Why Choose Food Research Lab's FRL as Your Food Product Development (FPD) Consultant and Partner?

There are several options in almost every product area in today’s market, and the difficulty is in coming up with unique items that stand out and connect with customers. Food Research Lab's Food Research Lab takes a holistic approach to creating food and beverage products. We define, demographically target, and build effective goods through a sequential process for category selection and comprehension. The client can visit the lab to learn the process. We offer unlimited rounds of revisions to ensure customer satisfaction. The final product prototype, along with the documentation process, including the video (through email), will be shipped to the client, and in case the client is not satisfied with the video, a food technology consultant will visit the place for the product demo at the client’s costs.

What are the different forms that you deliver the Food Product Formulations?

The food industry is witnessing a new form of consumption. Keeping that in mind, we can formulate the products in the form of ready-to-eat, ready-to-drink, ready-to-mix, ready-to-serve, and ready-to-cook food products. We use ingredients that offer an added value to the development and improve its indulgence and sustainability in terms of its functional ingredients, plant-based food dyes, and natural preservatives with a clean label.

What are the sectors Food Research Lab cover?

We cover a wide range of sectors such as soups, sauces and dips, chips, tortillas, dry beverage powder, plant-based products, masalas, puddings, instant mixes and many more.

How is sensory testing been carried out?

Our sensory examination leads to the precise formulation and recipe recommendations. We develop data-driven design models based on sensory research and customer insights. The fact-based design methodology used by Food Research Lab reduces risk and gives our clients market confidence while cutting development time in half. With our dedicated sensory lab facility, our team takes satisfaction in creating and optimizing successful products in the marketplace, generating a favourable return on investment, and developing brand advocates.

Food waste is a considerable problem in the UK, with an estimated 9.5 million tonnes of food wasted each year, which in turn disfigures the environment and results in economic loss. According to Talking Retail, approximately 80 million tonnes of plastic packaging are produced each year—equivalent to about 10 kilograms per person annually. If no action is taken, this number is projected to triple by 2050. Additionally, Forbes.mag reports that in 2016, 3.4 trillion packaging units were produced, with 92% of them used for food and beverages.

Eco-Friendly Packaging Solutions: Addressing UK's Food Waste through Innovative Barrier Technologies

Interesting News . 14 Mar 25, 2025

Food waste is a considerable problem in the UK, with an estimated 9.5 million tonnes of food wasted each year, which in turn disfigures the environment and results in economic loss. According to Talking Retail, approximately 80 million tonnes of plastic packaging are produced each year—equivalent to about 10 kilograms per person annually. If no action is taken, this number is projected to triple by 2050. Additionally, Forbes.mag reports that in 2016, 3.4 trillion packaging units were produced, with 92% of them used for food and beverages.

Environmentally friendly packaging is agreed as a top priority by virtually everyone – the way we package goods of all kinds has to change. Leaving aside the Attenborough effect, the issue has come closer to home with China and other nations in the Far East now refusing to accept plastics for low-cost recycling. The opportunities to shift the burden of environmental responsibility elsewhere are reducing.

Some of the main reasons for food wastage are improper packaging, which does not seal in freshness, causing food to spoil before it can be consumed. Emerging eco-friendly packaging solutions with new barrier technologies present a sustainable means of prolonging shelf life, minimizing waste, and fostering an environmentally responsible attitude.[1]

The Growing Need for Sustainable Packaging in the UK

The Food Waste Reduction Roadmap has various implementable strategies by the UK government to mitigate food waste at different levels. However, the role of packaging remains critical. Traditional plastic packaging preserves food well but creates pollution and landfill waste. Hence, sustainable barrier technologies are essential in ensuring product quality with minimal environmental implications.

This traditional paradigm layout of packaging has provided the following challenges:

Poor Oxygen and Moisture Control-Microbial growth and spoilage of foods result.
The Excess Excessive Plastic Waste -Single use by plastics clearly leads towards washing away into oceans or filling up landfills.
Limited recycling options most food packaging materials are non-recyclable or processable.

