Packaging plays an important role in ensuring food safety. However, when we think of food packaging, most people think of consumer-face packaging. However, packaging is used across the entire supply chain, way before the products reach customers.

Most of this packaging helps protect the product during transit from the manufacturers to distributors to retailers. In the world of e-commerce, transport packaging also reaches many customers directly.

What is Transport Packaging?

Transport packaging is any product that helps contain and protects food and drinks during transportation, storage and handling. This term covers all forms of industrial packaging that are used for consumer products.

  • Primary Packaging – This packaging contains the product. It offers containment and protection, but isn't really suitable for transport. This packaging is what consumers see when purchasing a product and it acts as a marketing tool while protecting the product. This packaging is available in an array of materials and formats.
  • Secondary Packaging – This packaging contains the primary package and is used during transport. Secondary packaging helps with containment, unitisation, handling and damage prevention. In certain instances, like e-commerce, this is the packaging used to ship directly to customers. Common forms of secondary packaging include boxes and bags. Boxes include reusable or single-use shipping boxes, which can be collapsible, stackable, nestable or foldable. Bags could be envelopes, multi-wall bags or bulk sacks. Barrels, drums and crates as well as specialty containers for unique products also fall in this category. This packaging can also include interior dunnage that helps reduce friction and contact between the primary packs during transit offering additional protection and security. Dunnage can include airbags, air cells, foam, paper systems, suspension films and product separators.
  • Tertiary Packaging – This packaging is typically used to group secondary packaging for handling, transportation, unitisation and damage prevention to the products. Tertiary packaging is used for moving bulk items to distribution centres and retail outlets. Tertiary packaging helps provide load support during transit. Common types of tertiary packaging include skids and pallets.

Importance of Transport Packaging in the Food and Drinks Industry

Appropriate transport packaging helps ensure your product reaches your consumers as intended without damage or leakage.

The biggest benefit of transport packaging is that it helps protect your goods. After all, when goods arrive damaged, it can not only increase your replacement cost, but it affects your brand image and goodwill. Moreover, transport packaging enables you to get your products to your end consumers.

Good transport packaging helps reduce transportation costs, aids with efficient movement of product and efficient storage while reducing damage.

Contact Tripak for Food and Drinks Packaging

Tripak offers a full range of equipment and consumables for food and drink packaging. Our friendly team can help you find the right product to suit your requirements. Whether you are looking for packaging consumables or high-spec films and tapes, we've got you covered.

Get in touch with us today for assistance or a quick quote.