Getting fruit and, in particular soft fruit, to the retail outlet in prime condition depends in many ways upon the right form of packaging. One company that addresses this critical area is Sealed Air Ltd through its Cryovac plant in Poole, Dorset.
The company is part of Sealed Air Corporation (NYSE: SEE), a multinational packaging giant founded in 1960 that is a leading innovator in advanced material science, manufacturing processes, automation and integration. The organisation is headquartered in the USA, and has presence in 52 countries, distribution in 77 countries, approximately 120 manufacturing facilities, and employs in excess of 16,000 people worldwide.
The Poole facility produces six different APET punnet lines, all of which are available in different depths, sizes and specifications. According to Bernardo Mateluna, Sales Manager EMEA for the Company, “Two of the six lines that accommodate the standard models used in the UK are fully compatible with those of our competitors’ and can go through any of their heat-sealing tools; the remaining four are near-equivalents.”
“Some models are not sold in the UK market, but rather to growers and packers overseas, which import strawberries into the UK. There are also particular models and specifications for blueberries, blackberries, currants, cherries and raspberries. Finally, there is a range that is used by non-supermarket merchants within the UK or by retailers overseas. Nearly all our product line can be supplied in various colours; bubble-padded, absorbent-padded or unpadded; with or without lids; vented or unvented.”
One of the major benefits of Sealed Air’s flagship standard punnet is that it is designed to fit 20 punnets to a retail crate. This feature is of considerable transport and logistics cost-savings to the grower, and to a lesser extent, to the whole value chain. In contrast, competitors’ punnets typically only fit 18 to a crate.
According to Bernardo, “In terms of sales and presence in the UK, there are three strong companies – Sharp Interpak, which has recently been acquired by the French Groupe Guillin, Infia of Italy and ourselves.”
Bernardo says that in recent years the market has changed. Originally, a packaging manufacturer would approach a grower and supply it with a dedicated packing and sealing tool that would be amortised over its lifetime. Now, the grower will be allowed the tool in return for a given volume commitment or exclusivity or both for a specified number of years – say two, after which the user will re-negotiate terms with suppliers. However, in the UK, Bernardo says there is greater customer loyalty than there is overseas.
Sealed Air Cryovac has an extensive network of distributors in the UK. Product can be shipped to clients directly from Poole, or be sent to one of many distribution depots for onward distribution as required, or a customer can carry out collections from any of these locations.
Bernardo adds, “We cater for the requirements of all of the major retailers –ASDA, Co-op, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose. It is my job to open up new domestic and foreign markets through direct sales or agency agreements; and at present, I primarily look after the UK, Spain, Poland, Egypt, Morocco, Portugal and Holland.”
For further information please telephone
01202 666666 or visit www.sealedair.com.
