Detpak takes innovation on the road

Australian company Detpak, a member of the Detmold Packaging Group, one of the largest manufacturers of paper and board based packaging products for the foodservice industry has showcased its latest innovations to customers in the Philippines.

Manila was the third stop in Detpak’s very first international innovation roadshow where the company introduces its services and products to local customers. The company’s first and second product launches were held in Dubai and Singapore. According to Marisa Jones, group brand manager, the roadshow is an effective way for the company to meet its customers directly, and learn about feedback from end-consumers.

Above and beyond expectations with Launch Pad

At the session, Ms. Jones spoke about Launch Pad, the company’s new R&D division that has been set up to assist customers in turning their packaging ideas into reality. The Launch Pad team can come up with packaging options to suit a variety of briefs including creating new packaging for an existing product to differentiate a company or a food product. They can also help customers in rationalizing their packaging to make this more operationally efficient or for the company to meet environmental targets.

The team will work with the customers and based on discussions, will prepare a prototype for testing in as quickly as just one day.  

Takeaway boxes

The on the go packaging trendsetter

Detpak’s roadshow is taking Launch Pad’s best ideas from the last year to customers around the world. Over the last four months, the team has introduced around 11 new packaging products, said Ms. Jones. At the product launch, Ms. Jones introduced these items, many of which improve the user-convenience of packaging for on-the-go foods.

Stack-Pak, originally designed for McDonald’s Hong Kong, has a new way to separate food portions, in three different sizes but with a lid that fits all sizes. The top has a plastic tray with a plastic lid. This is a convenient way to pack rice meals, with the rice stored separately at the bottom and the protein in the top tray portion. The packaging can be used for salad and salad dressings, and the top tray section can be refrigerated because the top part is sealed. The design allows for personalization as the consumer can add toppings from the top tray section to the rice or salad leaves in the bottom. Personalization is a trend which is happening in every part of the market, said Ms. Jones.  

In addition to the Stack-Pak, The Mighty Drink Tray was being introduced at the launch. It is strong and arrives flat, and can be easily constructed by just pushing a perforated portion in the base to unfold it. It can hold all sizes of cups up to a maximum of 22oz.

The Good 2 Go Bag is a bag with two pockets for two kinds of food products like chips and a burger, or maybe a sweet and a savory item. The top pocket can also be folded down to keep one side warm.

The Bikini Clam is one piece of packaging that has two uses. On the corners of the packaging are clips that allow the packaging to be used as a tray or as a lid. Made from a strong board, it can be used for dry and fried foods. For wet foods a poly lining can be added.

The Boss cup

Operation efficiency is king

Another product, the Combo Cup for hot drinks is a ‘one lid fits all’ solution for hot cups. This saves staff time in food service because they only grab one lid for any size drink. The design is also cost efficient in the supply chain because the customer can order just one lid instead of two.

Brown wraps feature a heavy layer of wax on one side, so these are convenient for greasy foods like burgers. The color goes well with environmental packaging trends and adds a rustic look. Use of wraps also offers a way to reduce storage space as wraps only use 7% of the storage space of a burger clam.

Ms. Jones also presented a variety of other hot cup innovations. For example the Boss Cup for hot drinks has an embossed panel on the outside, which is also customizable; where their classic range, The Ripple-Wrap™ cups are another good option for heat insulation.

The Cake range of packaging is ideal for protecting cakes to ensure the cakes do not get damaged during transport back to the office or home. There are different board strengths available.

The Napkin range is designed to reduce cost as the texture of the napkin is sturdy, giving consumers no reason to get more than what they need. With this napkin and the dispenser that comes with it, Detpak approximates savings of 30% in use.

Finally, a new hot lid innovation named the Smooth Lid, a sleek new design with improved safety features such as an audible snap and a tight grip onto the cup to make sure the lid won’t come off.

One-roof operation in Taguig

The company has factories and sales offices across various regions including Australia and New Zealand, the Middle East, Europe, as well as in South Africa and the United States. Recently, they have also announced they are in the process of opening a compound with plant, warehouse and offices in Taguig City, Metro Manila in Q2 2016.