Importance of ‘Made in USA’ When Packaging Frozen Food
If you’re looking for packaging options for your new frozen food line or updating the sources you use for packaging on your existing products, you can’t overestimate the importance of knowing where your packing material comes from. Food packaging comes into direct contact with the meals consumers make out of your goods, and the highest quality standards should apply to anything you choose when planning out your food packing and portioning. One thing you can do to help maintain quality while communicating that commitment to your customers without making your processes a lot more complex is buying all your packaging from manufacturers inside the United States. While you can find high quality packaging from international providers, the ‘Made in USA’ label communicates a few specifics to customers immediately that even the best packaging from abroad just can’t prove.
1. Guarantee Contaminant-Free Packaging
Standards for food manufacturing in the United States are laid out by the FDA, and every company involved in the supply chain for frozen foods and other prepared foods is required to follow them. That includes the use of PPE in the manufacturing environment to keep out human hair and other biological contaminants that could taint the packaging or food within it. Food packaging manufacturers operating in the U.S. follow these standards for their domestic and international customers alike, but consumers do not automatically know which countries outside the U.S. maintain similar standards, making the options with ‘Made in USA’ packaging a more familiar choice to meet those same food safety needs. Consider that when you’re sourcing the custom printed mylar bags you need to pack your next snack line for retail sale.
2. Contributions To the Domestic Economy
When a manufacturer makes an unqualified claim about products being made in the U.S., they are required by the FTC to be sure it is virtually all made in the U.S. Otherwise, the claim needs to be qualified to reflect the most truthful statement about the product possible. One example would be products that are labeled as assembled in the U.S. but not made in the U.S. This lets buyers know when their choice provides custom to companies that keep their operations at home, providing jobs and tax support to local communities. Since many food packaging options are also green, it also helps support the green economy at home when your stand up pouches are made domestically.
3. Convenience and Accessibility
Working with a domestic provider when you’re sourcing packaging means having the ear of a supplier who is closer to home. In fact, you might want to go further than just buying from a U.S. manufacturer by searching for one within easy traveling distance. Local and regional providers can meet with you face to face more easily to collaborate on the branding and other creative aspects of your new packaging, which makes quality control easier. Being geographically closer also lowers shipping costs, which starts to matter when you are packaging frozen food at scale for national distribution. In that case, the label is the less important part of choosing a product that’s made in the U.S.A., it’s the convenience that really matters.