Leader of the pack
The good news is that many consumers seem to be okay with the way meal kits that include meat are sold and shipped. Nielsen’s meal kit study found that that 91 percent of consumers say they are satisfied with the quality of the meat packaging.
The satisfaction may be due to the fact that services and meat companies who deliver recognize the importance of safe, easy-to-use packaging components. “We use packaging unique to every protein SKU so that we protect the integrity of each product. For example, packaging used for poultry has to be different from packaging used for beef or pork,” says Ramhorst of HelloFresh’s meal kits.
One challenge for those who offer meal and meat delivery is waste. While meal kits have been touted for helping to reduce food waste with carefully portioned ingredients – Blue Apron notes that its meals result in 5.5 percent food waste compared to 10.5 percent food waste in grocery stores -- the kits themselves have been a focus of concern about packaging waste.
Generally, meal kits arrive in a box with pre-portioned ingredients packaged in separate bags, along with ice packs and insulated liners. While some materials, like the cardboard boxes, can be recycled, that isn’t the case with other items headed for landfills or at least to other recycling programs.
In response, some meal kit delivery services have cut down on packaging elements. The meal kit service, Plated, announced its conversion to more recyclable and renewable plant-based materials for its packaging and shipping. Other companies have touted their use of recycled materials for packaging, such as Purple Carrot, Terra’s Kitchen and One Potato. Blue Apron, for its part, has introduced a recycling program through which consumers can print a return shipping label to put on their box for pickup.
Other delivery services promote their packaging efficiency. FreshRealm is a meal kit company that has created a special shipping vessel consisting of reusable components. Inside the polyurethane cube boxes, several drawers with metal plates maintain temperature of the ingredients; consumers take out the food, reassemble the container and affix a return label back on the box for FedEx to pick up and return to FreshRealm.
HelloFresh, for its part, keeps tabs on ways to enhance the experience for users, including via packaging. “Over time, we have adjusted our packaging to provide the best possible experience to our customers. As part of this process we generally look at ways to update labeling where necessary due to regulatory changes or where helpful to provide helpful information to our customers,” Ramhorst reports, adding, “We also collaborate closely with packaging manufacturers to stay up to date on the latest innovations for the packaging itself.”
Beyond meal kit providers, meat and poultry companies that have previously been in the mail order meat business have packaging down to a certain science. “They know packaging and know how to do it efficiently. It’s a natural for those companies,” Lempert observes.
Many meat companies understand the importance of communicating information to users about packaging materials and usage. Omaha, Nebraska-based Omaha Steaks, for example, explains on its packages how and why many of its products are vacuum packaged and how such packaging enhances shelf life and preserves flavor and texture. The company also provides instructions on how to open and use its packaging.
PRE Beef shares information on the benefits of vacuum packaging to consumers. The company’s packaging also has consumer-friendly features like perforated openings. “We use the same packaging that we use in retail, so the consumer gets the exact same thing,” Lebovich notes. “Once the consumer is familiar with our product and has interacted with the package, they know who we are and what they are getting. The experience is very repeatable for consumers.”
Meat-centric businesses are also keyed into package functionality. At Niman Ranch, for instance, Calvert says that the company uses cardboard wraps, cartons and recyclable crocks for its pulled pork products that are shipped to consumers’ homes.
Some meat companies have made forays into multi-ingredient meals. Omaha Steaks recently introduced 15-minute skillet meals, which include a package of ingredients that can be placed into a skillet along with a defrosted sauce pouch. That follows Omaha Steaks’ earlier introduction of crockpot meals. “Due to the overwhelming response that we continue to see with our meals, we plan to continuously develop new and exciting flavors,” reports Todd Simon, family owner and senior vice president.
Improvements could be made to make things easier for the consumer who has simplicity of preparation as a core demand, Lempert points out. “When it comes to meat or chicken from meal kit companies, we’ve heard complaints from consumers that it is not sliced or diced – you have to cut the meat yourself. If you’re doing a meal kit, you should think about doing a meal kit – all ingredients should be portioned and sliced, unless it’s cooked as a whole piece.”
