The packaging and packaging of chocolate. What is the most important thing to keep in mind?

The packaging of chocolate is very important for several reasons that will be explained below. As a result of the global consumption of chocolate and the increase in demand that we have experienced over the last few years, along with the number of different varieties that exist in the current market, all the options regarding their packaging have improved and evolved a lot.

Essential factors that chocolate packaging must fulfill

In the first place, and what we want to highlight as more relevant, is the neutrality in terms of taste and smell. From Filtext we defend that if the risk of the chocolate seeing its organoleptic properties due to the packaging material is not eliminated, everything else is not important.

On the other hand, the protection of the food throughout the supply chain is another of its main functions, which will also ensure that the chocolate arrives in perfect condition to the final consumer.

Finally, chocolate packaging has to provide consumers with all the nutritional information and all the data of interest stipulated by current legislation.

Issues concerning the brand that produces it

The packaging of chocolate is also crucial for branding and the overall brand image. From Filtext we recommend that you seek to capture the attention of the consumer, since the competition on the shelves of supermarkets is very high. It must be ensured that removing the packaging does not involve many difficulties and is easy to open. It must be ensured that removing the packaging does not involve many difficulties and is easy to open.

On the other hand, it has to support the image and graphics of the company that produces it, since that is what will differentiate it from the rest of the options at first sight. For any advice or clarification, you just have to contact our customer service department and we will be happy to assist you.

What exactly is Brexit?

When we talk about Brexit we are referring to the departure of Great Britain from the European Union. In June 2016, the British people decided that England would stop being part of the European Union by holding a referendum, where more than 70% of the English voted. The result was very tight; won the yes with 51.9% of the votes, against 48.1% of the no.

This event has been almost three years and there is still no agreement to materialize his departure; fact that is causing a lot of uncertainty both within the European Union and in many sectors of international trade.

How will this affect Spanish exports from the industrial sector?

First, if the Brexit materializes, from an economic and commercial point of view, England will become what is called a “third country” in international trade.

That means that, to export products to the British Isles, all the necessary paperwork and bureaucratic procedures that any company must do will become quite complicated. For us to understand, will represent the same in terms of procedures, send products to England, to do, for example, a country like China, which will complicate the export capacity of many small and medium enterprises in our country that are not used to perform all this type of management.

Increase in export costs

On the other hand, export costs will rise significantly due to tariffs. As a result, it is very likely that freight services will increase their prices quite a lot. Carrying the increase in the final price of products in England and, therefore, a decrease in consumption by the British public.

No one knows what will happen to a certain science …

The truth is that no one knows exactly what will happen in Brexit, nor what will be its real impact on British society or the European economy. From Filtext we can only assure you that the uncertainty that you plan in all of Europe is already beginning to affect international trade operations between Great Britain and the rest of European countries.

What should you keep in mind to improve your packaging processes?

The objective of this post is to highlight a series of measures that you must put in value to improve the industrial packaging processes of your company.

With the boom of e-commerce and online stores, the world of “Packaging” increasingly has a leading role in the current market. From Filtext we want to give you some practical tips that can help you a lot to go in the right direction.

First of all, improve the experience that your customers experience when they open a package of yours. Make your packaging as easy to open as possible. It is very advisable to use closures such as adhesive strips or slot closures, for its simplicity. Use methods as effective and functional as possible.

On the other hand, you should focus on the returns system. This must be simple, fast and very efficient. There are studies that show that more than 90% of users decide to buy back in the same place, if their refund system is effective. Do not miss the opportunity to do it well, your customers will surely thank you.

Two systems of returns that work very well are, both the system of boxes of round trip, as the one of bags.

Take into account the environmental impact at all times

In many areas of the industry the use of ecological packaging is growing. It is a growing field of research and there are all kinds of ecological materials specific to the packaging and packaging of products.

As for the costs, there are some materials that are even cheaper and that can benefit you. We believe that it is a good time to start betting on the conservation and protection of the environment with this type of material.

Optimizes the distribution and transport process

The distribution process is usually where the costs of a company are higher. Try to calculate the measurements of each package and container that you use to the millimeter, to avoid surprises and space problems in the trucks. Reduce to the maximum; both the weight and the volume of your shipments. In many cases, a good option is to opt for using boxes of variable height.

Customize your shipments with messages or corporate information

Many call it the WOW effect. A decision that, over time, are starting to take some companies is to customize their shipping packages with material or corporate information. Be clear that the packaging is the first thing your customers see when they receive the package. It is the first opportunity you have to surprise them, do not waste it and capture the image of your brand.

What do we mean when we talk about quality control?

Quality control is essential in any industrial production chain. It is a set of actions and measures that you must perform on your products, before they go on the market, which will serve to detect possible failures or errors during production. In particular, you must ensure that these products meet the minimum quality standards required by law.

