GLOBAL BERRY CONGRESS: ILIP, ACTIVE PACKAGING AND NEW FORMATS IN THE FUTURE OF BERRIES

R&D Manager Luigi Garavaglia was one of the lecturers at the Global Berry Congress in Rotterdam. “Innovation in this sector is a challenge, but it’s also an opportunity to reduce wastage and to increase appeal for consumers”.

BOLOGNA (20 March 2016) ILIP, a leading company in the sector of thermoformed plastic packaging for produce and for food service, was one of the protagonists at the Global Berry Congress, the Market Intelligence convention that took place between 14th and 16th March, attended by hundreds of operators of the berry sector.

Luigi Garavaglia, the company’s R&D Manager, was the lecturer of the Tech Talk organised on 15th March. His lecture touched on different aspects of the evolution of berry packaging: from solutions to extend the product’s shelf life to new formats that make them more practical and allow for on-the-go use, and including innovations to improve visibility and distinctiveness at sales points.

“Creating innovative packaging that fulfils rapidly evolving consumer demand is doubtlessly a challenge, but it’s also an opportunity”, explained Garavaglia during his presentation. In particular, he highlighted the growth of the sector and the demand for new packaging performance related to design, new shapes and, first and foremost, to the need to maintain product quality throughout the supply chain.

“The key opportunity for berry packaging” continued ILIP’s innovation manager “is the reduction of food loss and wastage, thanks to a packaging that protects the fruits, extends shelf life and keeps them fresh”. The main perspectives in this context are modified atmosphere packaging and active packaging, i.e. packaging capable of releasing, in a controlled manner, substances that improve product shelf life, for instance, with antimicrobial action or that absorbs ethylene. The synergy between these two effects, in the study case presented by ILIP at the Global Berry Congress, has shown a marked reduction in strawberry deterioration when compared with non-active punnets.

Garavaglia’s talk also mentioned the subject of packaging appeal for consumers: “In rapidly growing markets, we have been concentrating our innovation efforts on practicality and on-the-go consumption”. The trend is in new formats and new packaging systems, such as transparent cups with lids for practicality of transportation and anti-fog treatment to prevent condensation in heat-sealable packaging with reduced or no aeration. ILIP can also work together with its own clients to develop personalised applications and keep them in the vanguard of packaging innovation.

For further information:

Luca Speroni

ILIP Press Office c/o Fruitecom

Phone: +39 (059) 786-3894

Mobile: +39 345 405-7012

Jessica Zeppieri

ILIP

marketing@ilip.it