Minced meat in flow packs - Feneberg saves 70 percent plastic with flow-wrap bags from Ulma Packaging

The southern German supermarket chain Feneberg has completely changed the production of minced meat and now no longer offers its self-service products in the almost 80 branches in the MAP tray that was previously common, but exclusively in completely recyclable flowwrap (tubular) bags. In this way, the company from the Allgäu region now saves up to 70 percent of the plastic otherwise required per packaging unit. Ulma Packaging supplied the machine and the complete process know-how. 

Tradition in the third generation.  As a family business rooted in the region, Feneberg Lebensmittel GmbH stands for quality and trust. "The regional production of food and the connection with the region and the people who live there have always played a central role at Feneberg," says Hannes Feneberg, who together with his brother Christof is the third generation to run the company as managing directors. "Regional production, close partnerships with farmers, animal welfare and environmental protection have been the cornerstones that characterise the production of our meat and sausage products for many years. With this in mind, it was important for us to also evolve in the packaging of these high-quality products and choose a variant that continues the sustainability criteria in production.

" Switching to flow-pack packaging was a big step for the company, as the butchery in Kempten produces a total of 20 tonnes of minced meat and minced meat products such as burger patties or cevapcici per week. The main thing: "The new packaging has been very well received. We have obviously hit the nerve of our customers, who want more sustainability in their shopping," Hannes Feneberg concludes positively.

 35.7 tonnes less plastic in circulation. At 60 to 65 microns, the flow pack is up to ten times thinner than conventional MAP trays, which are typically 450 to 650 microns thick. In addition, the flow-wrap bag is significantly lighter than the tray: Instead of tare weights of 13.58 to 24.98 grams for tray packaging, the film solutions weigh between 4.00 and 4.94 grams, depending on the size. As a result, Feneberg saves at least 70 percent plastic per package, at peak times even more than 80 percent. Calculated over the year, that is 35.7 tonnes less plastic that is put into circulation.

Completely recyclable. Another sustainability plus for the tubular bags: The Monoflowre multi-layer film used by the film manufacturer Schur Flexibles consists of the mono material polypropylene (PP) and can be recycled without residues. And the flow packs make it particularly easy for the end user: Open the packaging, take out the meat and the unwashed film can be put in the yellow sack (used in Germany for recycling) and fed into the recycling process. "This simple handling without further separation convinced us," explains Christan Gareiß, Head of Production Technology at Feneberg. "Many other concepts that save plastic require an intermediate step from the end user. Often, for example, you have to peel a film off the box, which experience shows is not always done. The packaging then ends up in the residual waste. That's the end of the line for recycling before it even gets started," Gareiß continues.

Flow-wrap bag machine with new folding geometry. The self-service minced meat products at the production site of the Feneberg butchery in Kempten are packaged by the FM 300 flow-wrap bag machine from Ulma. For the recyclable PP film, the machine manufacturer has made some adaptations to its technology. "On the one hand, we have adapted the folding geometry, as the PP film buckles more quickly than other films. On the other hand, we have made changes to the longitudinal and transverse sealing to ensure the usual high sealing quality for the recycled film as well," explains Alexander Biechteler, Head of Technical Sales and Application Technology at Ulma Packaging.

Together with the new flow-wrap bag machine, Feneberg uses a total of seven Ulma machines in its production, in addition to packaging machines for minced meat, sausages and cold cuts, as well as systems for baked goods and ready meals. "For us it was clear that we would realise this important project together with Ulma. We have already been working together for ten years and know the machines very well," emphasises Gareiß from Feneberg. In the technical centre at Ulma in Memmingen, Germany, the two companies ran various product samples and tests and tested film types from several manufacturers.

Significantly lower logistics costs. Before the conversion to flow packs, one pallet of MAP trays was sufficient for 2,880 to 5,040 sales packs of minced meat and minced meat products. From the same transport volume with flow-pack material, Feneberg now generates between 64,8000 and 81,000 sales packages. Or to put it another way: "Instead of 100 truckloads of MAP trays, we now need just seven truckloads of film. That's a reduction of 93 percent. The savings in storage requirements are just as great," clarifies Gareiß. AFT QUARTERLY 2/2021 Page 4 of 4 The advantages on the economic side also have an effect on the ecological side. Due to the material savings and the reduced use of truck transport, the flow packs also significantly reduce CO2 emissions. The smaller packaging volume - compared to the MAP tray - also reduces the electricity consumption for storage, production and cooling of the products in the flow-wrap bag package.

