Packaging & Product Development

When it comes to packaging and product development NZ Fresh Cuts (NZFC) are unarguably at the forefront of fresh cut innovations.

From long life packaging, new sprout varieties, and appetising stir fry mixes to new salad green combinations and innovative grab and go salads – NZFC have an impressive portfolio of first to market successes and have firmly established themselves as leaders in the New Zealand fresh cut industry.

In just the past two years NZFC has helped their marketing partners develop a number of new salad and stir fry combinations and several new sprout varieties including Baby Sweet Mung, Broccoli & Red Cabbage and Chunky Combo sprouts for the retail trade, and the stunningly vibrant Popcorn Shoots for the food service trade.

One of NZFC’s most notable recent product development successes is the innovative Salad Shakes ® they developed in partnership with Dashboard Diner Ltd. Along with gaining several international patents, Salad Shakes^® – Greek Taverna won two gold medals at the 2006 Massey University Food Awards and were noted by the judges as a likely category creator. The innovative grab and go salad impressed the judges with its café-quality taste and unique retro packaging and was awarded first prize in two categories, FMCG Meal Solutions and the Crop & Food Research Fruit & Vegetable Award.

Specifically developed to meet the growing demand for pre-prepared meals that could be easily eaten on the run, Salad Shakes^® enable busy consumers to magically mix a fresh gourmet salad, in only a matter of moments. The salad greens, sprinkles and condiments are packaged separately to ensure maximum freshness and flavour, dressings are waiting to be shaken through the salad from an open compartment at the bottom of the pack, and the innovative dressing dispenser has removed any risk of spilling the dressing. The novel, easy to hold packaging also contains a knife, fork and serviette - and has been especially designed to fit into the drink holder of a car.

During its development, the product formulation of Salad Shakes^® was carefully designed to ensure maximum shelf life, and lettuces were chosen based on the ethylene activity and respiration rate of each individual variety.

At NZFC a key focuses of all our product developments include locking in nutrients, maximising food and consumer safety, and delivering optimum freshness and taste. One of the major ways we achieve this is through the development of leading edge breathable packaging – which is custom designed utilising sophisticated computer modelling to match the respiration, ethylene sensitivity and expected outside storage temperature and humidity of the intended packaged produce. The resulting film structure manipulates the amount of O₂ and CO₂ contained within the packaging, and thus enables the produce to live longer by delaying the ripening process and reducing ethylene production.

In 1997 NZFC was instrumental in developing the first modified atmosphere packaging launched into the New Zealand market. The packaging helped Fraisbon Foods overcome the initial challenges they had with inconsistent refrigeration and small production runs when they first launched their Farmer Bills’ Baby Peeled Carrots into the marketplace, and helped them meet the long shelf life requirements requested by the supermarkets for both their baby carrot and bagged salad products.

In 2004 NZFC was the first company to use Opti~fresh as a lidding stock and, in doing so, improved the shelf life and presentation of the Sproutman Mesculin and Garden salads that one of our marketing partners had been successfully exporting to Hong Kong and Singapore for several years. Along with providing an extra few days’ shelf life, using Opti~fresh as a lidding stock enabled Sun Sprout to provide other valuable benefits such as ease of opening, tamper evidence, and significantly reduced browning reactions. Opti~fresh also enabled Sun Sprout to extend the shelf life of salads packed in quite a difficult tray format where you need high breathability due to the small surface area. The flat lid has also enhanced the company’s branding by providing space for a much larger label, and has improved stackability - both on the supermarket shelf and in the shipping container. Opti~fresh lidding stock is now a feature of NZFC’s latest innovation - the trendy Salad Shakes^® marketed by Dashboard Diner Ltd.

NZFC is committed to continue developing innovative products and packaging, is currently exploring the development of functional recyclable packaging.