The changing dynamics of packaging partnerships

Brands expect to balance durability with environmental responsibility. (Photo: Yanik Chauvin I Dreamstime.com)

Packaging suppliers have been pressed in recent years to provide far more than manufacturing capacity especially for their largest market, the food and beverage industry. Brands are benefiting more with partners that can offer technical expertise, consistent quality, and flexible solutions to meet market needs. For plastic packaging, companies seek innovations that enable fulfillment of targets balancing durability and cost efficiency with recyclability and reduced environmental impact.

Nongnuch International Co., Ltd. (NICPLAST), a part of Nongnuch Group, has specialized in plastic food packaging since 1995. Through Nongnuch Industrial Co., Ltd. and FP Industries Co., Ltd., the company offers packaging design and manufacturing capabilities: injection molding, thermoforming, in-mold labelling, PET sheet production and OEM services. Its portfolio includes PP and PET beverage cups, biodegradable packaging and customized solutions, supported by internationally recognized quality and food safety standards, including ISO 9001, GMP/HACCP and Walt Disney Facility and Merchandise Authorization (FAMA).

In this interview, Dr. Purin Rattanawich, Executive Director, discusses the expectations that food and beverage companies now place on their packaging partners. He shares how NICPLAST works alongside customers from concept development through commercial production helping address technical challenges, improve manufacturing efficiency and bring innovative, more sustainable packaging solutions to market.

Dr. Purin Rattanawich, Executive Director, Nongnuch International Co., Ltd. (NICPLAST)

What do food & beverage companies in Thailand usually look for when sourcing plastic packaging?

Food and beverage companies today are looking for much more than just a packaging supplier. They want a reliable long-term partner that can consistently deliver quality, food safety, innovation, and supply security.

Key considerations include compliance with food safety regulations and international standards, consistent product quality, stable production capacity, reliable delivery, competitive total cost of ownership, technical support, and the ability to develop more sustainable packaging solutions.

At NICPLAST, our goal is to become an extension of our customers’ technical team. We work closely with them from concept development through commercial production, helping them solve technical challenges, improve manufacturing efficiency, and bring innovative packaging solutions to market.

What products and services can you offer the food industry?

We specialize in high-performance plastic closures and packaging components for the food and beverage industry. Our portfolio includes thin-wall packaging and in-mold-label packaging, as well as beverage caps for water, juice, dairy, and functional drinks. We also offer tethered caps, custom packaging development, mold design, engineering support, prototyping, testing, high-volume precision manufacturing, and quality validation.

Beyond production, we help customers improve packaging performance, increase manufacturing efficiency, and reduce total packaging costs.

NICPLAST offers end-to-end packaging solutions, from design and prototyping to manufacturing. How does this integrated approach help customers innovate and shorten time to market?

By integrating design, engineering, tooling, prototyping, and manufacturing under one roof, we can significantly reduce development time.

Customers work with one technical team throughout the project, allowing potential manufacturing issues to be identified early. We can optimize the design for performance and mass production, reduce redesign cycles, develop prototypes quickly, validate performance, and move smoothly into commercial production. This approach shortens development time, reduces project risk, and helps customers launch products faster.

How is NICPLAST helping customers balance sustainability, food safety, performance, and cost?

Sustainability should create value, not compromise product performance. Our approach is to improve packaging through engineering rather than simply reducing material. This includes lightweighting designs while maintaining strength, developing tethered caps, improving mold precision, reducing material waste and production scrap, and increasing manufacturing efficiency to lower energy consumption.  Each project is evaluated carefully to achieve the right balance between sustainability, performance, food safety, and commercial viability.

What are the most significant packaging trends impacting the F&B industry, and how is NICPLAST responding to evolving market needs?

Sustainability remains a major driver, particularly through lightweight designs and tethered caps. Brands are seeking greater consumer convenience without compromising product integrity.

Precision manufacturing and automation are also becoming increasingly important, especially as customers require consistent packaging performance on high-speed filling lines. Product differentiation is another growing priority. We continue to invest in advanced manufacturing technology, automation, precision molds, and product development to meet these evolving requirements.

For food brands looking to expand globally, what packaging capabilities are becoming essential, and how does NICPLAST help customers meet international standards?

Global food brands need packaging that performs consistently across different markets, filling systems, and distribution environments. Essential capabilities include compliance with international food-contact regulations, dimensional consistency, reliable sealing, compatibility with high-speed filling equipment, traceable quality management, and stable production capacity. We use advanced precision equipment and strict quality-control systems to meet these requirements. Our engineering team also supports customers during qualification and validation to help ensure successful implementation.

Is NICPLAST adapting to the demand for sustainable design and materials?

Absolutely. Sustainability is now one of our core development priorities. We are improving our packaging through lightweight cap designs, tethered caps, material optimization, more energy-efficient manufacturing, reduced production waste, and advanced mold technology that extends tooling life and minimizes material loss.

We also work closely with customers to develop packaging that reduces environmental impact while maintaining the performance required by the food and beverage industry. For us, sustainability is about engineering better packaging that uses fewer resources while delivering the same—or even better—performance.