A new, more attractive pack, which is also easier to handle, was to be used for Atria's sliced sausage. Now three new R 535 thermoforming packaging machines from MULTIVAC are ensuring optimum packaging results and real competitive advantages for Finland's leading manufacturer of meat products.
Atria is one of the leading food companies in the Nordic countries, the Baltic States and Russia. The company's beginnings date back to 1903. And the future looks bright, as the group of companies is well positioned and growing continuously. Its customers include food retailers as well as the catering and food industry.
Focus on top position
Healthy competition is a natural part of Atria's business. „We want to continue to secure our top position in the market with top economic performance, maximum efficiency and consistent working methods,“ explains Markku Hirvijärvi, Senior Vice President Quality, Research & Development and Production at Atria.
This also means that the company wants to stand out clearly from other suppliers on the market with quality products in modern, attractive packaging. Because with the huge range on the chiller shelf, the most important thing for consumers is the Optics: They prefer appetisingly packaged products that suggest freshness and food hygiene.
But there is sometimes a long way to go to achieve the perfect result.
„Around ten years ago, we launched a new generation of sliced meat packaging onto the market. Over time, however, competitors copied our solution so that all packaging on the market looked more or less the same. We simply lacked a unique selling point,“ explains Markku Hirvijärvi.
Changing requirements
The requirements for new packaging were thus clearly defined: it had to be clearly differentiated from previous solutions by its Shaping differentiate. Another important aspect related to handling: the packaging had to be easy to open and reclosable be.
Multivac was on board right from the start thanks to its long-standing business relationships and extensive technological expertise. Only the experienced packaging specialists were trusted to successfully master a project with these requirements on the basis of their previous collaboration. In fact, the optimum solution was then realised in a lengthy but constructive process with all those involved, i.e. customers, packaging material suppliers, Multivac and, of course, Atria itself. The meat manufacturer's packaging team played an important role in this process: the team not only came up with the idea for the new pack, but also provided significant support in the development of the final solution.
Since then, a total of three thermoforming packaging machinesof the R 535 type are used in the packaging process. They offer the highest Efficiency through optimised packaging material and energy consumption. With the most comprehensive range of equipment options on the market, they enable the production of complex pack shapes with high output.
The new packaging itself stands out from the competition with its design, colour and opening aids and meets the highest standards of freshness, product safety and shelf life. They have a colour-contrasting peel corner, which immediately catches the eye and makes it easier to open the pack. Individual portions can be easily removed and the pack easily resealed. This protects the remaining cold cuts. For optimum presentation in retail, they are labelled with a Hanging perforation provided.
Specific product requirements
The cold cuts are placed in layers in a MAP packaging arranged. This makes it easier for the consumer to remove the individual slices from the deep-drawn, dimensionally stable pack. The evacuation and re-gassing process is tailored to the specific product requirements so that its quality, appearance, moisture content and flavour are optimally preserved in the pack and the individual slices neither stick together nor slip.
Each of the three packaging lines is equipped with a Cross web labeller for top films and one for bottom films. The MR625OP Labelled directly onto the top film after sealing of the prepackages, the MR635UP to the Bottom film. Both are ideal for Frequently changing product labelling and have a longitudinal lifting device for multi-row formats. The labels are applied to the pack at right angles to the direction of film flow in high-performance mode.
Positive development
Atria considers the high-performance packaging lines and the new packaging to be an „excellent solution“. Markku Hirvijärvi sums it up: „MULTIVAC has absolutely fulfilled our high expectations in terms of quality, innovation, capacity and performance. All the requirements and wishes were successfully realised from a technological point of view - and the customers are also very satisfied.“
Strategically, the project is also developing in a promising direction. This is because the innovative packaging for Atria's cold meats has been tested in both a Scandinavian and a international packaging competition. Last but not least, the company's market share has developed positively since the product launch. In the 2014 financial year, net sales of more than EUR 1.4 billion were generated with 4,715 employees in the four divisions Atria Finland, Atria Scandinavia, Atria Russia and Atria Baltic.
