A more contemporary packaging solution for tomato paste from Berry Superfos, which has replaced the traditional tin can format, is providing a host of benefits for Brazil’s popular Elefante brand, including effective product protection, user convenience, reduced product waste, and the ability to be reused for other purposes by consumers.

Elefante is produced by Cargill Brazil, said to be one of the largest food companies in Brazil. For decades, the tomato paste was sold in a metal can, but the packaging has now been transformed into a modern, sturdy and good-looking plastic pot of top quality, developed and produced by Berry Superfos.

“Cargill is a very well-established company. After all, our history goes back 150 years and the Elefante trademark for tomato paste is more than 75 years old; everybody in Brazil knows it,” explains Brayan Luque, Cargill Brazil’s marketing analyst, and product manager. “However, we wanted to add some zest to tradition and create something brand new. It was a daring move to swap the traditional can with a plastic pot. Fortunately, it proved to be a wise choice and is extremely successful.”

The Berry Superfos solution comprises a plastic barrier pot with a lid that is easy to open and close. The quality of the pot and lid means that the tomato paste stays fresh and delicious for longer when opened at the end user’s home.

Another advantage is the slightly oval shape of the pot which makes it effortless to empty with a spoon and means that no paste goes to waste. In addition, while the Elefante pot is made of PP (polypropylene), which is a widely recycled material, it is also suitable for repurposing at home. Even when finished, therefore, the pot is still of value to consumers, and on social media, people are enthusing about the fact that it is great for multiple uses at home, such as a food storage container.

“We are more than satisfied with the end-user response to our new packaging,” says Brayan Luque. “The idea was to update the look and feel of our beloved Elefante brand; it was not to increase sales, but in fact, this is precisely what has happened. Our sales are increasing every month.

“Cargill Brazil looked for technical expertise within thermoforming and innovative barrier protection,” he continues. “From a prior business relationship, we knew that Berry Superfos could offer just that and was a market leader in the field. This contact was decisive for the success of our packaging project.”

“The success of this project demonstrates how plastic remains a very relevant material for today’s packaging solutions, enabling brands to create a fresh, modern image while continuing to deliver important sustainability benefits such as product protection, reduced food waste, and repurposing,” comments Søren Rohleder, chief executive officer of Berry Superfos.

The hard work involved in rebranding and perfecting the packaging design has been officially rewarded. Recently, the pot was honored with a prize from a packaging trade magazine, EmbalagemMarca. Furthermore, it received another prize based on Brazilian consumer votes.

The Covid-19 pandemic led to the country-wide lockdown on 25 March 2020. It will be two years tomorrow as I write this. What have we learned in this time? Maybe the meaning of resilience since small companies like us have had to rely on our resources and the forbearance of our employees as we have struggled to produce our trade platforms.

The print and packaging industries have been fortunate, although the commercial printing industry is still to recover. We have learned more about the digital transformation that affects commercial printing and packaging. Ultimately digital will help print grow in a country where we are still far behind in our paper and print consumption and where digital is a leapfrog technology that will only increase the demand for print in the foreseeable future.

Web analytics show that we now have readership in North America and Europe amongst the 90 countries where our five platforms reach. Our traffic which more than doubled in 2020, has at times gone up by another 50% in 2021. And advertising which had fallen to pieces in 2020 and 2021, has started its return since January 2022.

As the economy approaches real growth with unevenness and shortages a given, we are looking forward to the PrintPack India exhibition in Greater Noida. We are again appointed to produce the Show Daily on all five days of the show from 26 to 30 May 2022.

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