By Sarah Morgan
Baked, not fried. Organic, not processed. Chilled, not frozen. Sound healthy?
These macro food trends, combined with a growing global appetite for sustainability, are part of the successful brand story behind Kiwi packaging company Chilltainers.
The thermal packaging literally ticks all boxes, doing away with non-recyclable polystyrene and replacing it with a planet-saving packaging solution that also doesn’t cost the Earth.
More New Zealand companies are opting for chilled foods and items, as opposed to frozen, says Chilltainers Director Hamish McGregor.
“People not only care about how food has been grown, caught or killed, they want to know how it’s transported, and about what happens to the packaging afterwards,” says McGregor.
Ticking all the boxes
Chilltainers boxes are 95-97 per cent recyclable in standard paper recycling, reducing the cost of disposal. And being made from 97 per cent sustainable paper, they’re also carbon neutral, meaning no carbon taxes.
The 150 Kiwi businesses that have cottoned onto Chilltainers also reap the benefits of substantial cost savings, enjoying lower freight and handling costs from a more direct transit journey between producer and retailer, with no repacking required. And their customers love the look and convenience.
Customers include fresh food meal delivery companies like My Food Bag and Woop, as well as meat and cheese retailers and exporters of fresh fish, oysters, mussels and clams (think the premium look of king salmon brand, Ora King). Health foods, cosmetics and pharmaceutical brands are also getting on board.
Kiwi ingenuity on the global stage
McGregor says the technology behind Chilltainers is exportable in its own right. “The patented design and technology concept can be manufactured anywhere in the world.”
And wherever it’s manufactured the packaging will sport a silver FernMark. The mark is an internationally recognised sign for quality and credibility, he says.
“Much like we export our farming practices or film production, the design and brains behind Chilltainers are Kiwi-owned. New Zealand’s niche is in the quality of our products; we don’t necessarily have the most products in the world, and we don’t want to, but what we do sell is quality.”
And all the best proudly fly the fern, eh?
Flying the Fern
Chilltainers is one of more than 80 New Zealand businesses that have the FernMark as a symbol for an authentic New Zealand product. The FernMark Licence programme is the Government’s official ‘country of origin’ accreditation programme, designed to protect and promote New Zealand products to the world.
To find out how your business can benefit from the FernMark Licence Programme contact Sarah Morgan today sarah.morgan@nzstory.govt.nz 09 354 9204