Fresh thinking in tomato packaging

With the trend towards top sealing by packers and retailers Holfeld has, for the first time in the m…

With the trend towards top sealing by packers and retailers Holfeld has, for the first time in the market, launched film sealable tomato punnets across its extensive range. It’s a fresh thought for the versatile tomato from a supplier that has made innovation a way of life.

Instead of using the traditional lids, top sealing with a protective film offers major cost savings for all types of fruit including strawberries, raspberries and smaller berries. The general trend in the packaging arena is to use less packaging and reduce weight – the transition into heat sealed formats continues.

Holfeld Plastics, renowned for its innovations in film and materials development has introduced a top seal alternative across its comprehensive range of tomato punnets. By cutting out lids, packhouse labour costs are greatly diminished. Further less material is used. The introduction of top sealed tomato punnets realises a true perfection resulting in an eye catching product display on shelf, a clear, unimpeded view of the tomatoes and the ability for retailers to switch band labels with their own branding details. Heat sealing offers an increase in line output by up to 25%. And a complete lid range available with heat seal punnets all fully interchangeable.

Holfeld’s tomato punnets are designed for heatsealing with a permanent or peelable film. Holfeld use a modified APET material designed for heat sealing applications that ensures either a permanent or peelable seal depending on the application. And with the pressure on packaging suppliers, the fresh produce industry and retailers to greatly reduce the mountain of food waste peelable film solutions are part of the solution as well as maintaining product freshness over an extended shelf life.

With top seal several other features can be added along the packing line including perforating the film to ensure optimum protective atmosphere reducing in-pack condensation and increasing the shelf life from packhouse to domestic refrigerator.

The clear benefits

Film seal is the future. Less packaging, lower cost to retailers and growers. So heat-sealed tomato punnets are the right technical, strategic and environmental choice. With at least 85% post consumer recyclate in the punnet blend the heat seal option offers a standard crate fit – 19 per crate optimising on warehouse storage and reducing the number of trucks on the roads. The removal of lid offers an overall 21% reduction in packaging plus all the logistical advantages.

Retailers have 3 key objectives: