New cup for pasta is ‘hot’ − but not burning hot!

Italy is famous for countless attractions, including its great food tradition. Now, the taste of Italy is available via MakeGusto ready meals in a cup from Superfos, cleverly combining plastic and cardboard. As hot water simmers in the plastic cup, the outer layer of cardboard protects users against the heat.

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People all over the world fancy Italian food, and more and more people are keen on easy meals which both entice the palate and can be consumed on the go. As a response to this demand, the family owned business Antaar&S S.p.A., based in Pavia, south of Milan, has launched their MakeGusto range, especially developed for export. The concept is based on high quality dried products (no additives, no palm oil) and maximum end-user convenience.

Francesco Loconte, Product Development Manager at Antaar&S says:

“We want to bring the taste and tradition of Italy to countries outside Europe – and make it extremely easy for the end-user to prepare our rice or pasta meals. The SuperLight™ cup from Superfos perfectly supports our ambition.”

Innovative design protects against heat
All the end-user needs to do is add boiling water and the meal is ready to be savoured in just five minutes. The inner part of the packaging is made of a type of plastic which withstands the heat, while the cardboard on the outside of the cup makes it comfortable to touch, even though the content is very hot. Combining plastic and cardboard like this is a novelty.

The MakeGusto range comprises five varieties, such as Pasta Alfredo, all sold in a 400ml SuperLight™ cup. This size is perfect for the quantity of 55g dry content. There is no lid; a plastic film protects the dry content before use. After use, it is very easy to separate the cardboard from the plastic for recycling purposes.

Quality control is easy at the production line
Other positive properties of the packaging solution are linked to the production at Antaar&S, where the quality standards are very high. Francesco Loconte explains:

“The SuperLight™ cup allows a fast and smooth process in our filling line. It is also an advantage at the end of our production line where we check each product by x-ray and a metal detector. As the SuperLight™ packaging is simply plastic and cardboard and contains no aluminium, it makes our quality control very easy to carry out.”

Excellent service and support
According to Francesco Loconte, the packaging product quality, as well as the level of support and service received from Superfos, is excellent. Antaar&S is optimistic about the future prospects of the MakeGusto range. First indications are that it resonates well with consumer demand in South America, the United States, and several oriental markets. Looks like Italian food keeps conquering the world.