Tags: Advanced Dynamics Eurokett

The growing popularity of herbs and spices for enhancing the flavour of food shows no sign of abating and has created a demand for convenient, flexible and innovative packaging.

Packaging of fresh herbs and spices has evolved in the footsteps of mainstream food and, while the focus is still on supplying produce that is as fresh as the day it was picked, while wrapped attractively, it must also be labelled accurately to meet more stringent European Union and UK regulations, which impact on all aspects of food production and supply.

As part of the packaging process, labels protect and inform the consumer by providing vital information, such as a product’s type and size, in addition to displaying the barcode for pricing, traceability details and other data, such as company name and geographic locations for branding purposes.

Positioning of labels is also crucial as pouches and sachets of herbs and spices are often perforated to allow the produce to breathe. Labels must not be applied over these apertures, as inaccurate labelling can contaminate the product and cause a bottleneck at the packing house with potential downtime which could compromise product freshness.

These challenges were addressed by English Country Herbs Ltd, a major supplier of fresh herbs to the foodservice sector. It opted for Advanced Dynamics’ Eurokett Junior 115 to label fresh herbs such as basil, mint, thyme and coriander at its site in Suffolk.

English Country Herbs required a flexible label applicator that could accommodate high volumes to keep production flowing. The Junior 115 is versatile and ideal for fresh herbs as it can be fully integrated or bespoke, is easy to use, can operate 24 hours a day and reliably label the full range of package configurations from the base to the top.

Eurokett top and base machine labelling systems can handle the vast majority of products from display packs with primary, point of sale labels to transit packs with traded unit barcode labels. Available with a variety of standard conveyor options, product handling can be tailored to suit specific labelling needs.

Designed to accommodate the demands of high volume, high quality production lines, the Eurokett labelling system is constructed to the highest standards and will provide reliable, accurate label application on a wide range of products. The system will apply both top and base labels in a single pass, with optional on-line coding for increased line efficiency.

English Country Herbs owner, Andrew Frewer, said:  “With the variety of herbs we supply to our customers, accuracy and speed of labelling was paramount for our demanding production levels – and the products had to be labelled from underneath. Advanced Dynamics supplied us with base labelling equipment perfect for the job and it does just what we need.”

The impressively high labelling speed of 80 packs a minute is enhanced by the use of micro-thin polyethylene labels that provide better adhesion and appearance on virtually any packaging surface when compared to the paper labels still used by some other providers.

Missing labels or damage caused by rough handling to fragile items such as herbs and spices can result in rejection by customers and loss of profit for the supplier. However, the Eurokett system is designed for delicate pack handling; its highly accurate labelling can eliminate these risks and provide a quick payback.

Eurokett applies front, back and wrap labels as well as handling a wide range of sachets, trays and cartons. It can undertake a variety of labelling functions, making it highly suitable for applications such as barcoding, applying additional product information and promotional flash labels.

This flexible and high-quality equipment is ideal for the food industry, labelling anything from bay leaves, parsley, cinnamon and delicate spices right up to fresh produce such as potatoes without bruising or scarring.

Advanced Dynamics is the sole UK distributor of the Eurokett Junior. The equipment has the capacity to safely label virtually any herbs, spices and fresh produce. It is a premium quality front and back labeller with the advantage of high speed, high accuracy and high quality engineering.

Background Information

Advanced Dynamics is a leading supplier of specialist feeding, labelling, wrapping, sheet counting and packaging solutions.

Its food equipment is capable of handling a wide range of produce from mushrooms, olives and herbs to soft fruit and potatoes. Advanced Dynamics can supply a single compact feeder or adaptable labelling machine, printing and wrapping or bagging functionality.

The company also has solutions for non-food including media products, magazines, greeting cards, stationery items, poster boards and many more.  Other product types such as medical items, toiletries, DIY parts, stationery, craft items, cosmetics and electronic parts etc. can also be catered for.

The sales team is able to assess food business’ needs and design a solution to improve product packaging standards, business productivity and efficiencies.  All packaging systems are robust and designed in modular concept to integrate with current and future business requirements.

As at 13 May 2011

More product details can be found at www.advanceddynamics.co.uk

For sales enquires, please contact:

Malcolm Little, or Mike Essler, Joint Managing Directors, Advanced Dynamics Ltd, Unit 3 606 Industrial Park, Staithgate Lane, Bradford, BD6 1YA , Telephone: 01274 731222 or Fax: 01274 308953 ; Email: malcolm@advanceddynamics.co.uk – Website: www.advanceddynamics.co.uk