commissary INSIDER - October 2016 - 10

Packaging:

Capitalizing
on portion control
INLINE'S GRAB & GO LINE IS ENHANCED FOR
RELIABLE STACKABILITY. PHOTO CREDIT: INLINE

By Ryan Atkinson

It doesn't take much looking around
to see that the consumer trend of
practicing portion control is still
hanging around. Not only are consumers practicing portion control, but the
role of snacking has been on the rise
over the last few years.

"Study after study has highlighted that
consumers are practicing portion control in their eating habits," says Jack Tilley, market research manager for Inline
Plastics. Consumers want to indulge
in decadent desserts without as much
guilt. Others practice self-imposed dietary restrictions. Younger shoppers,

mainly millennials, tend to consume
several smaller meals per day instead of
the traditional three square meals.
It all adds up to the need for more manageable pre-packaged options for retail
foodservice providers. In turn, their
providers need to provide more packaging options. Packaging has evolved to
reflect the smaller portions as suppliers
have developed broad lines of packaging sizes to meet this trend.
Inline, for example, has added 6-ounce
and 20-ounce container sizes - in addition to its standard sizes of 8, 12, 16, 24

"Study after study has
highlighted that consumers
are practicing control in their
eating habits."
Jack Tilley, Inline Plastics
and 32 ounces - to its tamper-evident
Safe-T-Fresh line of containers. "This
will help complement the line and meet
customer needs," Tilley says.
Innoseal is a leader in tamper evident
bag closing systems. Jeff Rebh, the company's president and CEO, says portion
control plays a major role in Innoseal's
business and its customer's demands.
Many of the company's pizza customers use Innoseal's products for portion
control, reducing inventory shrinkage
and waste.
Inline has also developed its Grab & Go
line of rigid plastic containers, which
can be geared toward the portion-control consumer base. The containers include rigid stacking rails for enhanced,
reliable stackability and can increase
impulse purchases with clear, eyecatching displays. The tamper-resistant,
tamper-evident Safe-T-Gard tear strip
provides consumer confidence, too.
Tilley says this line is ideal for c-stores
and other retailers looking to offer decreased, portable portions.

INLINE HAS ADDED SMALLER, PORTION-CONTROL-FRIENDLY, OPTIONS TO ITS LINE OF SAFE-T-FRESH
CONTAINERS TO MEET CONSUMER NEEDS. PHOTO CREDIT: INLINE

10 * OCTOBER 2016

commissary INSIDER

"Convenience stores can capitalize on
these trends by offering an array of
snack and dessert foods in small portion
sizes," he says. "This line also includes
snack cups, hangable packaging and
sandwich containers that are ideal to
merchandise these small portion sizes."

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of commissary INSIDER - October 2016