Thus, next-generation barrier packaging solutions are on their way to being developed to ensure that food remains fresh longer but without harming the environment. [2]

Barrier Technologies Create an Innovative Sustainable Packaging

Barrier technologies in food packaging play an important role in influencing the life span of the perishable goods through oxygen, moisture, light, and microorganism barrier. The UK has gained a lot from the eco-friendly innovations:

Biodegradable and Compostable Packaging

Biodegradable films obtained from natural polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA), starch blends, and cellulose are emerging as the most effective means of reducing plastic waste. Their excellent performance characteristics are with the environmental breakdown.

Chalcogen: Among Seaweed Based Films: Edible and compostable best suited for dry foods and single-serve portion packages.
Cornstarch-based Materials: A biopolymer for single-serving snack and bakery items, is used as a substitute for plastic.[3]

Bio-Based Barrier Coatings

Bio-based coatings enhance barrier resistance toward oxygen and moisture, while maintaining composability. The most common bio-coatings are made from chitosan, alginate, or whey protein-a living alternative to synthetic coatings made from, for example, polyethylene.

Advantages include:

Improves the shelf life of fresh produce items, dairy products, and meat products.
Decreases dependence on fossil fuel-based plastics.. [4]

Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)

MAP technology refers to manipulating the atmosphere within packaging to extending microbial growth and oxidizing degradation rates to prevent spoilage of food products. When allied with sustainable materials, MAP finds its equilibrium between extending the shelf life and being eco-friendly.

Applications:

It is used for fresh meat, seafood, and ready-to-eat meals. This means less dependence on preservatives, while maintaining natural freshness.[5]

Active and intelligent packaging.

The technology uses components that actively assist in interacting between the food using the package and the outside environment for improvement of freshness and reduction of waste.

Examples:

Oxygen scavengers-deplete the excess oxygen from the package to prevent spoilage.

Antimicrobial packaging-natural compounds such as essential oils or silver nanoparticles imbued in the packaging system to inhibit bacterial growth within the foods.

Smart labels-sensors that show the freshness of the food, hence helping consumers to minimize the waste.[6]

Barrier-Packaging based on paper

Pioneering papers in moisture and water resistance and grease-proofness were advancements in replacing plastic laminates for food applications. Paper-based materials along with bio-wax or plant-based coatings serve excellent moisture and oil barriers, thereby making the materials suitable for dry foods, confectionery, and frozen goods.

Examples:

Paperboard Containers with Bio-Coatings: Substitute plastic trays ready-meal packaging.
Grease Resistance Wrapper: Bakery and fast-food packaging usage.[7]

Biodegradable packing peanuts, crafted from natural and non-toxic materials like wheat, provide the same level of product protection as traditional options, according to Swiftpak.
Paper Bubble Wrap – Fully recyclable and biodegradable, offering strong protection for packaging.
Corrugated Packaging – 96% can be recycled up to ten times into new packaging materials. More corrugated packaging is recovered for recycling than any other material.
Bioplastics – Made from natural resources like corn starch, these materials are sustainable and renewable. The sugars in corn starch can be engineered into PLA (Polylactic Acid), a biodegradable material used for packaging, textiles, and engineering plastics (Source: ScienceDirect).
Mushroom Root Packaging – Made from mycelium, a biodegradable and recyclable material that serves as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic.
Wool – A compostable, biodegradable, and insulating material, making it ideal for temperature-sensitive packaging.
Stone Paper – A non-toxic, biodegradable alternative to traditional paper, made from calcium carbonate. It is waterproof, recyclable, and printable, making it suitable for shipping and packaging.
Seaweed Packaging – The seaweed-based packaging industry is expected to grow by 16% from 2020-2027 (Source: Data Bridge Market Research). Innovations like Notpla use seaweed and plants as biodegradable plastic alternatives.
Bagasse – A by-product of sugarcane processing, this material is greaseproof, waterproof, and ideal for food packaging such as takeaway containers.
Palm Leaves – Biodegradable and versatile, palm leaves from the areca palm plant can be molded into plates, bowls, and eco-friendly packaging.
Silberboard Paper – Recyclable and biodegradable, used in food and pharmaceutical packaging as a sustainable alternative to laminated metallized polyester films.
Wood Pulp Cellophane – A biodegradable material that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide heat resistance, extending product shelf life.
Milk Plastic – Made from casein molecules in milk, this water-soluble and biodegradable material can be shaped into various packaging forms.
Seed Phytonutrients Shower-Friendly Paper – Created by Ecologic Brands, it consists of a recyclable outer shell made from recycled cardboard and newspaper, with an inner pouch that uses 60% less plastic than standard bottles. It is used for packaging wine, pet food, and laundry detergent.

