Finland-based packaging start-up Jospak Oy has received a ScanStar 2018 Award for its board-based tray packaging for Kannuksen Lihakauppa Grillipekoni. This innovative, sustainable food packaging solution that contains up to 85% less plastic than a regular plastic alternative.
ScanStar is a joint Nordic packaging competition which has been held annually since 1969 by SPA, the Scandinavian Packaging Association. The 2018 awards are being organised by the Danish Technological Institute, Plastics and Packaging Technology. The ceremony itself will take place in November 2018 at the FoodTech Fair in Herning, Denmark.
The jury explained its reasons for nominating Jospak’s solution: “The design takes into consideration visual communication, material use and recycling. Instructions on the bottom of the packaging facilitate recycling. The easy separation of the film and fibres makes source separation simple. The jury finds that opening instructions and the opening mechanism can still be improved. The overall design supports the impression of a sustainable packaging.”
Strong beginnings
Jospak Oy was founded in 2014 to develop and commercialise a new packaging solution for the food industry. The company’s innovation is a high-barrier fibre-based tray suitable for diverse food products which are currently packed in plastic.
“As a start-up, we are grateful for receiving the ScanStar Award. This means a true recognition for the hard work that we have done to come up with this product. We are positive that the ScanStar Award together with our strong commitment to grow our business to the next level will open new doors for Jospak. We have already and will continue to invest in new production capacity to be ready for higher volumes and international markets”, states Ms. Tarja Heikkilä, managing director of Jospak.
The Jospak tray consists of a fibre-based tray and a separate multi-layer barrier film. The tray is hermetically sealed with lidding film, which makes it suitable for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). After use, the consumer can peel away the inner film liner and dispose the materials in the dedicated waste streams or recycle as such.
Jospak’s food tray provides a large printable surface which enables better means for brand and product messaging, digitalisation, standing out from the competition, and shelf visibility. It also helps in avoiding the use of the additional stickers and paperboard sleeves and therefore reduces packaging materials and related costs overall.
The winning solution
Pouttu Ltd, one of Finland’s major meat and processed meat producers, launched its Kannuksen Lihakauppa Grillipekoni fresh meat product in May 2018. It consists of bacon with a maple syrup glaze packed in a sustainable Jospak board-based tray.
Ms. Pirkko Rahkonen, head of development at Pouttu Ltd, says: “We are constantly seeking new and environmentally friendly solutions for packaging. Nevertheless, there are limited alternatives for plastic tray packaging since meat products have relatively short shelf-life. We launched Kannuksen Lihakauppa meat brand this spring and we found that Jospak tray’s design and material combination was a perfect match for our new brand. We will launch new products using innovative Jospak trays and in different tray sizes.”