from drink and food to beauty and health, from pet foods to doit yourself products, convenient and innovative portioncontrolled and singleserve packs are being used like never before. in the food market, the ease of singleserve portion controlled packs is now being endorsed as a real means of helping to maintain a healthy diet. understanding what quantity of a serving should be and what amount of calories it contains is considered to be a main way to tackle obesity. drink and food markets using singleserve packs, which include ready meals, and products to drink and eat on the go plus a surfeit of products for consumption in coffee shops, restaurants, and hotels. this trend has driven the launch of a series of &ldquosmart&rdquo 100 calorie savory and sweet snack packs to fulfill the healthconscious streak in many of today&rsquos customers. these launches include nuts, sweets, crisps, and biscuits. the shift to singleserve packs is being led not only by consumers&rsquo health consciousness and hectic lifestyles, but also by the &lsquokeep traveling&rsquo existence of many consumers. other major drivers in the ready meals market include the high level of ownership of microwave ovens plus the increasing number of consumers living in smaller households. sustainability and portion packs are not contradictory in terms. in fact, they are an outstanding means of averting food wastage. as food wastage has a huge effect on the environment than packaging, there could be benefits from examining whether both, the pack size and portion, suits the nutritional necessities of the consumer, states nofima, which is the norwegian institute of food. however, latest research reveals that consumers do not trust food portion sizes, and as a result, feel they need to buy more to satisfy their appetites. along with contributing to better environment, proper portion sizes would also provide the exact nutritional requirements, if constantly communicated to consumers, states a study done by the institute for grocery distribution igd. this institute recommends providing good practice guidelines on portion sizes for food producers, which will be based on a consistent terminology. apart from the vital role alufoil plays in creating onetimeserve ready meals, innovative packs are incorporating alufoil&rsquos ability to protect, preserve and promote products as diverse as condiments, butter, dried snacks, sugar & sweeteners, cheeses, yoghurt, soups, teas & coffees, milk, drinks & drink mixes, and much more. stickpacks, sachets, blister packs, pouches, liquid cartons, lidding for pots and minipots, tubes, and pods & capsules, all benefit from alufoil usage. its unique properties provide extended shelflife, ease of dispensing, safety & hygiene, protection, product security, and great decorative potential. in the health & beauty sector, sachets and stickpacks are small, convenient, easy and ideal for pharmaceutical as well as unit dose packs containing powders, tablets, dry, solid & liquid supplements and medications. along with this, laminate tubes with alufoil are ideal to hygienically dispense sensitive products. a recent study from freedonia forecasts strong growth in pharmaceutical singledose pouches and sachets. freedonia also mentions the pharmaceutical sector will hugely benefit from increased number of unit dose packaging of transdermal patches, ointments and topical creams. the ability to adapt to unit dose formats will also provide growth for blister packs, where the size of the external carton, the surface of the blister and the capability to insert a flyer means that more information can be offered for consumer. singleserve beauty products are also experiencing rise in popularity with flexible alufoil plastic combinations. growth products include sun tan lotions, facial masks, perfumes, creams, and conditioners and shampoos. the range of preparations on offer also encourages impulse buys and mixandmatch purchases. in addition to that, unit dose formats are also suitable for people who travel regularly taking only carryon luggage. source of information httpwww.foodpackages.netindex.phpid692continue