoil recently produced a new ultra-gloss white film for luxury confectionery packaging that is said to be made from a renewable polymer and is biodegradable, reports Confectionary News.

Clarifoil told the publication that the satiné lamination film is accredited to EN 13432 and ASTM D6400 standards, which means it biodegrades by at least 90 percent within six months and has low heavy metal content.

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