Nestlé goes for Trayforma

The ready-meals market is growing at a record rate in Europe. Fiber-based materials are rapidly capturing market share in the ready-meals packaging segment, reflecting consumer preference for dual ovenable packs that can be used in both micro and conventional ovens.

The ready-meals market is growing at a record rate in Europe. Fiber-based materials are rapidly capturing market share in the ready-meals packaging segment, reflecting consumer preference for dual ovenable packs that can be used in both micro and conventional ovens. Now, global food giant Nestlé is moving a step further and changing its ready-meals packs to trays made from Stora Enso´s Trayforma board. Europe's frozen and chilled foods market is experiencing healthy growth, thanks to an ever-increasing product offering, while busy consumers have less time than ever for cooking. The dynamic ready-meals market is also hungry for packaging innovations and it seems that board trays are taking over the market at a record rate. One of the latest companies to change from aluminum to board trays is Nestlé, which has adopted the Pawi tray concept made of Stora Enso's Trayforma board. Now all Maggi 1 and 2 portion trays in France are made from Trayforma, as are most of the family-size packs. Convenience and the freedom to choose heating options "Keywords for us in this context are convenience and freedom. Convenience refers to a whole new type of quality premium ready-meals portions that are easily available in various pack sizes for different consumer groups," says Marc Boniface, Packaging Expert for Frozen Food division at Nestlé. "Freedom means that consumers can choose the heating options - regardless of whether they prefer a microwave or conventional oven. These trays are ideal for all heating methods." According to Patrick Petitfrere, Technical Expert at Frozen Food division at Nestlé, another important issue for Nestlé is product safety, since board trays do not crack, which is an important safety factor. "Microwave oven penetration has reached a high level in most EU countries, and it is time to offer our consumers packs that contain an added value. There is no doubt that board material is replacing aluminum in ready-meals packs," say Bruno Welter, Export and R&D Manager and Rémy Lucas, Market Manager for France at Pawi Verpackungen. Swiss-based Pawi is the manufacturer of Maggi tray packages. Catch the consumer's eye Stora Enso Trayforma boards are specially developed fiber-based packaging materials for use as pressed or folded trays, bowls, plates and multipacks. The board properties focus on superior formability and convertibility, together with high material purity, easy sealing and excellent printability. This enables Stora Enso's customers to produce attractive trays that keep their form and functionality in environments ranging from -40 C to +225 C. Environmental benefits are another strong argument in favor of board material, since fiber-based Trayforma boards can easily be recycled. "Customer companies have made board trays part of their marketing strategy - offering convenience and dual ovenability as added value for consumers. These features are clearly stated on the Maggi packs. The market for this type of product is growing tremendously, thanks to bigger brands opting for board material instead of aluminum. Secondly, we are developing new generation board trays at our InnoCentre specifically to create even more eye-catching and functional packs," says Yrjö Aho, MD of Stora Enso Switzerland.