Improved logistics, longer shelf life and user friendliness have lead Danish seafood company Bornholms (Roedovre; www.bornholms.dk) to transition most of its packaging from tin to plastic boxes. For more than 100 years, the well-known Scandinavian seafood supplier traditionally provided cod roe, mussels and fish balls in tin cans to its consumers. Partnering with Danish packaging specialists, RPC Superfos (Taastrup; www.superfos.com), Bornholms realised it was undertaking a change that would impact its image.

The new packaging solutions are currently available in Danish supermarkets and what Danish shoppers are now finding on the shelves, is a series of four types of packaging for the assorted seafood products from Bornholms. RPC Superfos created the packaging especially for the company using a new oxygen barrier solution. Under ambient temperatures, the products have a shelf life of two years. The goal of both Danish companies is to extend the shelf life to three years, which would be an attractive benefit to Bornholms as its exports to overseas markets involve rather time-consuming transport by ship and occasionally lengthy clearance at customs.

Christian Sieverts, managing director at Bornholms, explained how the company has been able to increase the filling speed, reduce packaging costs and optimise its logistics with the new packaging options. "According to our estimates, we will save more than 200,000 kms every year, partly due to the location of the RPC Superfos distribution centre, but also closely linked to the shape of the packaging, which allows for improved stacking in the delivery vehicles." He also noted that they are seeing more free space in their warehouses – up to a 30% savings – due to the new plastic containers.

Bornholms has already launched the new plastic packaging to the catering segment and it reports that the feedback has been clearly positive; it reduces routines in professional kitchens and is much easier to open and reseal, all benefits when the clock is running in the highly pressured world of commercial catering. Indeed, the same trend can be seen with consumers who want packaging that is easy to handle for continued use and safe around children.