Vitali Unrau
delfort, an expert in specialty paper, Sweet & Lucky, Europe's largest producer of fortune cookies, and CLARUS, a leading European partner for packaging solutions, are making fortune telling sustainable. Sweet & Lucky will now use delfort's thinbarrier® 301 barrier paper for their fortune cookie packaging. Thus, these fortune cookies carry a simple but clear message: "Sustainable packaging is the future".
As part of a pilot project, delfort collaborated with CLARUS to develop an alternative packaging solution for the fortune cookie manufacturer Sweet & Lucky, which is in line with their sustainability goals. "CLARUS has been committed to sustainable packaging for several years. One building block is flexible and sealable papers. Our partner delfort fills the gap of barrier papers and offers them with a water vapor barrier which works perfectly in use. The fortune cookies from Sweet & Lucky, packed in thinbarrier® 301 from delfort, are a successful step in permanently establishing sustainable paper packaging in the food industry," says Norman Thom, CEO of CLARUS.
Trials with delfort's lightweight barrier paper began in early 2023. Three important requirements were crucial for the fortune cookie manufacturer: to provide a good water vapor barrier, to ensure the shelf life of the cookies, and to achieve excellent processability on existing packaging machines.
Shelf life of at least three months
Fortune cookies must first and foremost remain fresh and crunchy, and their taste should not be altered. delfort has been working together with its research partner delsci to precisely meet these requirements. The result is thinbarrier® 301, which is characterized by the combination of a special barrier coating, developed by delsci, and a base paper optimally matched in terms of recipe and surface structure. Together, the two provide an ideal water vapor barrier and ensure a shelf life of at least three months, thus meeting the requirements of the fortune cookie supply chain. After use, thinbarrier® 301 is recyclable in the paper stream.
High performance on existing packaging lines
When switching from film to paper, it is crucial that the new material runs smoothly on existing packaging machines. On Sweet & Lucky's high-performance packaging machines, delfort’s paper can be processed perfectly without any technical changes.
If further technical measures are necessary, such as processing speed, these are usually easy to implement: "CLARUS not only specializes in consulting and selling packaging machines, but also in modifying existing machines. When changing over to flexible papers, a simple exchange of the forming shoulder may be necessary, which we are happy to assist with," says Norman Thom.
A clear commitment to sustainability
thinbarrier® 301 is characterized by naturalness and a clear focus on sustainability. In addition, the new paper packaging is a unique selling point that sets Sweet & Lucky's fortune cookies apart in the market and supports the company's sustainability goals. Sweet & Lucky is thus a pioneer in its field.
Change does not happen alone
"The success of this project was based on a real commitment from all involved, a comprehensive understanding of the barrier requirements as well as the performance on the packaging line. Equally crucial to the joint success was a willingness to move to more sustainable solutions to create recyclable product packaging for consumers," says Martin Zahlbruckner, CEO of delfort.
Further development projects are already being implemented at delfort, as the range of packaging made from barrier papers is wide, from food and clothing to household items and toys.