Using our logistics solutions means food is transported safer, quicker and more efficient than ever before Food processing Case study: Yoplait New handling technologies in food processing have made food transport safer, quicker and more efficient than ever before, while guaranteeing that the food will arrive at the supermarkets fresh and ready to buy. Cilam is a Yoplait franchise company, based in the French overseas department La Reunion. On the Cilam automatic line, the objective is to pack yogurts automatically by filling a crate with 4 packs of 12 yogurts and then stacking 70 crates on a pallet. Following the automation company recommendations, Cilam bought 300,000 plastic stack nest crates from a competitor. From fresh to deep-frozen food, from raw produced to cooked food, a plastic container of some sort will The design of the crates turned out to be inappropri- be required to store or transport food from the ware- ate. The robot faced difficulties in properly stacking the crates on the pallet. Cilam asked both parties, automation company and packaging supplier, to solve The requirements for transit packaging in food pro- the problem, but a solution was not found. At the end cessing are demanding: it must offer maximum protec- of 2008, Cilam contacted Schoeller Allibert and asked tion and remain cost-effective, be customer-friendly for a solution. First, standard Schoeller Allibert crates and comply with safety regulations, and display price were tested, but none were accepted. Schoeller Al- or product information. It must be environmentally libert then agreed to start the development of a new friendly and easy to clean and maintain. crate with two main requirements: automatic handling and compatibility with existing crates. Our plastic containers meet all these criteria, made of food-contact approved polypropylene that is ultra- In November 2009, the mould was successfully tried. hygienic and recyclable. They can even be temperature Cilam approved the new crate in the first trial. Pro- controlled, preventing goods from perishing. duction is now running and 300,000 crates are being produced to replace all defective ones. As a result, Cilam is very confident with Schoeller Allibert. New projects are discussed, such as new pallets and higher crates to be used for Yop bottles.

Stack Nest Container 600 x 400 x 260 Europool systems crate Bread crate Stack Nest Container developed for Yoplait Magnum Optimum®