With sausages, schnitzel and minced meat from the HERMANN vegetarian line, Hermann Neuburger and his son Thomas have created a genuine European food innovation that is making the industry sit up and take notice. In collaboration with Schur Flexibles, the proportion of plastic in existing packaging has also been reduced by 80 per cent to a minimum.
The decision of many consumers, to give up meat products completely or at least temporarily, is also motivating traditional meat producers to rethink. The Neuburger family business from Ulrichsberg in Upper Austria has been extremely successful with its products for more than 80 years.
In 2016, the company launched a Completely new vegetarian product line ready for the market: with organic ingredients and completely without additives it is based on a mushroom, the king oyster mushroom. The company now has a Europe-wide patent and a in-house mushroom cultivation.
On the road to success with HERMANN
Currently four different products range, two more will be added this year, the Neuburg a huge success. The products have also been available in Germany for two years, and the current export share of total sales has already risen to 40 per cent.
The company was recognised for its innovative product line Multiple awards. In 2019, the company was honoured with the Austrian TRIGOS sustainability award in the „Regional Value Creation“ category and the Austrian „Pegasus“ business award in the „Future Hopes“ category. As a meat producer, the family business has always been committed to responsible consumption. One illustrious example is the „2 x Neuburger per week is enough“ campaign.
In addition to a mindful approach to health and the environment However, the company is also increasingly committed to new resource-saving solutions for packaging issues.
Environmentally friendly inside and out
The innovative concept for HERMANN is realised with the Film solution from Schur Flexibles also rounded off with regard to the sustainability of the packaging. In collaboration with Schur Flexibles, the company has developed the Plastic content of existing packaging reduced by 80 per cent to a minimum. As a pioneer for innovative, sustainable packaging solutions, the packaging group with its headquarters in Wiener Neudorf was ultimately able to provide an ideal solution.
Those responsible at Neuburger Fleischlos GmbH decided in favour of the Recyclable, high-performance VACUflex(re) EX-T as a bottom film. The polyolefin film combines excellent machinability with maximum product protection. Its EVOH barrier is characterised by a High oxygen barrier and best process capability on all common thermoformers.
VACUflex(re) EX-T is combined with the transparent FlexTop(re) top film, which is also easy to recycle. Despite an 80 per cent reduction in plastic in the tray packaging (material weight), the recyclable alternative that offers maximum product safety and reliable sealing properties.
Recyclable and resource-saving film packaging
Projects with innovative food companies in particular enable the Schur Flexibles Group to Demonstrate expertise in the area of sustainability and with it the idea, emphasise ecological products with suitable packaging concepts. They therefore won Neuburger Fleischlos GmbH as a co-operation partner for their innovative range of Hermann products.
Schur Flexibles was able to score points with several properties of the films. These include very good processing on the packaging machines, high transparency of the material, suitability for pasteurisation and one excellent peelability when opening the finished packaging.
„However, the decisive factor for both sides was that the new packaging is easy to recycle and still offers all these basic properties. Service was also important to our customer: we carried out a successful test phase in close consultation with the machine manufacturer and are now delighted to be launching the new packaging with Neuburger,“ explains Fritz Humer, CSO at Schur Flexibles.
With the combination of VACUflex(re) EX-T and FlexTop(re), the company opted for a packaging system that demonstrates good recyclability and therefore fits in perfectly with the sustainable HERMANN concept.
[infotext icon]The Schur Flexibles Group specialises in innovative, high-quality and customised high-barrier packaging solutions for the food, tobacco and pharmaceutical industries. Its headquarters are in Wiener Neudorf, Austria. It is already one of the leading providers of sustainable flexible packaging. It is continuously expanding its portfolio of innovative, resource-saving and recyclable packaging solutions[/infotext].
