Nonna

Nonna, a prominent Belgian food manufacturer and packer, needed a new packaging solution for a large range of pre-prepared salads to supply an international retailer. To meet functionality and sustainability requirements, Sabert developed a bespoke 950ml multi-food pot.

Samples were developed for the Nonna team to use in extensive laboratory testing, alongside trials of various recipes to ensure compatibility with the packaging. Sabert also offered insights on technical performance of the pack material and proposed a construction with characteristics tailored to the retail environment. Key to this was lead time reduction and agility to meet market demands; Sabert’s UK manufacturing base was critical to achieving this.

The Nonna team aimed to extend product shelf-life to ensure freshness through distribution to retail stores in Belgium. To do this, several teams worked together to deliver a successful film seal to display and maximise visibility of vibrant dishes within. To complete the specification, the pots had an optimised coating to the interior to provide grease resistance for salad ingredients and dressings.

Aligned with Nonna’s sustainability goals, the pots (not including film sealing) contained only 6% plastic which is well within the European recycling thresholds. They were also made from FSC^® certified paperboard, confirming sustainable sourcing through the customer’s supply chain.

“FSC Forest Management certification, offered by Colpac products, is a key purchasing decision factor for gaining listings into retail as it testifies responsible sourcing. This is important to us and our customers who are concerned about their environmental and social impacts.”
Philippe Bodart, CEO at Nonna

Design impact was achieved by offsetting the salad contents against a white board, which elevated the presentation of salads for the consumer. A minimalist but elegant design featuring the Nonna logo was applied by Sabert’s in-house graphics team, before being printed and formed in Sabert’s factory in the UK.

The collaboration between Sabert and Nonna was characterised by consistent communication. As part of an on-going partnership built on expertise in packaging solutions and a shared vision, the product was successfully launched. Following the release into retail stores in Belgium, the teams are working together to expand the supply of the salad range to additional regions.