De Kroes is standing out with a C-label

Meals and meat products specialist De Kroes wants to distinguish itself with products that are honest, tasty and look good. Thanks to a new weighing and labelling line, the presentation of the products is clean on all sides.

Visibility is crucial for any brand, especially on the supermarket shelf. There, you only have a few seconds to capture the attention of the passing consumer. That is why Peter de Vos, director and owner of meal supplier De Kroes, was nearly in tears when he saw the products he is so proud of in a supermarket. They were positioned at eye level. A beautiful spot. "But all I could see across the width was a black bar." Because the meals were only labelled on the top and bottom, it was impossible to see which product it was. "A missed opportunity of course."

'Presentation is extremely important. The label is an essential part of it'.

De Kroes, based in Almere, delivers high-quality meals, meat products and meat snacks to wholesalers, the catering industry and retailers, among others. The range includes around 400 different products, varying from stews and oven dishes to meatballs and spare ribs. Each and every one of these products needs to be seen, according to the De Kroes team. That was one of the reasons to explore the possibilities of a C-label.

Appetizing

C labels are used more often in the food industry. They not only cover parts of the top and bottom of a product, but also the side. This allows the producer to put more information on the label, and to indicate on the side what product it is. With the extra space you can show more information as a brand: there is room for extra branding. "Every day we strive to produce honest and tasty food. Because eating is mostly done with the eyes, our products must also look beautiful and appetising. Presentation is extremely important. The label is an essential part of this," says Peter. This is one of the reasons why the new weighing and labelling machine 'ES 7712' with C-label module from Espera, specialist in weighing and labelling machines from Eindhoven, was chosen. The focus of this company is serving the food industry. They know this sector inside out and know what is going on. Mischa Schmitz, sales and key account manager at Espera: "More options for presentation and information on your packaging offers a lot of added value, also for transport. For example, meal deliverers need to be able to immediately see what they are packing. That is possible with this type of label. With the new line, De Kroes can really go all out.

Tight 

Espera, a subsidiary of the German group with the same name, is the market leader in the Netherlands in machines for labelling prepacked food. De Kroes has been doing business with the company since 2009. They also supplied the other two weighing and labelling machines on the production floor. The new line has been in use since December 2021. "One of the advantages of the ES 7712 is that in operation and maintenance it is identical to the other two lines. This also applies to label preparation, data management and the weighing and labelling functions for the top and bottom," says Mischa. "When applying the C-label, the label is applied from the bottom printer and pressed against the side of the packaging." 

"The beauty of this is that it therefore does not create a 'loop' on that side of the product dish," stresses De Kroes' manager Michiel Mäkel. "The label cannot tear as a result! So the presentation of our products also remains neat on the side." 

Flexibility

Another big advantage is the fact that the machine can provide trays with both C-labels and traditional labels. "This combination gives us the necessary flexibility. There is also demand from our customers for C labels. There is also demand for thermal labels; these are often used on fresh meals. With this multifunctional solution, we can respond even better to all these different wishes." The C-label module is compact and takes up little space. It is also relatively simple and easy to integrate with Reflex, the automation software De Kroes uses on the production floor. "We are very pleased with this purchase, partly because of the extra capacity the machine provides in addition to our other two weighing and labelling machines," concludes Michiel. 

www.dekroes.com
www.espera.com 

Mainphoto: Mischa Schmitz (l) and Michiel Mäkel
Photos: © Salverius fotografie