Norwegian Milk Tastier, Easier on Environment with Korsnäs Board

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Korsnäs AB, Sweden, reports that its Korsnäs Liquid board was used to help solve problems with shelf life, off flavors, and spoilage in milk packaged by TINE, Norway's largest dairy group. TINE had asked its packaging partner Elopak to develop a milk packaging solution with a better, more environmentally sound light barrier. Elopak studied the entire concept, evaluating various cartonboard materials for its Pure-Pak carton with a screw-cap. The Korsnäs board they eventually chose has a brown reverse side that acts as a natural light barrier. To meet Elopak's requirements, Korsnäs developed two custom grammages.

"Our primary goal in switching materials was to eliminate the off-flavors, but we also wanted to improve environmental performance," says Brian Raastad, Norwegian Market Unit Manager at Elopak. "Korsnäs board with a brown reverse side generates 8 grams less carbon dioxide per pack than the board we were using previously. There is a growing awareness of environmental issues in Norway, and we are always looking for solutions that cut carbon dioxide emissions. When we introduced the new packaging solution, we printed information about the improvement right on the pack. After a long period of testing and analyzing various board alternatives, we ended up with a simple solution offering many advantages. These include a more efficient light barrier that eliminates off-flavors, a whiter board surface with better printing properties thanks to the coating, and less environmental impact."

TINE Dairy Cooperative engineer Ragnar Solgaard notes that "by improving the quality of the light barrier, we were able to minimize the risk of off-flavors and spoilage. For consumers, flavor means everything."

TINE is owned by more than 16,000 dairy farmers, who supply 1.4 billion liters of cow's milk and 19 million liters of goat's milk annually to its five domestic dairies. This dairy cooperative is also Norway's largest foodstuffs producer, with 5,540 employees and annual sales of NOK 15.9 billion (2007). The nationwide cooperative was established in 1881.