Keeping spices fresh is both easy and eco-friendly

Innovating traditional spice preservation

Since the times of ancient Egypt till today, spices have played the role of protagonist in tales, tastes and travels.
These aromatic herbs, in the past as in the present, come in a multitude of shapes and sizes and are used, not only to add flavour to food and drink, but also to preserve food, and in cosmetics and perfumes too.

By their very nature, dry or powdered spices keep well, but particular care must be taken to preserve them, so when they’re used all the taste, fragrance and organoleptic qualities will still be intact.
They’re more delicate and prone to perishing than salt, which is why more attention to detail is necessary in the packaging.

In general, the spice packaging you’ll find on the market ranges from traditional plastic or glass shakers to small paperboard boxes with an aluminium packet inside that isn’t very practical (mostly used in India) and while it does preserve the spice, it can’t be hermetically closed again once opened.

The main problems with plastic or glass shakers:

• high environmental impact;
• the shaker holes are a fixed size, and can easily get blocked, they’re unsuitable for various grain sizes, and often cause problems when it comes to dosing the right amount;
• scarce logistic efficiency as the shakers are preformed and take up a lot of space, also when empty.

The most innovative solution is the most environmentally friendly one too

As far as the spice sector is concerned, most companies choose to package their products in glass or plastic shakers as this is the way people have been using them in the past.
Glass and plastic shakers are designed so they can be hermetically closed and definitely give you the idea they preserve the spices properly. But at what cost to the environment?

Not many people know it yet, but the most eco-friendly and innovative way to preserve spices is in a paperboard packet.
This solution keeps the organoleptic qualities of the spices intact as the packet can be closed again hermetically just like traditional shakers.

What’s more, paperboard packets can be transported “flat” notably optimising space, requiring as many as 10 times fewer trips to transport than classic shakers.
Paperboard packaging can be used for a multitude of purposes and be equipped with various dosing systems (such as our Bispenser for example) which hermetically closes the pack while reducing environmental impact.

A paperboard packet easily adapts to different sizes and the carton supplier can adjust the opening with a bigger or smaller cut depending on the type of spice and flow required.

Find out more about the solutions for spices and their applications