Based on the results and analyzing them, you can also identify aspects to improve or improve. It is a basic tool to increase the quality offered of each of the products that your company launches into the market.

Product inspection is the basis of quality control

On-site product inspections are very important in the quality control process. Check the status of the products before shipping, can avoid many problems in later stages, such as distribution.

It is important to comply with all the quality requirements of each market and the only way to do it is through these controls.

It takes into account aspects such as function, performance, general appearance or dimensions. For all non-food products, the statistical sampling procedure is usually used; that guarantees that these products are a representative sample of those that will be released to the market in later stages

Why perform quality control?

In the first place, it guarantees the quality of the products during the course of all the phases of the production chain. It is key to ensure maximum quality from the beginning of the process and, therefore, is also a guarantee never to pay for defective products. Finally, you will also avoid withdrawals from the market and possible sanctions or damages that directly affect the reputation of your brand.

In Filtext we believe that it is a step that must be done, and as we do it better, fewer problems will arise. We take care of all the quality controls that your products or food must pass. To trust in us is to bet by authentic professionals of the world of industrial packaging. Get in touch with us without any commitment!

Plastic packaging. What uses do you have today?

Plastic packaging is one of the most widespread options and used by most companies when it comes time to package their products. It has many advantages, and its commercial success is undoubted. It has qualities that make it perfect for packaging or packaging within the current industrial production chains.

It is a stable, light, strong and very easy to sterilize material. On the other hand, we also find in it “barrier properties”, which are those that protect products and foods from moisture or contact with gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide. They are essential to ensure their conservation. Its uses are many and varied. It is used for both commercial and consumer products, as well as medical and industrial products.

Advantages of plastic packaging compared to other systems

Nowadays, more than half of the products that are packed in Europe are with this material. On the contrary, this usually does not constitute more than 20% of the total weight of the product. In the industry, a light packaging material decreases the weight of the load and, therefore, the costs for its distribution are also reduced.

In terms of food, the plastic packaging, thanks to its barrier properties, ensures that these retain their flavor and nutritional properties. Preserves perishable foods under optimal conditions and helps reduce the amount of preservatives or additives used for it.

Plastic containers have evolved in conjunction with the current demands of society and the market. Currently, all products require clear and visible labeling. The plastic allows this and even the integration of printable RFID chips or “radio frequency identification”, where you can enter all the information you need without problems.

Lastly, it is worth mentioning that it is hygienic and protects from pollutants more than the others materials intended for packaging. If airtight seals are used, a very high degree of protection can be achieved. Besides, if the plastic is transparent, it allows us to see the product without touching it.

If you need more information about this type of packaging or packaging, you just have to contact us and we will study your case to offer you the solution that best suits your needs.

What are consumer products?

Consumer products are all those that refer to the goods and services that a person buys or contracts for personal consumption and use.

How do we classify consumer products?

The most widespread and well-known classification distinguishes products into four different families:

• Convenience products: are those that people buy frequently, in their daily lives, to consume them immediately or in a short space of time. Examples: food, personal hygiene products…

• Specialized products : are all those products that enjoy some unique brand particularity, and that we buy with less frequency than the previous ones. Example: products of a specific brand, specific chemical products…

• Purchasing products: are all those products that we buy in a more spaced way in time, because they represent a greater effort and have a fairly high price or value. Examples: cars, summer or winter clothes, household appliances…

• Not-searched products: these refer to all those items that people do not intend to buy regularly. Examples: insurance, digital services, computer software…

What are mass consumer products?

They are simply all those products with very intense production rhythms and with a very high demand from consumers. These involve efficient, fast and very efficient production processes.

As sales are so large, companies are forced to offer consumers all kinds of offers and alternatives to try to sell more than the competition.

With this post we wanted to show the basic differences between products, as well as make a small analysis on all the possibilities offered by the industry and the current market.

The aim of this post is to show and outline the guidelines that wine producers should follow when choosing their packaging system. They must take into account aspects such as: content, protection, conservation or the information that the label must bear.

The primary packaging material: glass

The containers made with this material enjoy a series of characteristics that make them perfect for wine preservation. They ensure their isolation in terms of impermeability or neutrality of the content. They also guarantee aspects such as the durability or sterilization of the product. This makes it the best option for packaging wines and beverages in general. It is also recyclable.

Types of stoppers and corks

In the first place, we have the so-called “technical” stopper, made up of cork and plastic granules.

Secondly, we have the synthetic stopper. It doesn’t let germs proliferate, it’s more hygienic, and it doesn’t generate dust. It can be made in different colours and allows the bottles to be stored horizontally without any fear.

Secondary Packaging

The secondary packaging is responsible for safeguarding the product during transport, distribution and storage. If we are only talking about wines, the type of packaging we use will depend, in most cases, on the primary packaging we have used. It is not the same if it is made of glass or cardboard.

