Australia’s largest organic meat supply chain, Arcadian Organic & Natural Meat Co, has moved its modified atmosphere packed sausage and vacuum skin pack steak product ranges to Ravenwood’s linerless technology. The decision to move to this more sustainable method of labelling, is assisting Arcadian to reach its sustainability targets and align further with its carbon offsetting program.
Arcadian’s COO for retail operations, Rick Vella, has known about the benefits of linerless for some time, having had first-hand experience of working with the technology in a previous role. After fully researching linerless for Arcadian, Vella decided to purchase and install two Nobac 5000 sleevers at Arcadian’s West Gosford factory, six months ago. Vella says he’s never looked back
“There were three significant factors in the decision making,” said Vella. “The elimination of the label liner, greater application and machine efficiency, coupled with improved product presentation.”
“I believe linerless and the Nobac 5000 to be the market leading applicator. Furthermore, the service provided by Ravenwood Australia and its agent Linco, is outstanding,” added Vella.
Arcadian cannot fault Ravenwood’s Circle of Linerless. The tried and tested formula boasts faultless linerless labels backed up with a performance guarantee. That guarantee is 98% uptime. All of Ravenwood’s labelling materials are fully tested and sustainably approved. And when things take a turn for the worse, Ravenwood’s disaster recovery programme means that 24/7 support, is only a phone call or email away.
Vella fully supports the technology and can’t sing its praises enough. “It is one of the best supported pieces of equipment we have in our facility,” he added.
The Nobac 5000 sleever is an inline machine, designed for maximum flexibility, capable of applying labels at a rate of 150 packs per minute. Vella said that fewer labels are wasted during machine set up, as well as when switching reels for product changeovers. As a result, they have experienced a 34% reduction in downtime, associated with labelling related stops on these two lines. The 5000 also eliminates the need to turn the packs so production is streamlined further. Vella also said that disposing of the label liner is costly and damaging to the environment, so this is another feather to the ‘linerless cap’.
Arcadian consider its products as a niche market and subsequently labelling volumes are relatively low for the SKU count which puts changeover times as a high priority. TMA Group of Companies with offices located in Australia and New Zealand, produce Arcadian’s linerless labels.
“Product changes are simple and efficient, and the Nobac 5000 is perfectly suited to operations,” says Vella.
Prior to the Nobac 5000 installation, Arcadian was using a conventional self-adhesive applicator for applying d-wrap labels to its MAP sausage and VSP steak product ranges.
Arcadian’s supply chain is focussed on processing ‘Certified Organic’ and other high welfare beef, pork and lamb, every week at its processing plants across the Australian Eastern Seaboard. Its product lines are sold into all of the major retailers, as well as Harris Farm Markets and various smaller independent supermarkets across Australia.
Arcadian has a comprehensive program to manage its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Implemented in June 2019, Arcadian is certified as a LowCO2 business by Carbon Reduction Institute (CRI). All products packed using linerless are certified 100% carbon neutral.
Vella says that he is looking forward to the future and harnessing the benefits that linerless has to offer. “As a business, Arcadian is passionate about sustainability and our carbon neutral products. We believe linerless will help us achieve our goals.”
