Raising the bar on sustainable food packaging

Source：Ringier Release Date：2012-05-31 129

Growing consumer demand for all things healthy and convenient is pushing manufacturers to use greener packaging alternatives

FROM greenhouse emission reduction efforts and product-to-package ratio, to the amount of renewable energy used in the manufacture and delivery of products, an increasing number of consumers are beginning to seek out eco-friendly alternatives for all aspects of their daily lives – not just on store shelves but throughout the entire supply chain.

Delivery of safe food from producer to consumer is a key priority for industry and regulatory authorities, and requires meticulous monitoring at every stage in the supply chain from farm to fork.

Packaging plays a crucial role. “The industry needs effective packaging systems to preserve food safely during distribution and storage while maintaining the food quality, along with increasing consumer demands for fresher, minimally processed, more convenient and safer foods,” says Karin Rancuret, area director of the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) based in Singapore.

This leads to the need for developing innovative and safe modern packaging that have never been used and are produced by new processes.

For its Foodiezz brand, Foodcase’s packaging components use heat from the exothermic reaction between calcium and water to warm ready meals

“The Netherlands is known for its innovative solutions, and more importantly for ‘thinking outside the box’,” Ms Rancuret says of its role in the food and beverage market. Despite its small geographical size, the country is the second-largest agro-food exporter in the world and has an annual turnover of approximately €50 billion.

As one of the driving forces behind the Dutch economy, the agri-food industry as one of the top nine sectors earmarked as part of the Dutch government’s economic plan. Copenhagen has allocated a €1.5-billion fund to drive innovation, research and development within the sectors.

Eight of the 25 largest Dutch companies are food corporations and theb Dutch food industry counts a number of large multinationals among its ranks. Prominent Asia-Pacific companies like Fonterra, Kikkomann and Yakult make up a significant portion of that number, and 12 of the world’s top 40 food and beverage companies, including Danone, Kraft, Coca- Cola and Nestlé, have set up branches or R&D centres in the country. Top packaging companMens Running Shoes & Running Trainers