Selig, Forest, Ill., released new consumer research that shows consumers want freshness and tamper- and leak-proof packaging.

The research, carried out with U.S. consumers in focus group discussions by NSM Research Inc., UK, asked detailed questions to gauge their experiences with packaging seals of milk, peanut butter, mayonnaise and protein powder.  Although “ease of opening” was ranked as important, “safety,” “leak prevention” and “maintaining freshness” were ranked as extremely important.

The focus groups were shown packaging with three sealing methods—products protected only by closure, those with an induction seal and those with a Selig Lift ‘n’ Peel half-moon tabbed induction seal. The majority of consumers preferred induction sealed packaging all four product categories as opposed to packages sealed only with a closures, stating that it promoted safety, leak prevention and freshness. 

Respondents showed a strong preference for their milk to be induction sealed, with 77% wanting the product to come with a liner, and of these, 33% wanted a liner and tamper band and 44% preferred the Lift ‘n’ Peel seal. Meanwhile, a third of respondents said they would change milk brands to get the sealing method they preferred.

“The research results reinforce what we have been working hard to achieve at Selig for years,” says John Brown, vice president global marketing. “Consumers are highly motivated by safety, and want to buy products that are secure, won’t leak, are as fresh as possible and are easy to open. By doing this detailed research, we were able to set our seal technology against standard induction liners, and the results speak for themselves—in every category, the consumers chose Lift ‘n’ Peel for packaging functionality and seal integrity.”