Strawberry punnets updated with heat-sealed packaging

BerryWorld Australia’s new heat-sealed packaging aims to reinvent strawberry marketing by modernising traditional strawberry punnets. Rather than using labelled lids, the pre-printed, 100% recyclable PET (polyethylene) film provides shoppers with a more aesthetically pleasing and efficient alternative.

“If we’re launching a premium brand, we want as many points of difference as possible, from packaging and presentation, through to berry taste and appearance,” said BerryWorld Australia Managing Director Gavin Scurr.

The raw packaging materials are imported from China and manufactured to specification by Multisteps Industries. BerryWorld strawberries are grown at Piñata Farms, and a customised production line has been installed at the Wamuran packhouse to pack the strawberries.

Using a square punnet that displays the fruit in a single layer, this packaging has a barcode at the bottom for easy scanning. BerryWorld Australia has also given customers more choice by producing a mid-range punnet of 350 g as opposed to the usual 250 g, 450 g or 1 kg punnets.

“Globally, it’s already a size that is instantly associated with strawberries. We’re confident Australian consumers will appreciate it as a convenient, family friendly size.”

The heat-sealed film is perforated with eight air vents and BerryWorld Australia has negotiated with Woolworths to have the strawberries stored in the fridge area of the supermarket, away from the other strawberries that are located in the lounge. As a result, this both maintains freshness and shelf life and distinguishes their brand as unique.

Scurr highlights further benefits of heat-sealed packaging, such as increasing production efficiencies, cost efficiencies and saving energy. The film is faster to apply and it prevents contamination or tampering from outside sources.

“Heat sealing utilises approximately 30% less packaging materials than a punnet with a lid.

“Heat sealing has also been shown to perform slightly better in maintaining fruit weight up to purchase. With strawberries, there’s always a slight margin of weight loss after packing. To achieve the 350 g weight by the time of purchase, we allow for loss by slightly overpacking, typically by about 20 g per punnet.”

However, a disadvantage of using heat-sealed packaging is the inability to reseal it. Scurr has suggested that BerryWorld Australia would take this into consideration in the future.