The origins of Tacom: a success story

Carlo Taddei, the story of a doctor and a ground-breaking entrepreneur

The USA has always been considered the original mainstream consumer market; pioneers in introducing new market structures at a global level, the classic production system was changed forever, making it more modern with greater focus on final customer satisfaction. The innovative approach the US introduced had a positive impact on the packaging sector which, in time, became more and more important; no longer merely a container, packaging now had a fundamental role to play in customer retention, promoting the packaged product, and making it practical to use.

Packaging was the point of contact between producer and consumer, creating a link between the two when the product was purchased after catching the customer’s eye to stand out amongst competitors’ products on the supermarket shelves. Packaging represented the manufacturer both visually, and in terms of human and identifying qualities, which is why it was called the silent salesman. In this new, vast and impersonal distribution system, innovation and efficiency became essential to stand out from the crowd and rise above the competition.

It was in this context that an American company came up with the idea of creating an aluminium dispensing system that could be used to open a packet and close it again called Seal - Spout, adding value to a carton, adding protection for the contents, and making it easier to dispense the salt inside. At first, the spout was applied by hand, then in the post 2nd World War period this manual system was replaced by machines designed specifically to automatically insert the spout, a net advantage in terms of costs and productivity. The system, originally adopted on salt packets, was soon used on many other products, including detergents, powdered milk, baby food and more.

CARLO TADDEI AND THE ORIGINS OF TACOM

At the time a medical researcher called Carlo Taddei was developing the first mechanical devices used in dialysis, machines initially called the artificial kidney. His studies clearly showed the link between a modern diet, a deficient in wholegrain foods, and diabetes. He started offering medical advice on a proper diet, promoting the idea of the importance of a healthy diet and prevention, a concept considered somewhat ahead of its time in the late 1950s. For the same reason he started collaborating with the well-known Italian company Barilla, to launch a product on the market he was convinced was of the utmost importance: wholegrain rice. In order to add value to a quality product, improve dispensing and above all protect the product’s nutritional properties, he took inspiration from the packaging he’d seen on his numerous trips abroad, in particular from the practical Spout used in the US. He contacted the manufacturer and set up Seal-Spout Europe, now Tacom SA.

Then as now, the advantages of packaging that’s practical, user-friendly, safe, protects the product against infestation and is aesthetically appealing are obvious, not to mention the fact it adds value to the product inside. Barilla wholegrain rice wasn’t the success Taddei hoped it would be, despite his forward-thinking and intuition, perhaps somewhat ahead of its time. The Spout however did catch the attention of the German company Henkel, which immediately introduced the solution for its detergents, then other products that have left their mark over the decades and are still popular today, such as Napisan and Calfort produced by Reckitt Benkiser, powdered milk made by Nestlé and Regilait, Heinz and Danone baby food, Gérblé Nutrition & Santé products, Unilever Bestfood Maizena, Buitoni frozen greens from Italy, Migros with its La Riseria brand, Kraft-Heinz with their De Ruijter and Venz brands of confectionary decorations and chocolate sprinkles.

TODAY’S PACK MARKET

Quality finished products used with quality packaging that guarantees the product inside is kept fresh and in an optimal condition were factors of relevance in the 1960s but, due to the dynamics of international competition and the globalisation of the market, and large-scale retail channels in particular, these things have come to be considered of secondary importance by some companies who often give priority to quantity and the standardization of products sold in cheaper forms, over practicality and final customer satisfaction. In recent years though there’s been an inversion in this trend and now there is more and more focus on the quality of foodstuffs, healthy and organic foods.

Today, society’s and consumers’ culture has changed to become more oriented towards a healthier, more balanced lifestyle with more focus on the quality of products, personal well-being and the environment. To meet the requests of the market, companies are introducing more sustainable production systems with greater attention to the quality of ingredients, informing consumers of the same also with specific aesthetic and functional features of the packaging, so the product keeps better and for longer, maintaining it in an optimal condition, while making it more practical to use.

TACOM TODAY

Today Tacom is still the leading supplier of dosing systems for high quality packaging such as Nutrition & Santé and other health foods, every day renewing its commitment to enhance the quality of its products, continue research into innovative materials and state-of-the-art solutions for the greatest possible customer satisfaction in a totally sustainable way.

The effectiveness of the systems developed by Tacom is ISO 9001:2015 and UNI EN 15593:2008 certified in terms of the company management system, traceability and compliance with the latest foodstuffs’ regulations. For Tacom, customer satisfaction, safety, protecting the final consumer and the guarantee every product offers, come first and foremost. That’s why the company implemented a system of directives and procedures for continuous improvement, context analysis and constant risk assessment, setting up a structured, controlled and certified production system. The added value of Tacom solutions derives also from their high performance in terms of protecting the product from infestations or damp, something clearly perceived by the customer, something that makes them loyal to the brand.

That’s why one of Tacom’s milestones, one of its prime values, that lies at the very heart of company policy, and on which all its decisions are based, is the famous phrase: “Packaging is the expression of the soul of every product!”.