Delivering Innovation in Fresh Food Packaging
October 16, 2012
Shayne De la Force, Group Marketing Manger
Fresh produce continues to experience a positive market outlook globally. The rising demand for fresh produce is largely being driven by four key socio-demographic factors [i];
– an increase in health awareness and the impact that a nutritious diet can have on both health and in the fight against obesity;
– the general trend towards an ageing population globally combined with the tendency for people in the 55-64 age range to consistently consume more fresh fruit and vegetables than other demographics – almost a third more than the national average in the US;
– expanding ethnic populations. Taking the US as an example again, ethnic populations such as Asian and Hispanic families are more likely to eat a variety of fresh food and vegetables daily;
– smaller households. The changing family structure, and the rise in two-income families in the US and Europe in particular has lead to an increase in the per-capita spend on fresh fruit and vegetables, when compared to larger households with five or more members.
In terms of packaging in this sector, it essentially serves three distinct functions – to contain, protect and identify the produce. Both retailers and consumers alike are increasingly demanding individual, single unit packages of fresh produce – for retailers, for example, these packs are easier to display and allow them to take advantage of the visual appeal of produce. Consumers want the convenience of pre-washed, ready-to-eat packs, plus they tend to prefer transparent film packaging that allows them to see the condition of what they’re buying [ii].
At tna we have solutions to help you take advantage of this growing market. We can handle everything for fresh produce packaging – from quick change over and easy to clean distribution systems, through to all your weighing and flexible packaging requirements. Plus, visitors to PackExpo 2012 in Chicago later this month (stand #3658) will experience the unveiling of the latest incarnation of our ground-breaking vertical form fill and seal (VFFS) robag range, the new tna robag FXIS 3ci series for polyethylene (PE) packaging. With performance, simplicity and flexibility in mind, the new range features the world’s first rotary advanced impulse sealing system for the efficient packaging of fresh vegetables, salads, ready to eat fruit, at bagging speeds of up to 150bpm.
The tna robag FXIS 3ci series breaks new ground in efficient, reliable PE sealing and bagging. Our approach ensures more precise temperature control, maximum uptime, and an extended lifespan. High performance is guaranteed by its unique rotary jaws which deliver unrivalled speeds of up to 150bpm with consistent quality.
As with all of our offerings, the new tna robag FXIS 3ci series can be added to existing packaging lines, and fully integrated with high performance tna weighers, metal detectors, date coders and conveyors for a comprehensive and efficient packaging line.
Get in touch to find out more about our solutions for fresh produce packaging, contact us today.
[i] Tracking Demographics and U.S. Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Patterns, October 2011 http://agecon.ucdavis.edu/people/faculty/roberta-cook/docs/Articles/BlueprintsEoEConsumptionCookFinalJan2012Figures.pdf
[ii] Freedonia – Fresh Produce Packaging US Industry Study with Forecasts for 2014 & 2019 – June 2010
