Inferior packaging the new ‘cost-cutting’ ploy

SHREWD marketers are always roped in to bring in packaging innovation when repositioning a particular brand and so the middle of the 20th century saw the dawn of foil and laminate packaging.

But it now seems that local manufacturers are procuring cheaper packaging materials, the big conglomerates included.

Thousands of metric tons of food imports from Thailand, India, Portugal, Spain and Italy arrive in all forms of packaging (including tin, glass and plastic) in South Africa annually. A comparative study needs to be conducted on the quality of packaging used.

I tried to open a can of beans the other day and to my horror, the tin can virtually squashed together and I was unable to get the lid off, cutting my finger in the process.

This is a result of a cheaper quality metal being used.

Packing costs are an integral part of the landed cost of the finished product, but these savings are not passed on to the consumer. The situation also calls for further analysis of whether the preserved contents of these cans, which often have sulphur and acid additives, can be affected.

Another notable packaging downgrade can be found in two-litre cold drink plastic bottles. At one time one could grasp a bottle firmly with one hand and pour into a glass.

Try that now and you will spill all over, or the bottle slips from your hand. This is a direct result of reducing the strength of the plastic.

Consumers are being compromised to increase manufacturers’ profits. Some time back, we saw another supplier innovation: the more-for-less syndrome whereby contents were reduced but filled in the same packaging format – chocolates and crisps were primary candidates – but with little or no adjustment in price.

We just have to pray the same trick is not played with egg trays because we will have a lot of broken eggs.

If this trend has not moved to margarine and ice cream tubs and milk cartons yet, it soon will. With a drop in petrol prices and substandard packaging trends, surely there should be price drops for consumers.

Come on consumer journalists, investigate and highlight the monopolistic principles at play here which have dominated our retail landscape for far too long. KEVIN GOVENDER

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