More quality – more safety

When it comes to foodstuffs freshness is the top priority. For around one year the Swiss company, Ernst Kneuss Geflügel AG, has been using system labels with a Time Temperature Indicator (TTI) – proof for consumers that the cold chain for the product they have purchased has not been broken from its manufacture all the way to the refrigerator at home.

“The OnVu label provides our customers and their consumers with the necessary transparency and builds even greater trust”, says a delighted Daniel Kneuss, Managing Director at Kneuss Güggeli. The company is the first supplier of fresh products in Central Europe to place its faith in the OnVu label produced by technology manufacturer Bizerba and the Swiss Ciba Group. Up to now everything has been very positive: “The consumers were and are very interested and are looking for a keen exchange on this label”, Kneuss went on to say.

Transparency promise

Previously the consumers depended solely on the best-before date on the packaging, which of course cannot provide any information about whether the cold chain was maintained throughout. The packaging of fresh products such as meat, fish, dairy produce, vegetables or ready-meals using a protective vacuum or modified atmosphere is designed to guarantee the consumer years of fresh and absolutely perfect-quality food purchases, which can be stored over a clearly defined period. If the packaging is however no longer perfectly intact or airtight, or the cool chain has been interrupted for too long, the best-before date loses its validity.

This is where the TTI labels promise greater transparency. According to manufacturer Bizerba, they feature a special printing ink. This substance is not toxic and approved for direct foodstuff contact. It is affixed to every retail packaging as an additional label. Depending on how heavily the ink has been discoloured on the label, we can recognize whether the product is still completely fit, satisfactory or no longer suitable at all for human consumption. The customer can read the ink saturation level using a reference symbol and thus already recognize the condition of the product at the PoS at a glance.

This is designed to particularly increase the customers’ trust in the foodstuff manufacturers. But even prior to this the label is already helpful. It does, after all, enable the selection and removal of perished foodstuffs even before they are received by the supplier. This can save costs and trouble. According to Bizerba, a fitted filter prevents the label from being accidentally recharged by UV radiation. This in turn also prevents any further misuse.

Freshness guarantee

A study conducted by the Bonn “Pro Frische” Forum (Pro Freshness) confirmed that customers were also ready to pay more for extra quality and freshness assurance. “In this connection the respondents often stated that it was difficult to assess the freshness of many foodstuffs and that a freshness indicator could be extremely helpful.” This was the conclusion reached by the results of an investigation conducted by Professor Rainer Stamminger at Bonn University. According to Ciba, the costs are around the single-figure Cent mark and pay off in terms of results: “Experience has shown that OnVu has already significantly increased customer satisfaction and is paying off for the producer and retailer”, said Martin Angehrn, OnVu Sales and Marketing Manager at Ciba.

Consumers’ wish

Today’s consumers do not solely expect fresh and healthy foodstuffs, they also require precise information about the ingredients, additives, nutritional values, origin and shelf life. Scientists and researchers have for a long time been working on new solutions aimed at prolonging the shelf life of foodstuffs thus making them safer for the consumer. In this connection, packaging manufacturers have for years been searching for innovative protective films which provide foodstuffs with secure protection and keep them fresh longer. Nutrition scientists and chemists have been researching new additives for extending the freshness of perishable goods. Even the illumination concepts are being constantly revised in order to reduce the surface warmth of foodstuffs thus prolonging their shelf life. A further stage in the search for the solution to satisfy the requirements of the consumers, is the HACCP concept (Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points) introduced in 2006. It is designed to analyze possible risks and dangers at all levels of foodstuff production – from production to treatment, processing and distribution up to consumption. For years universities worldwide have been looking for an ideal solution for TTI technology. At Bizerba they have set themselves the target of applying sophisticated and refined technology to all previous systems which still display the most varied deficiencies. In March 2008 the company’s system label was the prize-winner in the “Packaging design and function” category within the framework of the 2008 Packaging Award, which is held each year by the iF (International Design Forum).