Weidenhammer Plastic Packaging’s PermaSafe packaging has provided an alternative to the traditional metal can for the launch in Germany of sausage and meat specialist Metten Fleischwaren’s new Leckere Landwürtschen country sausages range.
The plastic PermaSafe container is the same size as a conventional metal can, so a commercially available metal lid can be placed on top.
“Weidenhammer adapted the container’s size and closure to our requirements,” explains Metten marketing manager Tobias Metten. This significantly lowers changeover costs and enables the meat and sausage company to continue using its existing production machinery.
Metten is targeting new customer segments with the classic sausage product, and one of the key advantages of PermaSafe packaging at the point of sale is that the transparent window in the cup lets the consumer see the product inside.
The plastic container is covered with an easy-to-remove peel-off film to protect the product contents with an oxygen-tight seal. A snap-on lid ensures that the packaging can be easily opened and reclosed after the first use.
This allows the consumer to remove the sausages separately and eat them one at a time, but since the PermaSafe package can be easily heated in a microwave oven, the ‘Delicious Country Sausages’ can by enjoyed hot or cold.
The In-Mould Labelling (IML) design employed gives the product a fresh and modern look, adds Metten: “The transparency, premium appearance and shape of the package were important factors in the optimal positioning and marketing of our product at the point-of-sale,” he says.
Virtually impermeable to oxygen and water vapour, the PermaSafe packaging also ensures the sausages stay fresh for up to six months without refrigeration, guaranteeing energy-free storage of the product and optimising product marketing.
With 12 production sites, over 1,000 employees and annual sales of €230 million in 2011, the Weidenhammer Packaging Group is one of the world’s two leading suppliers of composite cans, composite drums and rigid plastic containers.
Metten's new Leckere 'Country Sausages' are presented in Weidenhammer's plastic PermaSafe containers
