Westfalia Fruit is laser-etching product information directly onto mangoes in an effort to save up to 10 million plastic price look-up (PLU) stickers annually.
‘Extensive’ testing and trails have taken place in a collaboration between Westfalia’s capabilities in the Netherlands and Germany to make sure that the laser etching process does not compromise product quality or shelf life.
Reportedly, consumers have responded positively to the change, and the company aspires to expand its range across Europe ‘in the near future’.
“The introduction of laser etching, which is almost like a tattoo on the mango, has been an exciting project,” explains Mathijs Benard, head of Operations Central Europe. “Not only does it make the fruit stand out in-store, but it also has the potential to save up to 10 million plastic stickers a year.
“What we can laser on the fruit is only limited by our imagination and customer needs. Currently, we are etching the fruit origin, customer branding, and product reference.”
“We are committed to providing customers with innovative solutions that showcase our broad services and flexibility,” adds Marcel van der Linden, head of Commercial. “With state-of-the-art packing lines equipped with robotic technology, we can deliver a variety of pack formats, customized to meet the unique needs of each customer.”
Westfalia Fruit is often associated with avocados, as is exemplified in its recent work with Tesco to laser etch its extra-large avocados – a move thought to save almost a million stickers from the nearly 70 million avocados sold by the retailer every year.
However, Westfalia emphasizes that its facilities ‘offer year-round packaging solutions for sprouts, capsicum, and other vegetables’.
In an alternative solution, Gamma Supplies Ltd has elected to redesign fresh produce stickers, replacing plastics with home-compostable, biodegradable paper. Designed for direct food contact, it claims to break down at the food rate as the food skin without leaving harmful toxins behind.
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