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New better packaging of fruit and vegetable in Scandinavia
Sweden
Friday 06 July 2007
Goods worth massive sums are destroyed every year because of poor quality packaging. Billerud is now establishing its own development centre for packaging research focused on corrugated containers that will be the first of its kind in the world. It will help provide consumers with better quality fruit and vegetables, among other products.
Packaging is often the weak link for exports. Each year in Europe, fruit and vegetables worth around ten billion euros are destroyed because they are packaged in boxes that are damaged during transport causing the contents to be damaged, too. Growers try to avoid this problem by harvesting unripe fruit and vegetables and produce that is harder and thus more resistant to bumps and jolts during the transport phase. That means, for example, that people in Scandinavia eat less nutritious fruit and vegetables because the supply of nutrients ends as soon as the fruit is harvested. Billerud is now intensifying its research into transport packaging. The company's new laboratory, Billerud Box Lab, was inaugurated on June 28.
At Box Lab, Billerud's experts will measure the long-term performance of boxes and perform tests in a climate chamber where temperatures and moisture levels can be varied to mirror conditions in the transport phase for filled packaging. Five additional compression testers will be installed in the climate chamber. This will help increasing the pace and quality of testing work and the number of customer-oriented development projects.
"We would like to help suppliers of fruit and vegetables who are currently losing value due to inefficient packaging. We wish to develop a global standard for corrugated boxes that tolerates the toughest conditions," says Per Lindberg, President and CEO of Billerud.
Billerud Flute® is based on 100% primary fibre and is sold all over the world to containerboard producers, with a main focus on packaging for fruit and vegetables, meat and heavy duty items.
Packaging is often the weak link for exports. Each year in Europe, fruit and vegetables worth around ten billion euros are destroyed because they are packaged in boxes that are damaged during transport causing the contents to be damaged, too. Growers try to avoid this problem by harvesting unripe fruit and vegetables and produce that is harder and thus more resistant to bumps and jolts during the transport phase. That means, for example, that people in Scandinavia eat less nutritious fruit and vegetables because the supply of nutrients ends as soon as the fruit is harvested. Billerud is now intensifying its research into transport packaging. The company's new laboratory, Billerud Box Lab, was inaugurated on June 28.
At Box Lab, Billerud's experts will measure the long-term performance of boxes and perform tests in a climate chamber where temperatures and moisture levels can be varied to mirror conditions in the transport phase for filled packaging. Five additional compression testers will be installed in the climate chamber. This will help increasing the pace and quality of testing work and the number of customer-oriented development projects.
"We would like to help suppliers of fruit and vegetables who are currently losing value due to inefficient packaging. We wish to develop a global standard for corrugated boxes that tolerates the toughest conditions," says Per Lindberg, President and CEO of Billerud.
Billerud Flute® is based on 100% primary fibre and is sold all over the world to containerboard producers, with a main focus on packaging for fruit and vegetables, meat and heavy duty items.
