For a number of years, Butterball used chub packaging with metal clips for their food service ground turkey products. Although the packaging was industry standard, metal clips presented a number of challenges including keeping track of the clips and making sure they did not end up in finished dishes.

Solution

As long-term partners in ground turkey packaging, Butterball turned to Sealed Air to explore alternatives to metal clip packaging. Sealed Air, having foreseen the issues with metal clips, had already successfully tested a clipless solution for beef and was able to quickly test the solution with ground turkey.

Sealed Air introduced Butterball Foodservice to CRYOVAC^® brand Vertical Pouch Packaging (VPP) and Butterball instantly recognized the safety and quality advantages. “Food safety is as much a priority for Butterball as it is for our operators, and our new ground turkey packaging meets that need while also allowing chefs to create delicious dishes for their diners,” says Richie Jenkins, Butterball’s senior director of national accounts/marketing.

“Food safety is as much a priority for Butterball as it is for our operators, and our new ground turkey packaging meets that need while also allowing chefs to create delicious dishes for their diners.”

—Butterball’s Senior Director of National Accounts and Marketing, Richie Jenkin

Food concept. Chef in white uniform monitors the degree of roasting and greases meat with oil in saucepan in interior of modern restaurant kitchen. Preparing traditional beef steak on barbecue oven.

Package Optimization

Product Integrity

Results

Packages are safer throughout the supply chain with no risk of metal clips getting misplaced or inadvertently ending up in food
Virtually all of Butterball’s ground turkey food service customers now receive their product in VPP
Distributors and end users continue to view Butterball Foodservice as a leader in innovative packaging that solves operator concerns
The new rectangular product shape is easier for food service operators to stack and takes up less freezer space
The durable film stands up better to movement during shipping, preventing leaks and avoiding punctures while helping the ground turkey maintain its flavor and freshness

As the first turkey producer to move to VPP, Butterball Foodservice is, once again, demonstrating vision and innovation in their category — and it’s paying off. Both 5- and 10-pound foodservice packages are now safer from processor to distributor to back of house, with no risk of metal clips getting misplaced or inadvertently ending up in the meat and/or finished dishes. Distributors and end users are pleased that the clipless packaging eliminates any potential risk and the durable film stands up better to movement during shipment, preventing leaks, freezer burn and avoiding punctures while helping the ground turkey maintain its flavor and freshness. The new rectangular product shape is easier for foodservice operators to stack and takes up less freezer space. The proactive move to CRYOVAC^®brand VPP is another way Butterball Foodservice is reinforcing their leadership as an innovator that solves operator concerns.