Discover your next big idea at PACK EXPO Las Vegas this September
Experience a breakthrough in packaging & processing and transform your business with solutions from 2,300 suppliers spanning all industries.
REGISTER NOW & SAVE

Sustainability ‘Baked in’ to New Paper Packaging for Frozen Bread

European baker Lantmännen Unibake switches from a plastic bag for its frozen bread shipments, integrating a paper barrier into its corrugated case instead.

Lantmännen Unibake’s new packaging eliminates the LDPE bag that held the frozen bread loaves inside the corrugated shipper and instead incorporates a barrier paper on the inside of the case that protects against grease and moisture.
Lantmännen Unibake’s new packaging eliminates the LDPE bag that held the frozen bread loaves inside the corrugated shipper and instead incorporates a barrier paper on the inside of the case that protects against grease and moisture.

In the realm of frozen bakery goods, the challenge of maintaining product freshness while reaching sustainability goals has led companies to explore alternative packaging solutions. Denmark-based Lantmännen Unibake, one of Europe’s largest bakery groups specializing in fresh and frozen bakery products for retail and foodservice markets, has recently made strides in this area by adopting new paper-based packaging for its pre- and fully-baked loaves of frozen bread, replacing traditional plastic bags.

Reflecting on the impetus for the change, Riikka Salokannel, packaging development manager for Lantmännen Unibake Finland, shares that the company is committed to the United Nations Science Based Targets (SBTi) initiative, with its main goal to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain by 2050.

Salokannel’s expertise in packaging design and development led her to be a driving force behind the initiative. “I was following the development of packaging papers for bread bags and noticed that there are some new plastic-free materials with barriers available,” she says. “During my long packaging design and development career, I have always tried to find more sustainable packaging solutions—that is my main personal motivation for innovative thinking. I have also worked as a structural designer of corrugated packages, so I know the philosophy of corrugated material, and thus I began to wonder if we could replace the inner liner [of the corrugated case] with this new barrier paper.”



   Read about another alternative for packaging bakery products in “Compostable, Bio-based Bag Fits Wonky Bread’s Eco-Friendly Ethos”
Break out of the ordinary: see what’s new in packaging & processing!
At PACK EXPO Las Vegas, you’ll see machinery in action and new tech from 2,300 suppliers, collaborate with experts and explore transformative solutions. Join us this September to experience a breakthrough in packaging and processing.
REGISTER NOW AND SAVE
Break out of the ordinary: see what’s new in packaging & processing!
Annual Outlook Report: Workforce
Hiring remains a major challenge in packaging, with 78% struggling to fill unskilled roles and 84% lacking experienced workers. As automation grows, companies must rethink hiring and training. Download the full report for key insights.
Download Now
Annual Outlook Report: Workforce