Planned for the future. "The flow pack is the packaging of the future in the food industry. There's no way around it. We can't do without plastic completely, but we can reduce the amount used enormously. And after use, we can recycle the material completely - that's what a responsible approach to the environment looks like," emphasises Alexander Biechteler from Ulma. For the application technology manager, this offers the food and packaging industry enormous potential that can be quickly exploited.

"Because flow-pack packaging is a mature technology that doesn't have to be reinvented, it really can be implemented right away," adds Ulma Packaging Managing Director Thomas Blümel, thinking holistically: "For almost all products that are currently still packaged in MAP trays, the changeover to flow packs is feasible. So why wait?" That's how Feneberg sees it too. In the next step, the family business wants to convert the entire self-service meat range to packaging made of flow-wrap bags.

Additional information and contact

Ulma Packaging GmbH Memmingen, Germany

Tel.: +49-(0)8331-98738-0

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. www.ulmapackaging.de

No crying over spilt milk?

The plant-based dairy industry in Europe was concerned its number was up last autumn when The European Commission voted in favour of the so-called Amendment 171 to place fresh restrictions on how manufacturers could package and market their products.

EU law already means words like "milk", "cheese" and "yogurt" can only be used to describe milk-based products originating from animals. Under Amendment 171, those curbs were to go further, banning dairy-based descriptors such as "yogurt-style" or "cheese alternative", as well as words like "creamy", from being used on plant-based alternatives. Packaging styles similar to dairy equivalents like milk cartons or blocks of butter and cheese were also set to be prohibited.

NGO ProVeg International, plant-based specialists including Oatly and dairy companies with plenty of skin in the plant-based game, such as Nestle and Danone, called for the amendment to be taken off the table, arguing it wasn't in the interests of consumers, hundreds of thousands of whom across Europe signed a petition protesting against the plan.

This week, the amendment was dropped, prompting celebration in plant-based circles, including among the corporates that are investing heavily in the area. "Pleased to see that Europe is listening to its consumers: Amendment 171 is off the table!" Star Chen, the CEO of Unilever's Food Solutions division, posted on LinkedIn. "Making the right food choices should not be made more difficult."

Europe's dairy industry, however, was not crying over spilt milk. Alexander Anton, secretary general of The European Dairy Association, in fact, claimed during the recent trilogue phase of the EU's legislative process – which covers talks between EU member states, the Commission and the European Parliament – that "some forces proposed what they call a 'compromise text' of Amendment 171". That text, he suggested, "perverted the Amendment 171 into the exact contrary of the text voted by the European Parliament in October", adding: "So, the withdrawal of this 'compromise' amendment text is good news for the lactosphere.

Intriguing but, apparently, the dropping of the Amendment hasn't left any sour notes in dairy circles. That said, there's no question the traditional dairy industry has a job on its hands competing with a growing – and buoyant – plant-based market. Demand for plant-based alternatives continues to rise and trying to do battle on words such as "creamy" and over how plant-based milks are packed seemed futile from the outset.

The traditional dairy industry would do better to take its fight into other areas, emphasising what it sees as the positive credentials of its own products, not least with consumer scrutiny growing over how plant-based products are processed and over the make-up of the ingredients used in recipes. That looks set to be the next competitive frontier.

 

Dean Best

Managing Editor

FrieslandCampina sells Russia unit to German peer Ehrmann

Dutch Dairy Cooperative FrieslandCampina has sold its subsidiary in Russia to German peer Ehrmann. 
FrieslandCampina said the deal to sell Campina LLC, struck for an undisclosed sum, would allow the co-op “to focus on consumer markets elsewhere”. 
Roel van Neerbos, president of FrieslandCampina’s consumer-facing Food&Beverage division said: “This divestiture is part of FrieslandCampina’s previously-announced strategy to review its position in various markets. Under Ehrmann’s umbrella, our Russian consumer dairy business will be able to further develop and realise its full growth potential.”
Ehrmann is set to acquire a dairy facility in Stupino, as well as the brands Fruttis and Nezhny. The German business will also be the distributor of FrieslandCampina’s Frisco specialized-nutrition products in Russia.
 
