Redpack Packaging Machinery pioneered the trayless flow wrapping of fresh produce during the 1980’s. Cucumbers, Little Gem lettuce and peppers were successfully wrapped, and several machines to wrap tomatoes without a tray were also manufactured. Since then machine quality and production reliability has ensured that Redpack has remained the leading British manufacturer of flow wrapping machines for the fresh produce industry, both in the pack house and on field rigs. Although machines to wrap tomatoes without a tray have continued to be available, the tomato industry has not been driven to utilise the technology with the result that product in trays has continued to be the accepted method of packaging.
However this is now rapidly changing. The heightened global interest in reducing packaging waste has caused the industry to reconsider its position and, driven by the major multiples, a new urgency for trayless tomato packaging has emerged. A further incentive for the industry is the significant cost savings to be achieved by removing the tray.
Over recent months, Redpack has been working with several tomato producers to perfect packing without trays on its highly successful “P” series flow wrapping machine range. Utilising the latest in electronic control, and drawing on its previous experience, the company has launched trayless tomato flow wrapping at a very competitive price.
A further innovation is the Redpack automatic feeder that can stand at the flow-wrapping machine in-feed and transport tomatoes directly to the product conveyor. This system allows higher packaging speeds to be achieved and reduces the number of machine operators. Again, competitive pricing ensures payback on this automatic feed system is quickly achieved.
Redpack’s Steve Crow believes there will be considerable demand for trayless tomato packaging, saying:
“It reduces item cost, it reduces inventory cost and going trayless is a truly ‘earth friendly step’. When integrated with our automatic tomato feed system there is a significant reduction in labour costs because the line needs fewer operatives.
“Growers, packers, retailers, consumers and the environment all benefit from this new flow wrapping system.”
Redpack Packaging Machinery
Tel: 01603 722280
Email: sales@redpack.co.uk
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