Liepaja Coffee Factory, a leading producer of instant and ground coffee in the Baltic region, has launched its first ground coffee product in Vento™ packaging from Amcor, the leading global supplier of flexible packaging.
Liepaja chose Vento™ to debut their new Konigstern premium ground coffee because it is the only packaging system with built-in venting control that allows coffee to be packed immediately after roasting – preserving its flavor and aroma – without valves, additional equipment, or processing steps. “The advanced Vento™ technology gives us a distinct edge and enhances our brand,” said Michael Buresh, sales director for Liepaja Coffee Factory. For decades, the solution to allow CO2 emitted by freshly roasted beans to escape the pack has been to apply hard valves during the filling process. This method added parts, machinery, complexity, and ultimately cost for coffee roasters. Vento provided an alternative for Liepaja, and allowed the company to launch its first brand of roasted coffee with simplified and less costly packaging, according to Buresh. With the degassing system integrated directly into the laminate, Vento was ready to run on their coffee packing machines with no additional equipment investment or parts to manage. “Vento™ is an all-in-one option, so all we need to do is order the packaging,” explained Buresh. “The streamlined packing process also reduces downtime and cost.” Liepaja’s new Konigstern premium ground coffee was launched in August 2016 and has started to expand in some of the largest retail chains in the Baltics. Buresh notes that his company is addressing a market trend as Baltic consumers change their coffee drinking habits, shifting from instant to roasted ground coffees.
Liepaja models its coffee making on Germany and Scandinavia, offering slow and freshly roasted Arabica beans. “For us as a local manufacturer, it is important to emphasize that we offer freshly roasted coffee that rivals our competitors, and in this regard, the integrated Vento™ degassing system facilitates this by allowing us to pack immediately after roasting,” said Buresh. “Vento packaging is an important breakthrough and enables our company to differentiate our product to the consumer.”
Early this year, Liepaja’s new Konigstern ground coffee was rated in Latvia as one of the nation’s most successful new hot drinks of 2016. Vento™ is also a principal element in Liepaja’s new brand design. The coffee roaster gained greater shelf appeal with placement of the vent on the back side of the pack.
This facilitated design and enhanced the pack’s visual appeal, according to Buresh. Vento™ offers coffee roasters many advantages over traditional hard valves including venting control and optimal freshness with a high-barrier coating that prevents oxygen from entering the pack. As coffee starts to degas, the pressure inside the pack pushes a small venting layer open and CO2 flows out. As soon as degassing is complete, the venting layer returns to its original position, preventing oxygen from entering and keeping the coffee fresh. In addition to freshness and process efficiency, Vento™ is up to 87% lighter than hard valves and allows energy savings by eliminating the need to power an applicator machine. This results in up to 8% reduction in overall carbon footprint for a 250 gram pack. Vento™ can be integrated on any of Amcor’s typical triplex laminates for coffee soft packs and adapted to customers’ specifications. Liepaja Coffee Factory plans to utilize Vento™ in future coffee brand launches. Amcor’s Vento™ system is also utilized by several leading European coffee roasters.
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