Hydrocolloids are used in a wide variety of applications in the food and beverage industry, primarily as thickening or gelling agents. But many new applications for hydrocolloids are still being developed, including one that could alleviate the environmental impact of single-use bottle packaging.

America has long been a nation of snackers, with over 60% of the population filling out their three meals a day with a snack or two. However, as snack foods increasingly replace traditional meals, it means big business for not only packaged food producers, but also for suppliers of convenient and highly marketable packaging.

Trends focused on quick and easy meal preparation for home cooks have led to greater demand for food products that help to take the frustration out of the cooking process. This means that retailers are shrinking down meat packages and adding new lines of precooked and preseasoned products in convenient and ready-to-use formats that can be priced at a premium. A Freedonia analyst explains what this means for the packaging market.

Trends in cosmetics packaging design for 2017 emphasize luxury and convenience across many retail channels. A Freedonia Group expert and a marketing coordinator at a consumer products packaging producer weigh in.