Packaging for Better Food Security

There are numerous definitions of food insecurity, but simply put, food insecurity generally exists when people do not have adequate physical, social, or economic access to food. Moreover, food security is included in the Zero Hunger (Goal 2) of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Statistics vary within countries and regions due to conflict, natural disasters, drought, war, political upheaval, and crop and labor shortages. The World Food Programme (WFP) publishes a live interactive reporting tool online that defines the number of people with food insecurity and malnutrition levels categorized as minimal, stressed, crisis, emergency, and catastrophe/famine, as well as the sources associated with these conditions (HungerMapLive 2024). As of Jan. 1, 2024, HungerMapLive reported that 69 million people worldwide are experiencing insufficient food consumption, and 16 countries faced very high levels of hunger among their populations.

Improving food security includes economic access to food and food justice, which is the movement that advocates for healthy food as a human right. Packaging material science and design are critical to ensure food is available, safe, stable, and nutritious to enable higher rates of food security around the globe. Two aspects of packaging—preventing food and nutrient loss and minimizing environmental impact—can contribute to achieving both economic access and food justice aims.

Less Waste, More Efficient Delivery 

Specific packaging is required to prevent damage and nutrient loss during the efficient delivery of food aid. This is because an extended supply chain involves exposure to varied temperatures and humidities and 20 human or mechanical transfers and interactions. Packaging is critical in preventing food waste during distribution by inhibiting chemical contamination, physical abuse, and biological attacks (e.g., birds, rodents, insects) (Roubert et al. 2018). For example, infestation-proof laminated polypropylene (PP) woven bags deploy antioxidants to inhibit oxidation and have integrated microperforated vents to allow for the compression required for efficient cubing of bulk grain packaging. Prior prevalent fabric and multiwall paper bags were prone to tearing during automated unloading, and hermetic bags rupture when air is compressed from cargo containers or trucks. However, these materials supported clear labeling with easy-to-read contents repeated within the fabric or printed on the bags. This deterred counterfeiting and diversion and made for ease of identification. The interweaving of print, QR codes, and counterfeit-proof encoded woven PP strips ensures that food can be identified and is not counterfeited or diverted.

Loss of nutrients and food quality occurs during the extensive food aid supply chain. Intelligent packaging can be applied to track temperature and humidity exposure and correlate this to real-time nutrient levels. Furthermore, active packaging solutions to inhibit nutrient, microbial, and oxidative deteriorative reactions are plentiful (Kusuma et al. 2023, Sand 2021a, Sand 2021b, Yildirim et al. 2017). High-barrier packaging also plays a critical role. For example, ready-to-use supplementary food (RUSF) and ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) 535 kcal products retain nutrients due to metalized polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or foil laminate pouches. Nutrients can be further separated into high-barrier materials within a package to provide added protection.

With 45 million children under 5 years of age estimated to suffer from acute malnutrition, the demand for packaging to retain nutrients within fortified foods has increased. To ensure nutrients do not degrade prior to use and that nutrients are tailored for specific populations in need, susceptible nutrients can also be added through the package closer to actual consumption. This requires a Beta or a second-stage packaging system. For example, the centralized production of RUTF in industrialized countries can be coupled with finishing stations closer to where they are consumed. This allows for a more specific match between nutrients and the needy population. On a simplistic level, examples of packaging compatible with second-stage packaging include resealable bags, and on a more complex level, injection ports that can be used to add nutrients.

Distribution efficiency is aided by package size optimization and harmonization. Available space is maximized by using the negative space between packages, such that round cans containing critical items like menstruation pads and shape-pliable RUSF and RUTF can fit between cans. Retort bags are increasingly used due to their lighter weight and ease of transport.

Reducing Environmental Impact

Post-consumer packaging innovation can reduce the environmental impact of packaging. Adequate disposal of packaging is a consideration in determining packaging materials since litter in waterways and on land can have severe environmental consequences. However, the protection and delivery of food to people in need is most critical. Focusing on the combined life cycle impact (LCI) of product, process, and packaging is critical, especially with regard to packaging since altering these materials can result in increased food waste and hence, a higher environmental cost and greater food insecurity.

Patrick Webb, director of the Food Systems for Nutrition Innovation Lab, expands, “Innovative solutions in packaging are critical to improving both the environmental impact of our food systems [such as] reduced plastics, greenhouse gases, etc., but also the nutritional impact. This is especially important in delivering specialized food products to save children’s lives in humanitarian emergencies. Quality cannot be compromised; cost must be contained. Lives depend on it.”

The LCI metric is used by organizations such as Waste Management Measuring, Reverse Logistics, Environmentally Sustainable Procurement and Transport, and Circular Economy (WREC) to address reducing the environmental impact of food aid. In December 2023, the Joint Initiative for Sustainable Humanitarian Assistance Packaging Waste Management, in which WREC participates, released an infographic detailing the properties, advantages, and disadvantages of commonly used types of plastic packaging used in humanitarian assistance (JISHAPWM 2023). The document, which covers PET, PP, metalized plastic such as that used in RUTF, high-density polyethylene, and low-density polyethylene, provides top-line recommendations for managing each plastic type more sustainably in terms of human health, marine life, and climate change.

Of the three tenets of lowering the impact of packaging—reduce, reuse, and recycle—reuse holds the most promise in reducing the environmental impact of packaging. Reusing primary packaging for the same purpose can be problematic because it requires a return of containers in systems in which most supply chains are one-way. Nevertheless, packaging design for reuse within a small geographic region is promising. For example, a collapsible and reusable Fenik cooler described by the WFP’s Innovation Accelerator website uses evaporation in a 6 L chiller to preserve perishables (WFP 2021). This Malawian innovation aids in small-scale cold chain distribution by extending produce shelf life and resiliency of the local food supply. This concept can be expanded to include trailer-sized coolers for mobile vertical farms that allow for bulk growing and delivery of fresh products, reducing the amount of processing and packaging needed in the transport.

There are other measures for the reuse of valuable packaging materials. Raising the value of packaging post-use is a means to address the disposal of packaging positively. This can be done by aligning with adjacent needs. After its initial intended use, packaging can be a fuel source, used in building insulation, structural components, clothing, and transport aids. Corrugated boxes can be constructed or reformed to interlock to form walls, and woven PP bags can be interconnected to form tenting materials, clothing, and backpacks. Fortunately, the reuse of high-barrier flexible primary packaging is promising due to its lower cost and ability to be compressed, cleaned, and refilled.

Waste-to-energy incineration also allows for packaging to create much-needed energy. However, critical reformulations of packaging are often needed. For example, for packaging to be used as a safe fuel source, it cannot contain chemicals of concern that can damage the air within the area to be heated. Likewise, compostable or biodegradable packaging should not be used unless it has been confirmed not to release chemicals of concern that can transfer into soil and water.

Toward Global Food Security

As these examples show, packaging design and material science innovations enable a more food-secure population. However, much work remains to ensure that the world’s growing population has access to safe, wholesome, and nutritious foods.ft