In recent years, the emergence of a number of key trends has arguably shaped the industry into what it is today. The demands placed on manufacturers for more in the areas of health, convenience and luxury have not only presented challenges, but also opportunities to tap into the markets with new products and fresh designs aimed at the needs of the consumer.

Indeed, prior to the economic decline and more recently there has been notable growth in various sectors of the food and drink industry. According to research from Keynote, sectors such as health foods, premium and indulgence foods, and ethical foods such as organic, Fairtrade and locally sourced varieties and have experienced considerable growth.

As such, demand for new design concepts that attribute to appearance, product protection and portion control have become much sought after and movement in the product design sector has certainly been rapid.

One trend in particular that has conjured up some interesting and innovative packaging designs is that of convenience food and drinks. More and more consumers are eating and drinking on the go and as a result, the design of packaging has had to change with the growing number of mobile consumers. Ergonomic design has also become an important characteristic of packaging design especially in the beverage sector where the ease of grip and the controlled flow of product have formed a critical aspect of a successful design.

In addition, an increase in impulse buying has had a dramatic effect on visibility with designs needing to appeal to consumers who have little time to make a purchase. Of course, it’s important that a product ticks all the right boxes with the consumer including visual appeal and adequate information regarding ingredients and as such, labelling can give a product a great advantage.

The innovative Fix-a-Form multi-page label from Denny Bros is just one example of how design and requirement can work together without sacrificing visual appeal. For smaller products that lack the space for a full list of ingredients and essential product information, the label is the ideal solution to giving the consumer what they need while ensuring that the product remains effective and still holds its shelf appeal.

Labels such as Fix-a-Form multi-page labels are proving to be the answer to a number of challenges faced by the food and drink industry, and may be the ideal solution to Defra’s latest announcement of plans for its Green Label scheme. The scheme, which could see the inclusion of information such as food miles, chemicals used and packaging information introduced to packaging, has been questioned by the industry with many manufacturers claiming that it could present an information overload for the consumer. However, with the Fix-a Form leaflet label, the information is conveniently contained within a multi-page label that doesn’t overwhelm the overall design of the packaging.

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Samantha Hallett, Food & Drink International, 13 November 2009