Elbe ' Obst is well known for its high quality produce sourced from the "Alte Land" region west of Hamburg and is especially renowned for its soft and stone fruits. Together with Obsthof zum Felde, they have recently introduced a breakthrough new way of packaging organic apples using flow wrap machines, from British machine manufacturer Redpack.

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The basic concept sees the packing of four to six organic apples packed horizontally, without the use of a tray, providing a smart new way of presenting the goods. "From the very beginning it was clear to us at Elbe-Obst, that this concept needed to be complemented with a sustainable packaging material, too", announced Jens Anderson of Elbe-Obst.

This process is brand new to the German fruit packaging market and will lead to new point of sale presentation opportunities for retailers.

NatureFlexTM packaging films manufactured by Futamura in Wigton, UK, was the natural choice for this new solution. Unlike commodity packaging films, these packaging films are based on renewable cellulose sourced from sustainably managed forestry (*FSC' and PEFC' certified) and were recently awarded the prestigious German Packaging Award 2016 for the Sustainability category.

At first sight NatureFlex films may look like a conventional plastic film. However, they have a number of unique and fascinating benefits: Aroma protection is significantly improved and moisture transfer is achieved without the need for perforation (an elegant solution to combat migration risks). NatureFlexTM films are biodegradable but they are also industrial and home compostable, and have even been approved for marine biodegradation according to ASTM D6691-09.

The consumer can gain an extra benefit from the packaging films by adding the wrapper to their home compost bin and improving the quality of their soil. Where home composting is not available, the packaging films should currently be disposed of in normal waste bins, until such time as Germany may open up their bio-bins to certified compostable packaging. Of course, the advantages of this new concept need to be explained to consumers, and so Elbe-Obst provides relevant information on the pack label (again based on NatureFlex film) as well as their webpage address for further information.

You can learn more about this exciting packaging breakthrough at FruitLogistica in Berlin in February 2017 on both the Redpack Maschinen GmbH and the Elbe-Obst Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH stands, while Futamura will also display it at Interpack in Dusseldorf in May 2017.

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