Natural branding
Natural Branding ( English , natural mark ') is a marketing term for the laser marking of fruits and vegetables. The goods are labeled here directly, instead of on the package label .
application
The process combines increasing organic requirements and labeling requirements on the one hand, and the avoidance of packaging materials in the interests of sustainability on the other. Particularly when it comes to the high requirements in the area of organic labeling, natural branding represents a solution variant, for example for types of fruit and vegetables. These directly labeled foods can then continue to be offered as loose goods.
Procedure
The use of printed packaging materials and stickers can be completely dispensed with. In contrast to direct printing, no chemicals are applied; the label is applied directly to the product using laser light. In the case of fruits, for example, the light removes pigments from the outer shell layer without affecting the shelf life, taste or consistency of the food. The applied label can no longer be removed.
Carbon dioxide lasers are typically used . Due to the high degree of automation, laser times of 0.3 seconds per product can be achieved. Thanks to the special optics of the laser, height differences of up to 50 mm (+/- 25 mm) can be automatically compensated. Due to the large variety of fruit and vegetable types and their peculiarities in terms of shape, color, size and consistency, machine types are equipped with complex software in order to be able to react flexibly to changes in the batch, the individual label or differences in the product.
literature
- Christian Marx, Michael Hustedt, Heiderose Hoja, Traud Winkelmann, Thomas Rath: Investigations on laser marking of plants and fruits . In: Biosystems Engineering . tape 116 , no. 4 , December 2013, ISSN 1537-5110 , doi : 10.1016 / j.biosystemseng.2013.10.005 .
Web links
- Vegetable branding: Rewe wants to end the plastic madness
- Alexander Dallmus: Lasers instead of plastic. With "natural branding" against plastic waste? ( Memento from June 13, 2018 in the Internet Archive ) BR from September 21, 2017
- Sophie Krause: Bio-Branding: Consumer advocates demand test for vegetable lasers , In Spiegel-Online from March 3, 2017
- Ben Schwan: Laser labels vegetables . Heise-Online from May 2, 2017