Colruyt Group Fine Food has opened a new, future-oriented sustainable site in Halle for the production and packaging of salad spreads.
The new 4,200 square-metre site will enable the group to respond better to the evolving needs of consumers and make the packaging of its salad spreads more sustainable.
Colruyt Fine Food Salads currently employs 45 people and produces around 55 tonnes of salad spreads and sauces every week.
These are available under the brands Boni Selection and Everyday at OKay and Colruyt Lowest Prices.
Fine Food Salads Production Site
The new Fine Food Salads production hall, built on the Stroppen site in Halle, aims to accommodate the growth of Colruyt and OKay shops.
The production hall is equipped to respond to new products that meet evolving consumer needs, such as vegan spreads, in addition to its existing range of salad spreads.
Fine Food Salads will also focus on making its products tastier and healthier, including a better Nutri-Score rating.
The latest technology is used at the site, including room disinfection with sprinkler and automatic label control via an intelligent camera system.
Gunter Uyttenhove, director of Colruyt Group Fine Food, said, "With the new site, we are positioning ourselves more strongly as an independent player. We retain control over the entire production chain and focus on innovative assortments, healthy products and delicious flavours.
"This new site is an important investment for Fine Food and proves Colruyt Group's belief in making a difference with its own products and craftsmanship. Tens of thousands of customers buy our salads every week. We now have all the technical possibilities to further fine-tune our production and to go all the way for sustainability."
Fine Food Salads expects to create ten new jobs next year.
The employees of the existing sites were very closely involved in the construction of this new production hall and were informed of the development in a transparent manner, the retailer added.
At the new site, for example, the staff will have more space and their working environment will be more ergonomic.
Sustainability
Colruyt Group has built up a solid track record in sustainable construction, and the latest building is another example of the same.
It features 828 solar panels on the roof and the site is connected to Fine Food’s internal water purification system. The facility is also equipped to collect and reuse rainwater.
The surface area of the site is used to the maximum as sloping loading docks optimise the arrival and departure of the trucks.
A central power rail running through the site shortens cable lengths and facilitates the installation of new machines or any redevelopment of the site.
Packaging Targets
Colruyt Group aims to make the packaging of its private-label products reusable, recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable by 2025.
The new packaging lines in the facility will help the company remove 45.5 tonnes of plastic from its operations on an annual basis.
For example, the company has reviewed the design of the current salad spread container to reduce the amount of plastic and minimise food loss.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Conor Farrelly. For more Retail news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
