Case Histories
Danish Seafarmer Snaptun Increases Productivity and Product Shelf Life by Adopting Cryovac Vacuum Shrink Bags
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After switching from standard packaging to vacuum shrink bags from Cryovac, a Danish salmon producer achieved favourable results and increased sales thanks to longer shelf life, greater pack security, improved packaging speed and enhanced productivity and flexibility.
Snaptun Frysehus A/S specialises in sea farming, butchering and packaging of whole salmon trout with a dark red roe, a highly prized and world-renown delicacy from Danish waters. This family company, located in Horsens, in East Jutland, counts 3 plants in Denmark and is today one of the country's largest sea farmers. Employing close to 60 people during the sea slaughtering season from September through November, the company has achieved a growth of 20-25% over the past 3 years. Their main business is sea farming, which generates 2'000 tons of fresh fish annually. In January/February, the company slaughters, processes and packs fish acquired from pond farmers.
Snaptun sells products directly to supermarkets and exports salmon to smokehouses all over Europe. Fish products are mainly sold through discount supermarket chains in Denmark (Netto), Germany (Aldi, Edeka, Liedel) and France (Scamer, Auchain). Furthermore, the company exports salmon roe to the Japanese market, with many Japanese customers packing the roe themselves in Denmark.
Until recently, Snaptun packed their whole frozen salmons in CRYOVAC® MR film on an L-sealer. An external packer was used for this operation, at a speed of only a few packs per minute. Furthermore, the MR film provided a shelf life of 3 months only. In the middle of 1998, Cryovac approached the Danish fish farmer and suggested switching their packaging to shrink bags, using vacuum shrink packaging technology - a solution which could both significantly increase packaging speed and prolong shelf life. A constructive partnership then developed between Cryovac and Snaptun, allowing the Danish sea farmer to visit other Cryovac customers to test the packaging of salmon in Cryovac shrink bags, on Cryovac equipment. The results were immediately satisfying, with a positive impact on packaging safety, speed and flexibility.
Snaptun thus decided to adopt the CRYOVAC® BB355 shrink bags and acquire a complete Cryovac packaging line, deciding to handle their own packaging themselves. The new packaging line consisted of a CRYOVAC® VR 8600-18 rotary vacuum chamber, an ST98 shrink tunnel and a WR 26 water removal unit.
The CRYOVAC® BB355 shrink bag was specifically designed for hard and heavy products, so is particularly well suited to pack whole frozen salmon trouts which can typically reach 1.5 to 3 kg. Its tough, multilayered structure offers excellent shrink properties, safe seals, high mechanical resistance and good optics. This Cryovac bag is designed to deliver the ultimate in protection while extending distribution life and maintaining product integrity.
The results of this new introduction were very gratifying for Snaptun management. The Cryovac shrink bag eliminated leakers and frost burns, increased the resistance and security of the pack, while shelf life was significantly prolonged to one year. The packaging speed increased to 30 packs per minute, resulting in increased efficiency and productivity, and eventually allowing the company to reduce the number of operators to 4-5 for the entire line. In addition, flexibility was greatly improved because the machine can pack different product sizes. Overall, Snaptun was able to control and significantly improve the packaging process, generating safer and fresher packs, which in turn had a positive effect on turnover.
Today, Snaptun management are extremely pleased with the move, which turned out to be a competitive asset: "As far as we know, we are the only ones in North Europe packaging salmon on a rotary chamber machine", commented Tim Petersen, the third generation Director of Snaptun. He added: "Cryovac offered valuable assistance and help. We were in direct contact with them during planning, installation and start-up, a process which developed into a good partnership".
Future plans for Snaptun are to increase production and extend the product range, to potentially include salmon cuts in consumer units, such as salmon steaks. Cryovac packaging know-how will no doubt offer critical support in this next strategic step.
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