Packaging and paper company Mondi is helping food manufacturer Noel Alimentaria to significantly reduce the use of plastic by using paper-based packaging for food products. The Spanish meat producer offers not only animal-based but also plant-based food products. Noel Alimentaria has chosen Mondi’s paper-based performing tray to package its “Verday” range of plant-based cold cuts and vegetarian burgers. Verday is used by distributor Marks and Spencer for its “Plant-Kitchen” range in the UK and supplied to Nordic markets for ham and sausage products. Because the trays are moldable, they can be adapted to fit a range of food products of different sizes.
Maximum protection for delicate goods
Thanks to a high symmetrical elongation, the material brings uniform moldability and lends itself to flat food trays. It provides strong barrier protection against moisture and oxygen, keeping food fresh throughout the storage and distribution process. The trays used at Noel Alimentaria are made of 80 percent paper compared to the industry standard. The paper tray is designed to be recycled and has passed recyclability tests conducted by the German PTS Institute.
“By working very closely with Noel Alimentaria from the beginning, we have been able to ensure that we deliver the best possible option for the entire range of meat and meat-free products, using a tray made from renewable and responsibly sourced material that still offers maximum protection of the goods,” explains Falk Paulsen, Sales & Business Development Director at Mondi.“By working very closely with Noel Alimentaria from the beginning, we have been able to ensure that we deliver the best possible option for the entire range of meat and meat-free products, using a tray made from renewable and responsibly sourced material that still offers maximum protection of the goods,” explains Falk Paulsen, Sales & Business Development Director at Mondi.
Trays fit on existing packaging machines
Maria Sánchez, Corporate Marketing Director at Noel Alimentaria, says, “We deliver our premium food products throughout Europe. Therefore, the right packaging is essential to preserve and protect the freshness of the products. At the same time, sustainability is high on our agenda and it was a pleasure to work so closely with Mondi to find the most suitable solution. We were able to use the new paper-based trays on our existing machines and will now use the same solution for our other ranges of hams and other meat products.”
Mondi expands paper portfolio
The Mondi company has further developed its portfolio and now offers its customers a wider range of paper with barriers. Using various barrier technologies such as extrusion coatings, aqueous coatings, and other very high-quality barriers, this range of paper-based packaging solutions is fit for purpose and can be used for a variety of applications.
The medium barrier solution, designed for industrial, online retail and personal care packaging, offers high impermeability and medium water vapor protection, while the high barrier paper offers medium oxygen and water vapor barrier, as well as high grease and mineral oil barrier for frozen foods and chocolate. The very high barrier solution for consumer goods such as coffee, cereals, and confectionery goods provides excellent product protection from water vapor and oxygen and ensures a long shelf life.
As an advantage of Mondi’s integrated value chain, production of the “FunctionalBarrier Paper” range takes place entirely in-house. The solutions are designed to be recyclable in paper streams across Europe and use responsibly sourced base materials. They offer renewable alternatives to plastic laminates and aluminum-based multi-material packaging.
Thomas Ott, CEO of Flexible Packaging at Mondi, comments, “We are living our approach of using paper wherever possible and plastic where it makes sense, and our range of FunctionalBarrier Papers is a perfect example of this. There is more than one way for our customers to achieve their sustainability goals, and our unique market position and value chain mean we can tailor our solutions to their needs. We develop packaging solutions that are consciously sustainable while still providing the necessary protection for their products. This is in line with our Mondi Action Plan 2030 (MAP2030) to make all our packaging solutions reusable, recyclable, and compostable.”
