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Integrated flow-wrapping line keeps chocolate cookies cool

Costa Rica-based confectionery company increases capacity by 25% with new integrated packaging line comprising a new conveyor, cooling tunnel, and two horizontal flow wrappers.

Pozuelo’s famous Chiky biscuits, which are coated in chocolate on the bottom, are extremely popular with consumers in Costa Rica.
Pozuelo’s famous Chiky biscuits, which are coated in chocolate on the bottom, are extremely popular with consumers in Costa Rica.

The first thoughts that typically come to mind when considering the Republic of Costa Rica are either the beautiful beaches or its natural rainforest and wildlife resources. However, this country in Central America offers so much more than just a perfect holiday destination. It is, for example, the headquarters of the leading cookie producer in the region, Pozuelo Cookie Company, a subsidiary of Nutresa Group S.A., which has been delivering an array of sweets and confectionery to regional markets since 1919.

One of Nutresa’s core strengths is the group’s long experience in the local market as well as its focus on creating the best products possible for Central America’s sweet-toothed consumers. These values are reinforced by Pozuelo each day with its nearly 100 years of expertise. However, four years ago, the company realized the rapidly growing market along with difficult climate conditions would require it to enhance its packaging line while increasing its productivity to maintain its strong position in the market.

Cookie poses unique challenge

The quest for increasing productivity started in 2013, when Pozuelo set out on a search for new solutions that would improve the output of its Chiky biscuit product line. The cookie company’s famous Chiky biscuits, which are coated in chocolate on the bottom, are extremely popular among consumers in the region. However, while it is that layer of chocolate that in part gives the cookie its distinct look and flavor, it also posed a unique packaging challenge for the biscuit manufacturer.

Due to the hot and humid climate of Costa Rica, there was a risk that the chocolate covering the biscuit could melt. Allowing the biscuits the proper time to cool down after baking and prior to enrobing was an issue, not only because of the high temperatures in Pozuelo’s facility, but also because of the tight factory footprint.

Other concerns for the company were finding the right packaging supplier to meet both its budgetary and quality needs as well as deliver the solution within a time frame of just a few months. “Money is key in this region, and as a leading cookie manufacturer, we wanted the best technology for the best price in the shortest time frame,” says Santiago Builes Maya, Director of Operations at Pozuelo. “These were requirements that we knew would be difficult to manage without potentially compromising on quality—which we could not afford.”

All these factors drove the company to seek an all-in-one solution provider that could work with them to deliver a custom line suited to its specific requirements.

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