Mondi supplies Noel Alimentaria paper-based tray for Verday range available at M&S

18 Jan 2023 --- Noel Alimentaria is choosing Mondi’s PerFORMing paper-based tray to pack its rebranded range of sliced plant-based food and vegetarian burgers Verday.

Verday is used by British grocer Marks and Spencer (M&S) for its Plant Kitchen range in the UK and supplied to Nordic markets for ham and charcuterie products. 

“We deliver our premium foods across Europe, so the right packaging is essential to maintain the freshness of the products and protect them,” says Maria Sánchez, corporate marketing director at Noel Alimentaria. 

“At the same time, [environmental] sustainability is on top of our agenda, and it was a pleasure working closely with Mondi to find the most suitable solution. We were able to run the new paper-based trays on our existing machinery and will now be using the same solution for our further ranges of ham and other meat products,” adds Sánchez.

The trays are formable and can be molded to a range of different-sized food products, with high symmetrical stretch for uniform formability, ideal for shallow food trays. 

“Food packaging needs to ensure appropriate shelf life of the respective product. It needs to protect the food from water vapor, oxygen and grease, and needs to meet the individual barriers that are required to keep the food product safe. Good sealability of the packaging is essential to keep the food fresh, while the packaging still needs to meet recyclability specifications aligned with our customers’ (and Mondi´s) sustainability goals,” Falk Paulsen, sales & business development director at Mondi tells PackagingInsights.

Verday is used by M&S for its Plant Kitchen range in the UK and supplied to Nordic markets for ham and charcuterie products.Switching from plastic
According to Mondi, PerFORMing trays consist of 80% paper compared to the industry standard, which is made of 100% plastic. The paper tray is designed for recycling and passed the recyclability tests by the German institute Papiertechnische Stiftung.

It offers strong barrier protection against moisture and oxygen, keeping the food fresh throughout storage and distribution, details the company. 

“By working very closely with Noel Alimentaria from the outset, we were able to ensure we delivered 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 provides maximum protection for the goods,” says Paulsen.

Regarding the PerFORMing technology he tells us: “Fit-for-purpose packaging prevents food from spoiling, which makes the packaging industry a key player when it comes to preventing food waste. PerFORMing has an attractive shelf appearance for consumers and ensures good printability for a high visibility of the respective brands.”

UK retailer M&S also unveiled recyclable packaging for its British collection of vine tomatoes  replacing a hard-to-recycle plastic sleeve with recyclable cardboard and a small amount of plastic film as part of the company’s target to make 100% of its food packaging “widely recyclable” by 2025. 

Moreover, M&S and Ocado joint venture, Ocado Retail, piloted the world-first digital deposit return scheme (DDRS) in recycling boost for the UK, last month. It partnered with Polytag to trial an on-pack DDRS technology through QR codes on milk bottles. 

Pushing for food-grade circularity
With Mondi’s customer-centric approach, EcoSolutions, the company focuses on meeting the specific requirements of its customers, building partnerships to create the most suitable packaging solution that complies with environmental sustainability goals.

“We follow the approach of using ‘paper where possible, plastic when useful’ to develop packaging solutions that are fit for purpose, providing proper protection of the product, while reducing our environmental impact,” Paulsen highlights.Mondi supports Noel Alimentaria on its journey to reduce plastic in fresh food packaging. 

Mondi opened its first recycling laboratory to test the recyclability of paper and paper-based packaging using non-paper components such as coatings at its Frantschach mill in Austria at the beginning of September. 

“Currently, 78% of Mondi’s group-wide portfolio is already reusable, recyclable or compostable. This recycling lab enables us to move closer to our MAP2030 goals of making 100% of our products fulfill these requirements by 2025,” informed Elisabeth Schwaiger, head of R&D and IP flexible packaging at Mondi.

The packaging and paper leader also armed Austrian bacon producer Handl Tyrol with monomaterial PP film for bacon wrapping to keep the bacon fresh, providing a “second skin” that seals securely with a high-barrier top and bottom film. It has been designed to look like a wooden chopping board for on-shelf appeal and brand recognition.

Moreover, market researcher Innova Market Insights identified an average annual growth of +18% between July 2017 and June 2022 in food products packed in trays and tray sealers.

While between July 2017 and June 2018, meat, fish, and egg packaging represented 18% of all tray and tray sealing packaging launches, the number increased to 39% between July 2021 and June 2022 – becoming the top category of tracked launches.

Furthermore, while Plastic – Not Specified was the leading material for tray and tray sealer packaging, Paper saw the most significant material growth between July 2017 and June 2022, registering a growth of +72%.

Mondi’s partnerships for paper-based packaging to accelerate environmental sustainability are supported by Innova’s data on Recyclability leading the environmental claim (42%) in trays and tray sealer packaging.

By Radhika Sikaria