Page 102 - AMEFT Journal 2021-4

PROCESSING & PACKAGING
(Source: Volpak)
102 AMEFT 4 2021
www.ameft.com
(Source: Volpak)
Volpak packaging for the coffee industry
Volpak, a Barcelona based Coesia group company, is specialized in the designing and marketing of flex- ible packaging solutions. Coffee is one of the fastest growing markets among the industries covered by the Spanish company. Volpak boasts a long expe- rience in this industry, which allowed it to work with many roasters, both in Europe and worldwide, thanks to a solution portfolio that is ideal for the packaging of roasted beans and ground coffee. Today’s challenges are mainly around sustainability and flex- ibility.
Challenging Turkish roaster
Recently, the company had to face a new challenge on behalf of a Turkish roaster: an established business in this industry and a long time Volpak client that requested a full plant for the pack- aging of coffee beans, complete with an advanced degassing system. This is a common request among roast- ers, which is necessary to protect the product’s aroma and increase its shelf life, avoiding its contamination with oxygen.
The challenge is due to the fact that coffee cannot be vacuum packed after roasting, as the packages swell due to pressure and may break. In fact, freshly roasted coffee releases signifi- cant amounts of carbon dioxide. It is a slow process, since the coffee beans retain part of the gas after roasting and gradually release it. It is estimated that they can continue to emit CO2 for more than two weeks. Also, both oxygen and