Mustard mission: Bavarian producer achieves plastic reduction with Bag-in-Box dispenser

14 Jan 2019 --- Family-owned Bavarian mustard producers Mari-Senf has launched a new Bag-in-Box dispensing system which has “huge plastic waste reduction potential.” Designed by DS Smith’s UK Rapak division in collaboration with Swedish dispensing specialists Asept, the Bag-in-Box design aims to minimize serving and clean-up time for street food kiosks, making it ideal for events such as Germany’s Oktoberfest.

Mari-Senf mustard is mostly known as the preferred spread on Germany’s Leberkäse – a traditional meatloaf from the south of Germany. The brand gained popularity thanks to its flavored mustard range in small glass jars. They are now working in close collaboration with several top chefs and well-known delicatessen shops in Germany.

The company saw the opportunity of expanding to the foodservice market with a new, easy-to-serve Bag-in-Box pump for its mustard. The new packaging had to offer a practical way of dispensing mustard for small takeaway outlets. This is because Germans often enjoy traditional Bavarian meats and sausages as a quick lunch at work, at festivals and other outside events. Mari-Senf was looking for a compact, tidy and easy-to-use packaging with less plastic than available alternatives.

For this project, Mari-Senf cooperated with Rapak, a global supplier of Bag-in-Box packaging and filling equipment, and Asept, a leading provider of safe and hygienic dispensing pumps and plastic and metal dispensers. This partnership resulted in an innovative Bag-in-Box dispensing system composed of a 2.5L flexible bag inserted in a reusable plastic container with a pump dispenser. The new solution uses a tamper-evident adapter from Rapak that connects the bag to the pump.

Mari-Senf says that the new packaging has allowed the company to make an entry in the foodservice channel, while it was very well received by the street food vendors who remarked on its ease-of-use and long shelf-life.

The benefits of the new packaging include: extended freshness once opened; fewer product residues and food waste; enhanced food safety due to no contact of the product with external environment even after opening; savings on time spent filling and cleaning; and better user experience compared to sachets, according to Mari-Senf.

“I am very proud that Asept and Rapak have found a common solution for a new client; it is a smart packaging solution with a hygienic pump that together improves the cost efficiency and keeps the serving station nice and tidy,” says Patric Hammarlund, Sales and Marketing Director at Asept. “I think this will be a winning formula for the future and we look forward to a continued good cooperation with all involved parties.”

“The solution provided by Asept and Rapak has huge plastic waste reduction potential,” adds Edgar Buren, Regional Sales Director at Rapak. “It eliminates the use of single-use sachets that are at risk of ending up as pollution in the environment or the seas due to littering or poor waste management. It is a major opportunity for sauce producers and fast food restaurants to make their packaging more sustainable.”