Fresh Herbs, Fresher Packaging receives overall Bronze and Silver for food packaging
In an Australian-first a team of Industrial Design students from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), Cameron Campbell, Nadia De Fazio and Cynthia Mullaly, entered a Save Food Packaging design into the WorldStar Student awards that went on to take out a Bronze Overall and a Silver in the Food Packaging category.
The team identified that while the current packaging of fresh herbs is lightweight and effective for transporting from farm to store, once it enters the home it is ineffective at keeping the herbs from deteriorating. The Fresh Herbs, Fresher Packaging was designed to meet the AIP Save Food Packaging design principles.
Full size fresh herbs are chosen by both professional chefs and home cooks alike for their aroma, flavour and texture which they add to any dish. But according to End Food Waste Australia, fresh herbs are among the second most wasted food in the country.
Chefs often use a ‘wet-paper-towel’ method for preserving the quality of numerous herbs, which one of our group members was exposed to during their career in hospitality.
The team identified a few key objectives when approaching the design of packaging for fresh herbs:
- Mimic the effectiveness of the ‘wet-paper-towel’ method.
- Have herb quality viewable from outside package as with current bouquet.
- Fit a full-size herb bunch with stem intact.
- Not be too different from current offerings that it will scare off consumers from trying it.
The final package achieves the above with a few added features:
- Rigid pack eliminated crushing during transit and in fridge.
- Plantable seed tab encourages the consumer to grow own herbs.
- On pack communication teaches recipes and methods for using herbs since they are lasting so long.
- Paper pulp packaging aesthetically appeals to the eco conscious and is completely recyclable.
- Packaging is stackable for secondary packing.
During design development the wet paper towel method was imitated using a similar environment to the proposed design solution and the herb quality was indistinguishable from fresh store-bought herbs after being stored in the fridge for 5 weeks.
“By embedding academic research and industry expert insights into the RMIT Industrial Design Studio, we successfully trialled the Save Food Packaging design criteria resources. Our Industrial Design students developed sustainable packaging solutions that significantly reduce food waste, earning recognition through national and international awards. These industry-embedded engagements with the AIP education team, guided by award-winning research, are a true testament to the positive impact on our future people and places.” Dr Caroline Francis, Interim Associate Dean of Industrial Design and Senior Lecturer Bachelor of Industrial Design (Honours), School of Design, RMIT.
Should any TAFEs, colleges, design schools of Universities across Australia and New Zealand wish to become involved in the 2025 round of Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Student awards please contact the AIP.