Eco-Friendly Packaging and Its Impact on UK’s Food Waste Reduction

Innovative barrier packaging has proven benefits in reducing food waste across various sectors:

Retailing and Supermarkets

Shelf-Life Extension: China-grown bananas are coated with sustainable MAP and bio-based-protective coatings to mitigate the early spoilage of fresh produce.
Reduced Plastic Utilisation: Supermarkets such as Tesco and Waitrose are now using compostable film wraps for fruits and vegetables.

Food Services and Takeaway

Sustainable Takeaway Packaging: Compostable containers and smart packaging solutions prevent potential waste as far as food deliveries are concerned.
Intelligent expiry systems prevent otherwise good food from being dumped.

Household Use

Consumer Awareness: Smart labels help in reducing the need to throw away edible food.
Compostable Packaging: Encourages at-home composting and waste reduction.[8]

Hurdles in Practical Adoption of Eco-Friendly Packaging

Even though sustainable packaging has made a lot of progress in the last few years, some challenges exist.

- Cost Implications: Biodegradable as well as bio-based materials can be, at times, much costlier than the conventional plastics.
- Recycling Infrastructure: The current recycling system in the UK is not yet efficient for handling compostable and bio packaging.
- Consumer Acceptance: It is necessary to educate people regarding appropriate disposal and the benefits of such eco-friendly packaging.[9]

Fostering Sustainable Packaging in the UK

When it comes to sustainable packaging, the UK government has enacted legislation such as the Plastic Packaging Tax and regulations on Extended Producer Responsibilities (EPRs). Enthusiastically, we can predict that:

- - - Heavy Investments for Research and Development: In new bio-based and recyclable barrier technologies.
    - Increased Industry Collaboration: Among manufacturers, retailers, and research labs to optimize packaging solutions.
    - Improved Recycling System: Circular economy model developments for sustainable packaging. [10]

The Role of the Research Lab Food in Sustainable Packaging Innovation

As this food industry turns towards environment-friendly packaging, Food Research Lab is making a significant contribution to sustainable packaging development and optimization. The FRL provides expertise in:

- - - Barrier technology research and material selection for shelf-life extension.
    - Eco-friendly packaging formulation and regulatory compliance towards UK food standards.

Sensory and stability tests for packaging performance.

By employing science-driven innovation with sustainable strategies, FRL helps brands minimize food spoilage and waste for a greener tomorrow. Food Research Lab is a one-stop shop to partner within the preparation of next-next-generation eco-wise packaging solutions.

Conclusion

The drive towards sustainability and reduced food waste in the UK emphasizes how critical eco-friendly packaging is. Biodegradable films, bio-based coatings, MAP and even active packaging vest on developing advanced barrier technologies to maximize the shelf life of products with minimum environmental impact. The issues surrounding cost and recycling limitations, coupled with consumer awareness, are slowly being eroded through proactive government initiatives and industry developments.

Food Research Lab takes a significant step towards developing and optimizing sustainable packaging in the region. Through this cutting-edge research, FRL assists businesses in enhancing shelf life, reducing waste, and providing applicable regulations. With barrier technologies and food safety expertise, FRL helps brands realize the benefits of developing eco-friendly packaging that meets UK’s sustainability standards.

Food Research Lab is a leading contract R&D partner, specializing in food, nutraceutical, and cosmeceutical product development. We help businesses innovate, formulate, and scale their products while ensuring scientific accuracy, regulatory compliance, and market readiness.