The availability of infant nutrition products has been a hot topic, with high-profile challenges over the last several years, including highly publicised shortages across the US and Europe.
Logistics disruptions and rapid changes in consumer purchasing behaviours have seen demand massively outstrip supply, leading to store shelves remaining empty and consumers unable to purchase infant nutrition products.
Adding more complexity to the challenge, Bloomberg reports that in the US, a single bacterial outbreak, caused by lax environmental controls, was a trigger point for nationwide infant nutrition scarcity.
Despite the ongoing challenges, the market is projected to see continued international growth. Research firm Mordor Intelligence notes that from an estimated global value of $77,448m USD in 2021, the infant nutrition market is set to see a robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7% to 2027.
For businesses operating in the infant nutrition market, the question remains – how can the market continue its recovery and take advantage of the enormous growth potential at hand? One route is through environmentally controlled manufacturing of packaging and labels.
The role of controlled environment manufacturing
OPM operates a controlled critical manufacturing environment where factors such as air quality, temperature and humidity are closely monitored and managed. This facility uses seals and panels to create a fully enclosed print space that is ‘cut off’ from the general manufacturing surroundings, and unaffected by the surrounding atmosphere. In true OPM Group style, the enclosure at our Leeds HQ print facility is manufactured from 85% recycled material!
The key advantage of regulating the environment to this degree is that controlled environments protect packaging and labels from potentially harmful contaminants, including bacterial and viral pathogens, to preserve the integrity and safety of products.
This is particularly important in designing and producing labels for the infant nutrition sector, where impurities and contamination can significantly harm the safety of the product. Infants are naturally more vulnerable as their immune system is still developing, and so the risk becomes greater.
OPM Group commitment to safety and security
To ensure customers are always on the front foot with security, OPM’s controlled environment print facility serves the needs of the health, pharma and specialist infant nutrition sectors.
Putting tight controls and cleanliness at the heart of printing, the facility spans 60m in length and provides a protective room where materials can be printed, finished and packed under strict quality standards – ideal for the infant nutrition sector and the wider pharma field.
To further back up OPM Group’s commitment to stringent quality and safety standards, the business operates to GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards, using technologies such as low-migration inks and 100% electronic inspection to further reduce the risk of cross-contamination and add greater confidence for customers.
Industry accreditation demonstrates that OPM Group prioritises safety, quality and transparency in its label design and printing. The business operates to PS9000:2011 standards, independently audited by the Pharmaceutical Quality Group.
These standards are backed by OPM Group’s innovation in label technology, which includes add-on and periphery technologies such as PureSafe® antimicrobial coatings and varnishes, peel and reseal for extended shelf life and repeat barrier performance and tamper evidence technology that provides clear visual indicators of any compromised products.
It’s all about creating multiple layers of safety and security for our customers! Why not explore the advantages of working with OPM Group to create infant nutrition labelling produced in secure critical controlled environment facilities? Click here to get in touch with our team!
