Huhtamaki successful in Scanstar packaging competition

Huhtamaki, a Finnish consumer packaging specialist, gained two recognitions in the yearly organized Scandinavian packaging competition. The total of 44 packaging concepts participated in the 2003 contest and nine products were named as prize winners. The results were published at the Scanpack trade fair on October 21, 2003. Huhtamaki presented five innovative packaging concepts for the competition, all designed together with customers, with the end-user's convenience in mind. Scanstar winner: Pick-and-mix candy cup for Leaf's subsidiary Karkkikatu is a new solution for selling pick-and-mix candy. The customer chooses a carton cup of suitable size (300 and 500 ml), picks the candies, closes the snap-on-lid and pays. There is no need for weighing, since the cups are preprinted with barcodes. The concept saves consumers' time and retailers' work and cost by eliminating the scale. According to the jury the concept is excellent, and makes retailers' work easier as well as adds to the customers' candy eating experience. Scanstar winner: Slice Trays developed for Huhtahyvät are polypropylene trays, heat-sealed with a barrier film, meant for sliced meat and cheese. The lid is reclosable and the slices can be served directly from the tray. The pack has a Euro-hanger for vertical hanging display. This concept is also modified atmosphere (MAP) applicable, enabling a longer shelf life, up to 16-20 days. The jury recognized this concept especially for its consumer friendliness. The tray with a tight reclosable lid enables table serving and protects the product after opening. It also displays the meat slices nicely, is sturdy and runs well on automated packaging lines. Cheese hat for Valio's Oltermanni brand is a top cover for Oltermanni hard cheese, designed to protect the cheese after the first opening. Hat recloses the cheese after the membrane around it has once been opened, helping to keep longer the fine characteristics of the cheese. The hat is of polypropylene, dry offset printed in Oltermanni style and color. In a nutshell, a reclosable solution to make the use of cheese more convenient. The new cheese wrapper for Valio's Aura blue cheese is a tear proof, thin wrap. The advanced laminate replaced aluminum foil, which had been the original package for decades. However, it was easily torn and difficult to reclose. In the new wrap, the amount of aluminum was reduced considerably. This makes the pack more environmentally friendly, but still provides the possibility of refolding the wrap. The new pack maintains the original appearance with silver foil and one color print, but brings in considerable improved characteristics. Two new candy cups for the retail chain were designed for Leaf's leading candy brands; Tupla chocolate and TV-Mix sugar candy. The 350 ml cups have a snap-on transparent lid and a heat sealed aluminum foil that is removed when the cup is opened for the first time. Thanks to the special carton material and proper closing system the shelf life can be extended even to one year. The cups, made of carton, fit the cup holders in cars as well as in movie theatres. The cups also protect the candy well and enhance the presentation and attractiveness of the product in the retail shelves.