Paperboard-based butter tub

Until recently, butter packaging has been a relatively neglected sector in the dairy processing industry, with butter and margarine products packed either in aluminum-laminated paper or in plastic tubs. But European supermarket chain Carrefour, with help from packaging board and paper manufacturer Stora Enso and packaging manufacturer CAN Packaging, may have changed that landscape with the introduction of a paperboard-based butter tub.

Until recently, butter packaging has been a relatively neglected sector in the dairy processing industry, with butter and margarine products packed either in aluminum-laminated paper or in plastic tubs. But European supermarket chain Carrefour, with help from packaging board and paper manufacturer Stora Enso and packaging manufacturer CAN Packaging, may have changed that landscape with the introduction of a paperboard-based butter tub. "Butter packaging is a demanding area, as butter is stored in dairies at a humidity of 95 percent and a temperature of four degrees Celsius," says Luc Lesenecal, head of marketing at the Isigny Sainte-Mere diary, supplier to Carrefour. He adds, "However, the relative humidity and temperature in the cold chain of shops and consumer refrigerators are different. This means that the structure of the tub has to be able to withstand these variations." The tub features Stora Enso#s Ensocup and Ensocoat board grades, as well as Ensobarr coating in the container bottom. The coating provides the board with good barrier properties, surpassing those of aluminum folio. These traits are joined by an easy-to-open and close Ecoclip lid, developed by CAN Packaging. Together, with the advantages of barrier and printability of the paperboard construction, the container attracts the consumer. "The dairy industry is one of our growth areas because the potential of board packaging in dairy products has been insufficiently explored," says Alain Piattier, sales director of Stora Enso France. "The example provided by major end customers such as Carrefour will encourage the entire dairy industry to source new packaging applications."