Vergeer, a leading Dutch cheese supplier, and adapa, a specialized packaging company, join forces to create an innovative cheese packaging that not only catches the eye on the refrigerated shelf but also meets strict requirements in terms of branding, ease of use, and food safety.
Vergeer distinguishes itself by allowing various cheeses to mature at different stages, enabling the company to offer a wide range to retailers and food suppliers. The company is committed to sustainable business practices, exemplified by the recent 'Next Generation' project. This new location design in Bodegraven is forward-thinking and focused on modern sustainability aspects.
Frank van Leeuwen, Purchase Manager at Vergeer: “One of our largest clients had specific ideas for a new packaging for young Gouda cheese. We faced the challenge of creating a resealable lid film for a mono APET subfilm. adapa showed us how to do this in a way that impressed us greatly, leading to the initiation of this joint project.”
Anthony Chaumuzeau, Regional Sales Manager - Benelux at adapa: “Together with Vergeer, we analyzed various packaging requirements and developed a kind of specification. Designing for recyclability was a central focus.” Another requirement was a reseal function that ensures the product remains as fresh as possible throughout the storage period after the initial opening, thus combating food waste. Additionally, high-quality printing was a desire. Simultaneously, line productivity had to be maintained, posing one of the significant challenges when changing materials on existing lines. Various solutions were proposed, and the first testing round took place in early 2020.
From right to left: Frank van Leeuwen, Purchasing Vergeer, Diederik Vergeer, CEO Vergeer, Carla Blumenröther, Marketing adapa Group, Max Wolfmaier, Sustainability adapa Grou and Benjamin Leviez, R&D adapa Group.
Max Wolfmaier, Head of Product Sustainability at adapa: “We advised Vergeer to use FlexiClose(re) AMX, a closing film based on polyolefins with a density of less than 1 g/cm³.” This allows the printed film of the packaging to be separated to a large extent by recycling companies through float-sink separation. The mono APET can then be sent for recycling. The foundation for this film had already been worked out when the project began, but the art lies in tailoring it to each individual project.
In this specific case, the sealing layer of the film was optimized to seal safely and reliably on mono APET. For resealability, the film had to be uniformly tightened without tearing, and it should not curl during the process, as otherwise, the reseal would not function as desired. All steps in the development process were coordinated with Vergeer and its customers, who trusted the extensive expertise of adapa.
Frank: “Cheese, as a naturally matured product, varies slightly in size and shape. To use the materials sustainably, we have minimized the packaging size as much as possible compared to the previous solution.” The packaging is now 190 mm long instead of 205 mm. The material thickness of the APET subfilm has been reduced from 330 µm to 250 µm. Thanks to adapa's solution, the closing film weighs almost 1 gram per m2 less. Vergeer's packaging lines can efficiently process the material despite the changed specifications. Frank: “Productivity has not been affected, which is very important to us. We now need 26 to 30 percent less material for the new packaging. Our customer is very satisfied with the result.”
Watch the video ‘Customer Story: Vergeer Holland vernieuwt zijn verpakkingen voor gesneden kaas’
Source: adapa
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