Marketing at Odds with Functional Claims?

Consumers and CPG's alike have reason for concern when it comes to packaging materials; but now CPG's need to keep in mind more than just BPA (and the like) and environmentally friendly disposal methods when choosing product packaging.

Consumers and CPG's alike have reason for concern when it comes to packaging materials; but now CPG's need to keep in mind more than just BPA (and the like) and environmentally friendly disposal methods when choosing product packaging. As the tides change and the move towards more natural and functional ingredients takes hold, package designers, marketers and formulators need to increase communication - this is especially important in beverage and dairy. 

Companies should consider the potentially damaging effects of light - natural and artificial - on product quality. Beverages packed with light sensitive natural and functional ingredients may not prove 'functional' after sitting on shelves, exposed to both UV and fluorescent light.  This is especially true if packed in a transparent bottle.

Exposure to light can reduce shelf life and decrease product value by damaging colors, vitamins, fats, and even flavors in beverages. For example, natural colors such as carotenoids and chlorophyll can degrade and create undesirable shades when exposed to light.

Fortified functional beverages with a variety of vitamins are also sensitive to light damage, which may not only weaken their potency, but can lead to off colors and smells.
  
There are numerous factors to consider when deciding how to best protect products from light damage - many of which are directly at odds with the aesthetics and 'transparency' of clear bottles. CPGs need to consider the particular ingredients and shelf life of each product, as well as the nature of light to which they will ultimately be exposed.  As mentioned before, it is imperative that marketers and formulators communicate if the claims on functional and fortified beverages are to hold true.