Orkla Foods, part of the wider Nordic Orkla Group, is a market leader in ketchup, sauces, and dressings, selling branded products in Central Europe, Baltics and Nordics. The group’s main ketchup facility in Fågelmara, in the southeast of Sweden, produces thirty million ketchup bottles a year with twenty different recipes.
Within the sauces and dressings category, consumer demand has increased for healthier ketchup with less sugar, salt, preservatives and made using responsibly sourced ingredients. Similarly, there is a need for convenient and appealing primary packaging to deliver a great consumer experience while also differentiating brands. Additionally, as consumers are increasingly concerned by environmental issues, recyclable packaging is also essential for delivering sales and ultimately, gaining market share.
With the ambition to meet these market goals, Orkla worked with Sidel to adapt its current production model to increase its production capacity and cost efficiency while reducing its environmental impact.
It’s all in the bottle
To meet consumer requirements, Orkla redesigned its packaging range from cylindrical PP (polypropylene) bottles to modern flat rectangular PET designs. The new easy-to-use ‘squeezable’ shapes allow users to completely empty the bottle and ensure no unnecessary food wastage.
Additionally, the new PET bottles are up to thirty percent lighter than the previous PP design. Orkla has also increased its sustainability credentials as bottles are composed of at least 25 percent of rPET (recycled PET) while the ketchup manufacturer is aiming to utilise fifty percent in future.
Previously, bottles were blown externally and shipped from a UK supplier, but now preforms are sourced locally in Sweden resulting in a ninety percent reduction in CO2 emissions caused by transportation. The new shaped bottles are now blown in-house for a greater control of bottle quality and stock management. Orkla uses Sidel’s preferential heating technology which optimises PET distribution while allowing the asymmetrical stretching needed to blow flat and shaped containers.
“Switching to a more modern and sustainable PET bottle to revitalise our ketchup brands has been positively received by consumers, resulting in an increase in sales and market shares,” said Per Samuelsson, Project and Process Developer of Orkla Foods’ Fågelmara Plant. “Reducing our sourcing costs has also benefitted our profitability.”
A switch to ultra-clean ambient filling Combi
Orkla wished to remove additives from its product lines to answer the desire for healthier products.
“When we considered changing our recipe and filling temperature, we were concerned that this would change the product taste and quality which our customers have come to love and expect from Orkla. By working with Sidel, we were able to ensure that we kept our original taste profile while delivering a product that was healthier and more eco-friendly,” added Per Samuelsson.