If bottled wine must be protected, the most common option for secondary packaging is found in the American cardboard boxes, also called B-1. The cardboard used to make these boxes has been subjected to various tests carried out by bodies such as, for example, the Instituto Tecnológico del Embalaje, Transporte y Logística.

One of the most important tests is that of resistance to vertical compression (BTC), a factor that assures its stacking capacity and resistance.

With this post we intend to emphasize all practical and functional aspects regarding the packaging and packaging of a product such as wine. We hope we have helped you, for more information please contact us and we will advise you without any commitment.

On what is the nutritional labeling based?

When we talk about nutritional labeling, we are looking at all that information regarding the energy value and the nutrients that carry the food: saturated fats, sugars, carbohydrates, proteins, mineral salts …

From December 13, 2016 it is mandatory to include all this information in fortified foods, or in which a nutritional declaration is made, according to the regulation on food information provided to the consumer.

What should nutrition labeling include?

Nutrition labeling should always be structured as follows:

The nutritional labeling can still be a little more exhaustive, incorporating data such as: monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, polyalcohols, starch, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Other information you should know

The table of nutritional information is given by law. It can not be complemented with any other nutritional information or extra information that does not appear in the specific regulation.

Nutrition labeling should always be within the consumer’s visual field. It is necessary to use a data table with the order shown above. Only if the size of the product is very small, it is allowed to put it in text format.

If the level of nutrients is very low, it is allowed to express it in the following way: “it contains minimum quantities of …”.

What foods are spared from putting nutrition labeling?

• All those products and foods cured, or that have not been subjected to transformation processes, and that are composed of a single ingredient.
• Alcoholic beverages that exceed 1.2%.
• All packaged foods in which the largest surface of the package is less than 25 cm ².
• Water, salt, spices, teas or vinegars.
• Unpackaged food.

So far, our brief explanation on nutrition labeling and its characteristics. For more information, you can go to our offices or request information on this website.

Know a little more about FILTEXT!

The term Outsourcing refers to all those services that a company decides to outsource or subcontract to improve its productivity. Over time, it has become a very common practice within the industrial sector and more and more companies opt for this option.

But what are the real benefits of outsourcing?

Why should you think about whether or not to choose Outsourcing?

• It’s a way to save and reduce costs

First of all, we are dealing with a working model that will allow you to reduce costs in different areas, always according to your needs.

• Allows you to focus on your company’s main area of interest

The Outsourcing allows you to focus your business model on the areas that interest you most and outsource the other services.

• Contract it only when you need it

Other of the advantages of Outsourcing is that it allows you to cover specific work peaks.  That will make you gain a lot of efficiency and will be very useful to improve your business forecasts.

• Availability of specialized personnel

With Outsourcing you will have a team of industry specialists that you need. This will become an important factor for your company, as it will improve productivity in all your business operations.

What should you take into account when you decide to outsource?

Outsourcing Outsourcing can become the ideal solution for areas of your company that you cannot manage optimally.  We are talking about services such as quality control, distribution, cleaning, human resources…

Betting on this alternative has considerably increased the competitiveness, productivity, efficiency or speed of many companies in our country and has proved to be a very valid working model.

We live in a global and constantly evolving society, where one of the main objectives of most companies is based on the search for new effective and efficient working methods. At Filtext we believe that outsourcing is a step in the right direction and an optimal solution to solve all your problems.

What is a worker cooperative and how does it work?

The functioning and business model of an associated work cooperative is different from the other models that exist in the market. It is a business company with some differences from conventional companies, such as limited or autonomous companies. In cooperatives, all members have and enjoy the same rights and obligations.

Firstly, they must have statutes which specify a series of specific data:

 

• Name
• Society model
• Social Address
• Expected duration
• Reason why this cooperative was created

What are the obligations of each of the members of the worker cooperative?

For the good functioning of a worker cooperative, the first thing to be done is to register the society in the Register of Cooperative Societies of the Ministry of Employment within a period of no more than sixty days from the time it is constituted.

A chairman and a secretary must be appointed to act in accordance with the statutes agreed a priori. All this is decided by means of a constituent assembly, in which all the members of the cooperative must participate. Secondly, it is important to establish the bases for the creation of internal rules that define and mark the guidelines for its proper functioning.

This makes an important difference between co-operatives and other business models. While in conventional companies decisions are taken by the boards of directors, in cooperatives it is all the members in assembly who are in charge of taking them.

How do worker cooperatives work?

As mentioned above, a principle of equality and equity is established among all members of the cooperative in terms of decision-making, sharing of responsibilities and economic benefits. It functions democratically and as an assembly, and the steps to be taken must be taken together in the assemblies. It is a business model that is much more transparent, ethical, and takes a certain distance from traditional business models.