From delicate pastries to multi-layer cakes, it’s hard to pass up a delicious-looking bakery treat, especially in eye-catching packaging. However, there can be challenges to ensuring bakery items arrive at a destination looking and tasting their best. Whether you run a small bakery or a large baked goods company, your customers expect nothing but the highest quality when they purchase your products. Ideal packaging for baked goods should not only preserve product freshness but also balance functionality and presentation. Businesses should keep these factors in mind when selecting bakery packaging for their products.
Maintain Shelf Life
Baked goods like pastries and cakes are very susceptible to drying out, becoming stale, and losing their flavor. For example, pastry freshness will diminish after about two days, while muffins, donuts, cupcakes, and regular cakes retain peak freshness for about four or five days. Baked goods require packaging that provides a durable barrier to prevent product moisture loss and contamination from outside environmental favors. High-quality bakery boxes are necessary to keep products from spoiling prematurely and contributing to food waste and disappointed customers.
Sustain Structure
Baked goods come in all shapes and sizes. They’re also delicate and run the risk of crumbling or breaking if they aren’t handled properly. Bakery packaging must be sturdy and supportive to protect a product’s shape and appearance. Low-quality box materials may not retain their shape, which could impact product structure. Select a higher-quality box made from durable materials.
Unless a company is only making one kind of baked good, bakers likely can’t rely on a one-size solution for their products. Packaging specifically tailored to your products, whether it be custom or stock options designed for particular baked goods, should be considered. For example, cupcakes and muffins should be packaged individually or packaged in larger boxes with trays to keep each product snug. Other items, like cakes, can benefit from layer boards in the bottom of the box to keep items from sliding around or compromising the bottom the of box.
Enhance Visual Appeal
It’s no secret that customers are drawn to baked goods that look visually appealing and appetizing. Good baked goods packaging needs to allow potential customers to see what the product inside looks like while still offering strong protection. Consider creative custom bakery boxes or stock options that include a clear window in the design. This way, customers can see the contents inside without compromising product integrity.