Every year, Constantia Flexibles produces the packaging for more than 50 per cent of the 150 million chocolate Santas that are produced in Germany. With the company's patented Tepro2® method, the film can be peeled off in one piece without the chocolate breaking.
The aluminium foil prevents components of the printing ink and other substances from penetrating from the outside to the inside and offers complete light protection.
To 1820 the first solid chocolate Santas produced. Around 20 years later, they were first used as Hollow figures in the mould still used today. Constantia Flexibles has a long tradition in the production of printing foil and film for Santas, Easter bunnies and other chocolate figures. Every year, the company ensures that the chocolate Father Christmas retains its typical appearance. The patented method, in which aluminium foil is industrially produced and rolled, has been around for more than 100 years. Since then, chocolate manufacturers in Europe and the USA have been wrapping their products in aluminium foil.
Dressing Father Christmases correctly
Stefan Grote, EVP Group Technology and Food Europe at Constantia Flexibles explains the biggest advantage of this method: „The aluminium foil and the chocolate are separated. no interaction. Thanks to the manufacturing process, the surface is free from contamination and prevents the growth of microorganisms. Thanks to the low resilience of the aluminium foil, the film can be wrapped tightly around the chocolate product during packaging.“
Specially manufactured aluminium materials and state-of-the-art technologies combined with decades of experience in design and packaging production guarantee that food manufacturers can provide chocolate figures with the right „clothing“. The options range from low-cost products in a colourful mix to gold-coloured high-gloss premium products at the point of sale.
Tear resistance guaranteed
Angular facial features or extremely pointed feet could cause problems when packing the Santas, which are avoided by the innovative Tepro2® film packaging, a combination of aluminium and very thin OPP (oriented polypropylene). The film is characterised by Excellent tear resistance and can be easily wrapped around the respective product. Tepro2® film can also be used to realise creative ideas such as new outlines for chocolate figures. Thanks to the latest development, consumers can also Remove film from hollow figures as a whole, without the film tearing. A special lacquer was developed for this purpose, which is applied to the outside or inside of the film. The lacquer acts like a rubber band and prevents small pieces from coming loose when the film is peeled off.
In addition to Europe, numerous Santas are exported to the USA, Australia, India and even Japan.
