A German meat producer is using the SuperLift® plastic pail from RPC Superfos for its bulk-pack sausages. Metten Fleischwaren opted for the RPC bucket for its long shelf-life, easy-handling, and brilliant look, as well as its In-Mould Labelling oxygen barrier protection.

The company is using the large 4.6 litre injection-moulded SuperLift polypropylene pail, 226mm in diameter, for five types of sausages that it sells in bulk consumer packs, including Germany’s most popular variety of the veal-based bockwurst, Dicke Sauerländer. The pail’s barrier label allows for a nine-month shelf-life at ambient temperatures. To help achieve this, Metten subjects it to an autoclaving process at high temperatures for 1½ hours.

“About a year ago, we were looking for a new plastic packaging supplier and carried out some market research,” explains Tobias Metten, CEO of the family-owned meat producer. “RPC Superfos came out top as an innovative supplier of plastic packaging. Today, we are unambiguously pleased with our cooperation with RPC Superfos – one of the very few plastic packaging suppliers mastering oxygen barrier protection with In-Mould Labelling. Besides the high quality of the packaging solution, we value the steady and reliable supplies we get.

The pails look brilliant after autoclaving and, importantly, they not only safeguard the great taste of our sausages – our sausages still make the right cracking sound when you bite into them.”

The meat producer’s key target groups for the bulk packs are meat wholesalers, canteens and the foodservice industry. All end-users reap the benefits of plastic: there is no risk of harm when touching the rim of the container – which is also easy to open and re-close, while the handle and light weight make it hassle-free to carry. Moreover, it is easy to stack the pails at any time before, during or after use.

“In professional kitchens where many sausage meals are prepared every day, finished packs tend to take up a lot of working space,” continues Tobias. “Here, the stacking properties of the SuperLift® pails make a positive difference; where there is room for one pail, you can put a whole stack of empty pails. Also, in our sausage production, we value that each pallet can hold significantly more stacked pails compared to metal containers which you cannot stack. It saves warehouse space and cuts transportation costs.”

Metten Fleischwaren and its brand “Dicke Sauerländer” is a leader in the German tinned sausage market. Sales have recently been on the up, indicating that plastic pails and sausages are a perfect match.