“More attention to packaging sustainability is an increasingly pressing demand from our customer fruit and vegetable producers, often driven by the need to comply with international regulations. In particular, they ask for recyclable packaging that is either entirely or partially plastic-free with increasingly higher quality standards, guaranteed by certifications.” This is the trend in the world of international fruit and vegetable packaging, in the words of Mario Mercadini, Marketing Manager of Sorma Group. The company was founded in Cesena in 1973 and is now one of the main players in the sector, operating in the supply of automated machinery for post-harvest processing of fruit and vegetables and technical materials for packaging, through fourteen international companies and plants in Spain, Germany, France, Turkey, the Netherlands, the Usa, Brazil, Chile and Peru, plus over 40 specialised distributors.
“Netpack Srl, the materials division of Sorma Group, was set up in the mid-1980s to control and ensure the supply of packaging, as well as of machinery guaranteed by Sorma with the explicit aim of investing in a production process strategy verticalisation,” Mercadini explained. “As a consequence, we have all the necessary tools in-house to transform raw materials into high-performance technical materials: extrusion, weaving and extrusion of various net formats, creative art, flexo printing, lamination, cutting and large storage warehouses. All these internal processes ensure that Sorma Group can control the entire production chain, guaranteeing excellent products and very short delivery times, by eliminating intermediation with external suppliers. By integrating products with an effective after-sales service, Sorma’s customers are guaranteed fast and qualified technical assistance on machinery, together with packaging co-design support, capable of providing creative solutions that enhance fruit and vegetable products through an attractive, sophisticated and innovative wrapping. Our portfolio features more than 160 models of automatic machines, protected by 60 patents entirely developed by our in-house team of 35 engineers”.
What are the main innovative packaging solutions for fruit and vegetables? The Sorma Group manager proposes some practical examples, such as SormaPaper and SormaPeel. “We aim to increase the productivity and flexibility of our machines and lines, and we are researching new forms of environmentally sustainable packaging”, Mercadini concluded. “In other words, our objective is to work on eco-friendly solutions, but also to offer concrete, practical and easily applicable solutions. This means that the package must be easily disposable by the consumer and adaptable to the packaging machine, with the same robustness and durability to avoid food waste. SormaPaper and SormaPeel are our two most innovative lines. SormaPeel is a new line of solutions that offers concrete benefits to the entire supply chain, from the packer to the consumer and paper and plastic recycler. The innovative element of SormaPeel is the ‘peelable’ outer paper band that can be easily removed by the consumer after which the packaging is named. But that’s not all. This solution uses 35% less plastic by weight than traditional packaging. In addition, the presence of FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper means that 35% of the packaging is made from renewable raw materials, in compliance with the objectives of European regulations (Directive 904/2019). Finally, while all fruit and vegetable packaging is almost always made by technically coupling two layers, a sealing layer and an external protective layer, made of different plastics, in the case of SormaPeel, on the other hand, the protective layer made of paper, is separable. This provides a sealed layer made of a single polymer, specifically either PE (high-density polyethylene) or PP (polypropylene), to make the recovery and recycling of the secondary raw material even simpler and more immediate. SormaPaper, on the other hand, is our range of plastic-free solutions for fruit and vegetables, made of 100% FSC-certified paper and cellulose. The packages in this range are entirely recyclable and boast an innovative and differentiating component compared to the others on the market. The packaging has a cellulose net, which allows the product to breathe inside, to the benefit of longer shelf-life and excellent visibility at the same time. The SormaPaper range comprises various models designed to meet the various aesthetic and format requirements of our customers, such as Stand Up that has a special self-supporting shape or Pillow that has the same features but is cushion-shaped, both of which are available either with a handle or without. The Paper Vertbag, on the other hand, is the paper and cellulose version of our time-honoured successful packaging. The line-up continues with cellulose nets and a paper label and, finally, with the netted baskets, also covered with a cellulose net”.
The pandemic and industry trends
The main trends in the sector were outlined by Sorma Group’s Marketing Manager Mario Mercadini: “As far as Italy is concerned (but the results correspond to trends in the rest of the world, in Europe in particular), two scenarios have emerged from the pandemic, namely a preference for packaged products, to meet a more heartfelt concern for product hygiene, and a greater focus on sustainability. Today, the packaging is a primary driver in the choice of a food product with 25% of consumers also considering the characteristics of the packaging materials among their purchase criteria (source CSO Italy and Nomisma, 2021). The gradual transition of packaging towards the use of sustainable materials with their full capacity to be recycled, both paper and plastic, will be crucial”.
