New pot for pudding ensures 120-day shelf life and saves on plastic

Valio is about to introduce an innovative packaging solution for its range of protein puddings. The new pot from Berry Superfos combines cardboard with plastic and features a brand-new surface coating to ensure the pudding has a 120-day shelf life.

Finnish dairy pioneer Valio is committed to reducing plastic usage by 15 % in its single-use, single-serving packaging by 2026. A significant part of these savings will come from switching the company’s popular range of PROfeelâ protein puddings to a custom-designed version of Berry Superfos’ CombiLight™ packaging.

Valio will launch the high-protein PROfeelâ puddings, offered in flavors like chocolate, caramel, and vanilla-meringue, in the new packaging this December. There is a booming market for high-protein pudding, and with the new pot, Valio is ready to take on even more markets while honouring a voluntary Green Deal, signed in 2023 with the Finnish government to reduce plastic usage in packaging.

Valio’s Head of Packaging Development Juhana Pilkama says:

"Our commitment to reducing plastic is reflected in the increasing use of paperboard cups in Valio’s snack products. This change will also enhance consumer convenience, as consumers will no longer need to separate materials; for example, with the pudding, they can simply dispose of the entire packaging into carton recycling streams along with milk cartons.”

Need for enhanced barrier coating
The CombiLight™ pot is a hybrid packaging solution made from a plastic skeleton and carton sleeve, which are melted together to create a strong structure. Valio had already switched its quark products to Berry Superfos’ CombiLightä, but with the puddings the conversion was not as straightforward. Juhana Pilkama explains:

"While quark is an acidic product, pudding is neutral. This meant that the standard coating in the CombiLight™ cup was not suitable. Therefore, we started a project with Berry Superfos to develop a new enhanced barrier coating to ensure optimal shelf life. Now, we are ready to launch the pudding in the new pot with an impressive 120-day shelf life."

Less food waste, more exports and better branding opportunities
Some of the benefits of the long shelf life is reduced food waste and better export opportunities for Valio.

Further, the new pot features improved print quality, including a printable bottom surface for all the mandatory product information. This provides a clean, polished look on the sides of the pot, which creates better branding opportunities for Valio.

A strong partnership built on openness
A longstanding collaboration between Valio and Berry Superfos has been essential to the success of this packaging innovation.

Juhana Pilkama emphasises the strength of the partnership: “Working with Berry Superfos is a pleasure. Their team is not only willing to try new things, but they are also highly reliable and open in their approach. We have regular meetings to align on projects and share ideas, and that has been crucial in developing the enhanced CombiLight™ pot. We could not be more satisfied with the result.”

In collaboration with Stora Enso, a leader in barrier technology, Berry Superfos helped Valio reinvent the pot’s barrier layers to meet the unique needs of their protein pudding.

As Valio continues to explore ways to reduce plastic usage and promote circular economy principles, the success of the CombiLight™ packaging marks a significant step forward. Juhana Pilkama from Valio concludes:

“The new packaging solution for our pudding range supports our commitment to minimising climate impact, reducing food waste, and maintaining high product quality. We are already looking into further virgin plastic reductions by incorporating fibers and recycled materials into future designs.”