Understanding Food Packaging Regulations

In the UK, food packaging is governed by a range of stringent regulations to ensure the safety, hygiene, and accurate labelling of food products. These rules are essential for maintaining consumer trust and safeguarding public health. Key regulatory requirements include:

• Hygiene Standards: Packaging must prevent contamination and ensure the food remains safe during transport, storage, and display. This includes using materials that are free from harmful substances and capable of preserving the food’s integrity.

• Labelling Compliance: Accurate labelling is mandatory, providing consumers with essential information such as ingredients, allergens, nutritional data, and expiration dates. Clear and legible labelling also helps to meet the UK Food Information Regulations (FIR).

• Safety and Tamper-Evidence: Packaging must demonstrate that it hasn't been tampered with, safeguarding the contents from damage or interference during transit and storage.

Sarcina’s paper-based packaging solutions are fully compliant with UK food safety and hygiene regulations. Our custom-printed packaging not only provides a durable barrier against contamination but also offers clear, accurate, and compliant labelling options. Additionally, Sarcina’s tamper-evident designs provide added security, ensuring that your products meet the highest standards of safety and consumer protection, while promoting sustainability through recyclable materials.

Types of Paper-Based Food Packaging at Sarcina

Shelf-Ready Packaging

Shelf-ready packaging (SRP) plays a key role in improving retail visibility and reducing in-store handling costs. Sarcina’s eco-friendly, customisable retail-ready packaging is designed for quick and easy shelf placement, ensuring that your products stand out while minimising labour costs. These shelf-ready packages also comply with retailer standards, providing an efficient and visually appealing solution that aligns with modern sustainability trends.

Litho-Printed Cartons

Litho-printed cartons offer the perfect combination of premium design and sustainability. Using high-quality, detailed lithographic printing, these paper-based cartons are ideal for food products that require standout branding and intricate designs. Sarcina’s litho-printed cartons enhance product differentiation, helping your brand shine on the shelves while ensuring that all packaging is made from recyclable, eco-friendly materials.

Cardboard Trays

Sarcina’s durable cardboard trays are designed to safely package and transport a variety of food products. Perfect for fresh produce and baked goods, our recyclable trays provide superior protection during transit while serving as effective in-store display units. Our customisable trays can be printed with your branding, reflecting your company’s commitment to sustainability while ensuring food safety and protection.

Flexo Printed Cartons

Flexographic printing is a cost-effective option for large-scale packaging needs, providing consistent, clear branding on paper-based materials. Our flexo-printed cartons are perfect for high-volume food packaging, offering durability and eco-friendliness while maintaining high-quality print standards. Whether you need packaging for bulk items or everyday food products, these cartons combine sustainability with affordability.

Printed Cardboard Sleeves

Printed cardboard sleeves add an extra layer of branding to food products, making them ideal for ready meals, confectionery, and frozen foods. These sleeves offer a sleek, sustainable packaging option that enhances the product’s appearance while providing important information. Sarcina’s customisable printed cardboard sleeves allow you to align your packaging with your brand identity while keeping the environment in mind.

Tamper-Proof Packaging

Sarcina’s tamper-proof packaging is designed to safeguard food products during transit and storage, ensuring they remain safely intact and uncompromised. We offer a variety of customisable tamper-evident options, featuring secure closures such as peel-and-seal tape and perforated rip strips. These packaging features also improve pack line efficiency by making the sealing process faster and cleaner. Sarcina’s tamper-proof packaging solutions are available in custom sizes and stock designs, providing flexibility for all food packaging needs. 

Turkey Boxes / Poultry Boxes

Our turkey boxes are specifically designed for securely packaging and transporting whole turkeys and poultry such as geese. Made from sturdy, recyclable materials, these custom gable boxes protect products from damage and contamination while offering both custom branding options and ready-made, generic designs for immediate use, such as our ‘Great British Turkey’ boxes, for use with traditional turkeys and available in three sizes. They feature a crash lock base for quick construction and a carry handle for ease of use. Whether you need bespoke packaging or prefer stock options, our turkey and poultry boxes ensure safe delivery and storage, showcasing your commitment to quality and sustainability.

Deli / Meat / Hamper Boxes

Sarcina’s stock option gable boxes are versatile packaging solutions for deli products, meats, and hampers. Featuring a strong, recyclable structure and convenient carrying handle, these gable boxes provide an excellent solution for both transport and presentation. In addition to fully customisable options, Sarcina also offers generic, ready-made stock designs that are available for immediate use. These include our deli boxes perfect for cold meat, pickles and other deli items, our meat box for use by farm shops and butchers to provide a premium boxing experience, and finally, our hamper box that can be used as a premium box for gift items and other luxury items.

The Future of Sustainable Food Packaging

The future of food packaging is increasingly driven by sustainability, as consumers and businesses alike prioritise eco-friendly solutions. Key trends include a shift towards biodegradable and recyclable materials, reducing plastic use, and adopting circular packaging systems that minimise waste. Paper-based packaging has emerged as a leading alternative, offering the benefits of recyclability, renewability, and a reduced carbon footprint.

Sarcina is at the forefront of this movement, committed to reducing environmental impact by providing innovative, paper-based packaging solutions. By using renewable and recyclable materials, Sarcina ensures that our packaging not only meets industry standards but also aligns with the growing demand for sustainable practices. As the food industry evolves, Sarcina continues to develop packaging that supports both environmental goals and the need for durable, high-quality food protection.