I can’t believe that we are speeding along to June already! Winter will officially begin soon… which will mean we are half way through the year. Recently my time has been spent ensuring that consumables used in traditional programmes such as apples, kiwifruit, citrus and mushrooms have been moving through the supply chain to my customers timely and accurately.
More excitingly though, I am pleased to say that I have been involved in another project that has seen JFS collaborating with a customer, a packer (‘The Pakhouse’), Proseal, CKF and our film supplier to bring a new sustainable and heat-sealed pack to market. This product is currently being trialed in Foodstuff stores thoughout the North Island as from Monday. We pride ourselves on being forward thinkers and this pack is at the very forefront of innovation here in NZ and ultimately, when successful, this pack would replace the existing clam-shell punnet. As I have previously mentioned, heat-sealed fresh produce packaging has been revolutionised in other parts of the world over recent years and I am delighted to be part of an industrious team that has managed to put this together so that New Zealand consumers get the opportunity to try this product.
What’s cool about this pack is it has the environmental credentials that consumers and retailers are after, reducing plastic first and foremost, as well with being certified home compostable and readily kerbside recyclable in waste paper streams. All the while appeasing marketers AND operational “types” by increasing product shelf appeal (for reasons above) and introducing a tamper evident format.
Looking forward, this format is also future proofed, providing versatile options to use pre-printed film and/or recloseable/resealable film types. Exciting!!
So what now?
We let the consumer do the “talking” and watch these amazing packs fly off the produce aisle shelves! Not to mention continue new and existing projects to bring more of this sustainable, eco-friendly produce packaging to market.