Christian Ehrmann, the CEO OF Ehrmann, said “This acquisition reflects Ehrmann’s strategy of growing its market share in Russia with locally produced, strong brands.”
 
The deal is subject to the regulatory approval of authorities in Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Belarus. The closing of the transaction is expected by the end of June. 
Last week, FrieslandCampina announced an agreement to sell its Nutrefeed animal nutrition business in order to focus on consumer products. 

Mondelez confirms deal to buy snacks maker Chipita

Snacking and confectionery giant Mondelez International has confirmed media speculation by securing a deal to buy Greece-based snacks maker Chipita for a price tag of about US$2bn.
The Cadbury chocolate owner has reportedly been chasing Athens-based Chipita for a number of years but its founder and chief executive Spyros Theodoropoulos was said to have been reluctant to sell. Reports then emerged in April over a possible deal. 
 
Theodoropoulos has now succumbed. ”Chipita, for more than 40 years, based on quality and innovation created a new category of snacks loved  by consumers internationally”, Theodoropoulos said in a statement (May 26). “I am certain that the acquisition of Chipita by Mondelez International, one of the world’s leading snacking companies, will create new prospects for its people and products.”
 
Chipita makes corn snacks, crisps and baked snacks under brands such as its namesake, along with 7 Days, Finetic and Chipicao, which together generated sales last year of about $580m. The business has 13 manufacturing plants and distributes its products in more than 50 countries. 
US-headquartered Mondelez said the deal brings new categories to its own set-up, and a  “significantly increased presence in the fast-growing central and Eastern European markets where Chiiita’s business is especially well-positioned”.
 
“Welcoming Chipita’s delicious pastry products into the Mondelez International family advances our strategy to become the global leader in broader snacking”, Dirk Van de Put, the chairman and CEO of the Oreo biscuit owner, said. “Their iconic brands and significant scale across so many attractive geographies make them a strong strategic complement to our existing portfolio and future growth ambitions in Europe and beyond.”
The Chipita transaction adds to a busy year for Mondelez in terms of M&A. It acquired the UK-based sports nutrition business Grenade, and in March struck deals for Australian biscuits and crackers firm Gourmet Food Holdings and better-for-you chocolate and snacks maker Hu Master Holdings in the US. 

Mondelez said it will use Chipita’s central and Eastern European network to enhance its own distribution in the region, and will also pursue innovation and co-branding opportunities to enter new categories. 

 

The deal is subject to competition approvals and does not include Chipita’s meat-processing business or its minority interest in an Indian joint venture with Britannia Industries. That JV was formed in 2017 and is known as Britchip Foods, with Chipita holding 40%. 

Marfrig Global Foods takes minority stake in Brazilian meat peer BRF

Brazilian meat giant Marfrig Global Foods is to acquire a minority stake in local peer BRF.
Publicity-listed Marfrig announced on Friday (May 21) it had acquired a 24,23% interest in BRF through the purchase of more than 196 million shares, explaining its aims through the transaction are to diversify “investments in a segment that has complementaries with its sector of activity”. 
 
Marfrig, headquartered in Sao Paolo, said it has no plan to elect members to the BRF board nor to “exert influence over the activities” of its Brazilian peer.
BRF, which mainly processes chicken and pork , acknowledged the deal via its own statement at the weekend, adding that Marfrig also has no plan to “promote changes in the control or in the administrative structure “ of the company. 
Marfrig and BRF had entered discussions in 2019 over a possible collaboration. However, that never materialized. 
 
At the time, Marfrig said a merger would result in “the creation of a world leader in the protein market with wide geographical and product diversification” and it would reduce risk and “exploit operational and financial synergies due to the balance and complementarità of products, services and geographical diversification”.
Last year, Marfrig and another Brazil-based meat group, Minerva Foods, both denied they had opened merger talks. 
Meanwhile, sources for news agency Reuters said the minority deal between Marfrig and BRF amounts to US$800m.
In 2020, Marfrig generated net revenues of BRL 67.84bn (US$12.58bn). BRF posted sales of BRL 39.5bn

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