Dive Brief:
- McCall Farms announced it has come out with a new brand of ready-to-eat vegetables in a first-of-its-kind see-through plastic can, according to Pack World.
- The clear can is being used for New Glory Farms Slow-Cooked vegetables and six other product varieties, and being sold in over 400 Harris Teeter and Ingles Markets stores in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.
- The TruVue plastic can was developed by Sonoco Products, and features an easy-open steel lid and bottom closure.
Dive Insight:
McCall Farms' introduction of a clear can for its vegetable products raises some interesting questions. For one, is this a marketing ploy that consumers won't care about once the novelty wears off? Or is this a savvy strategy to capitalize on consumers’ demand for traceability and brand transparency?
Some analysts feel it’s the latter, especially in the wake of Kettle Cuisine recalling more than 3,090 pounds of soup last month after putting the wrong item in the cans. Any labeling mix-up is a scary proposition for consumers with food allergens and sensitivities, and a clear can is one way to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Clear packaging has been on the rise in recent years, with everything from yogurt and granola to tortilla chips showing up at the grocery aisle in transparent packaging.
When Larabar Uber fruit-and-nut bars transitioned to clear wrappers last year, the company immediately saw a jump in sales, and consumer market tests revealed that shoppers thought the product tasted better and felt fresher. That same phenomenon has benefited other products as well.
Several studies have shown that see-through packaging pique sales and consumer interest, so it’s likely that the trend will continue expansion to other brands and types of products.