Following products like strawberries, grapes and blueberries, there is now an increasing demand for fresh mushrooms in sealed trays. Renowned Dutch company Agarica bv, which has been passionate about mushrooms for over 50 years, is one of the first producers to switch to this appealing packaging system. Its previous solution, a blue tray with dome lid, has now been changed into a transparent tray with ultra-thin top film. As such, a significant plastic reduction is achieved. Additional benefits: the product is more visible and the transparent tray is easier to recycle. We spoke with Arnaud Lenten, Managing Director at Agarica bv, about the outcome of the project.
Complete Line Solution from a Single Source
Agarica bv, located in Hoogeveen in the northeast of the Netherlands, chose Ultrapak, exclusive distributor for SEALPAC equipment in the Benelux, to design and install two complete lines for producing the new tray solution. Agarica's Managing Director, Arnaud Lenten, looks back on this project with utmost satisfaction: “We consciously chose to outsource the complete project to one single party. Due to a specific demand from the market, we had to switch to tray sealing urgently. The team of Ultrapak advised and guided us well. They were able to win our trust and convinced us that they were the most suitable company to install the two lines in a quick and smooth way. Our trust has been rewarded and our product is now neatly packaged and beautifully presented on the shelves of our retail customers."
Highest Outputs, yet Flexible
The two identical packaging lines are able to handle all types of mushrooms in different tray sizes. At the heart of each line is a SEALPAC A5 double lane traysealer for highest performance. Furthermore, each line consists of a control weighing system from Arco, thermal transfer printer from Videojet, checkweigher from Pulsotronic and labelling system from ELS. Both lines have been running for several months now and achieve outputs of up to 80 trays per minute.
It is Agarica’s objective to use its artisanship in growing high-quality mushrooms to make consumers enjoy the delicious taste of this healthy product. The same desire for quality was found in the supplier of the packaging equipment. Arnaud Lenten concludes: "The SEALPAC A5 traysealers provide performance and flexibility. Due to their unique tooling quick exchange system, we are able to package different products in various tray sizes with minimum changeover times, making them the ideal solution for Agarica."
