In an effort to preserve the valuable aromas of fruit teas, Walki Wisa's Steinfurt, Germany, operations have developed a new barrier material for tea packaging using a combination of special polymers.
A fruit tea with a well-preserved aroma is difficult to compare with other flavours and because of its delicate nature it is essential to ensure optimum preservation of both the flavour and the aroma. The team at Walki Wisa realised that the tea's packaging was a decisive step towards the required end product, an enjoyable tea. So bearing this in mind the team set about to create a packaging that would optimise both of these qualities.
The team claims that because of its new solution using polymers, paper board no longer needs to be covered with plastic film. This means that the tea can be packed in paper board laminated with the new barrier material.
"The tea packaging has been a big hit. It has met with great interest everywhere," said Gert Buscher, marketing manager.
The original idea for the product came from a customer who was dissatisfied with the barrier properties of the available packaging materials. Development work lasted nearly one year and was carried out in close co-operation with one of Europe's biggest packaging manufacturers and the tea producer.
"We are very satisfied with the result. The laminate features excellent barrier properties and works smoothly on the packaging lines of our customers.
"Fruit tea is consumed everywhere. We are eagerly awaiting what will happen when the new product is launched in traditional tea-drinking countries, such as Great Britain and India. We keep getting inquiries from these countries," said Buscher.