Airtight Paperboard Cups For Dry Food Packaging - Stora Enso And Budelpack To Introduce A New Complete Service Concept

Packaging board producer Stora Enso has signed a cooperation agreement with contract food packer Budelpack Poortvliet in the Netherlands for the production and filling of their innovative airtight paperboard cups for European food brand owners. The new cups are used for packing dry foods, including snacks, cereals and confectionery.

The cooperation between Stora Enso and Budelpack Poortvliet enables a complete service concept to be provided from a single source, offering brand owners the specially developed packaging materials, airtight cup construction and printing, as well as the filling process. This makes it quick and easy for brand owners to switch to this innovative packaging solution without the need for any new investments. The state-of-the-art cup-filler and auxiliary equipment at Budelpack Poortvliet can fill powders and solids in airtight cups from 125ml to 750ml.

Rapid market entry
"Market entry with a new fibre-based package has often been quite difficult for brand owners, considering the time and investment required. At Stora Enso, we realize the importance of making it easy for brand owners to enter the market with the new package. This makes fibre-based packaging an attractive choice," says Pasi Piiparinen, Vice President, Strategy and Business Planning, at Stora Enso Consumer Boards. The airtight paperboard cup is an innovation created by Stora Enso, which also produces the material from which it is made.

"The cooperation between Budelpack Poortvliet and Stora Enso offers leading brand owners a unique opportunity to outdistance the competition, be proactive, launch innovative packages and stimulate specific sales channels for out-of-home products," says Stijn Heijs, Managing Director of Budelpack Poortvliet BV. "Backed by BRC and IFS certification, we have created a dedicated production area for the airtight cups and the cup-filling line will be ready as of May 2006."

User-friendly shape and size
The airtight paperboard cup meets growing consumer demand for environmentally sustainable packaging materials and user-friendly convenience packages. The cup is handy and its portion size suits today's convenience-driven consumer who eats on the go, wherever and whenever he or she wishes. In some product segments, the new airtight cup can open up possibilities for brand owners to sell their products through new outlets, such as cafés and service stations.

Prolongs shelf life and enhances brand image
The airtight cup concept is based on Stora Enso's specially developed paperboards with high-barrier coatings, which protect the food content against moisture, oxygen and grease, ensuring the quality and freshness of the product throughout its shelf life. "The airtight cup is ideal for packaging various dry foods, such as instant soups, instant ready meals, snacks, chips and dried fruits; breakfast cereals, flakes and muesli; chocolate, sugar confectionery and biscuits. Optional board materials are available for the most sensitive products that also require protection from light. Brand owners also benefit from the excellent print quality of the board, which brightens up the brand and enhances its shelf presence," says Jalliina Järvinen, Manager, Food Solutions, at Stora Enso Consumer Boards.

SOURCE: Stora Enso