Berry Solution Saves Plastic Usage and Extends Shelf Life

Customised CombiLight^™ pot helps Valio achieve its sustainability goals

A bespoke packaging solution from Berry Global is helping Finnish dairy pioneer Valio to meet its commitment to reduce plastic usage by 15% in its single-use, single-serve packaging by 2026.

As part of this, Valio's popular range of PROfeel^® protein puddings are being switched to a custom-designed version of Berry's CombiLight^™ pot.

The CombiLight is a hybrid packaging solution made from a plastic skeleton and carton sleeve, which are melted together to create a strong structure. Valio had already switched its quark products to the CombiLight, but for the puddings the conversion required the development of a new coating with enhanced barrier properties to ensure optimal shelf life, as Valio's Head of Packaging Development Juhana Pilkama explains:

"While quark is an acidic product, pudding is neutral. This meant that the standard coating in the CombiLight cup was not suitable. Therefore, we started a project with Berry to develop a new enhanced barrier coating to ensure optimal shelf life. Now, we are ready to launch the pudding in the new pot with an impressive 120-day shelf life."

The new barrier solution was achieved by Berry working in collaboration with Stora Enso, a leader in barrier technology. As well as helping to reduce food waste, this extended shelf life will also provide better export opportunities for Valio.

The company will launch the high-protein PROfeel puddings, offered in flavours including chocolate, caramel, and vanilla-meringue, in the new packaging this December. There is a booming market for high-protein desserts, and with the new pot, Valio is ready to take on even more markets while honouring a voluntary Green Deal, signed in 2023 with the Finnish government, to reduce plastic usage in packaging.

"Our commitment to reducing plastic is reflected in the increasing use of paperboard cups for Valio's snack products," said Juhana Pilkama. "This change will also enhance consumer convenience, as consumers will no longer need to separate materials; for example, with the puddings, they can simply dispose of the entire packaging into carton recycling streams along with milk cartons."

In addition, the new pot features improved print quality, including a printable bottom surface for all the mandatory product information. This allows a clean, polished look on the sides of the pot, which creates better branding opportunities for Valio.

This latest successful packaging innovation demonstrates the longstanding collaboration between Valio and Berry, and the strength of the partnership between the two businesses.

"Working with Berry is a pleasure," said Juhana Pilkama. "Their team is not only willing to try new things, but they are also highly reliable and open in their approach. We have regular meetings to align on projects and share ideas, and that has been crucial in developing the enhanced CombiLight pot. We could not be more satisfied with the result."

As Valio continues to explore ways to reduce plastic usage and promote circular economy principles, the success of the CombiLight packaging marks a significant step forward. Juhana Pilkama concludes:

"The new packaging solution for our pudding range supports our commitment to minimising climate impact, reducing food waste, and maintaining high product quality. We are already looking into further virgin plastic reductions by incorporating fibres and recycled materials into future designs."

Find out more about Berry's range of sustainable food packaging solutions here.