One of the debutants at this year's expoSE in Karlsruhe was Würzburg-based company va-Q-tec AG. This manufacturer of high-quality thermoboxes took part at the invitation of the main organizer VSSE and according to Marc Mölter, Head of Sales Food at the company, it is looking look back on a successful trade fair presence.
Mölter is seeing a particularly interesting application potential for the va-Q-tray product line in the asparagus and berry sector, from small direct marketers to large-scale producers. "The particularly sustainable and economical reusable systems from va-Q-tec enable significantly longer temperature holding times compared to conventional insulated boxes. This creates completely new processes for the delivery and storage of products."
In the food sector, the company has so far primarily focused on the development and marketing of insulated boxes for transportation over the so-called last mile, for example from the food retailer to the end customer, Mölter explains. "Fruit and vegetables are relatively new to us. In this respect, expoSE was important for us, to gain more experience. For example, we learned that it is important to keep the temperature of the goods stable at 1-2 degrees when transporting asparagus. This can be done for much longer now with our va-Q-tray boxes, compared to the conventional insulation boxes that have been used up to now. This in turn has a positive effect on the quality of the asparagus. In addition, less liquid is lost during transportation. This means that the unit weight of the asparagus remains roughly at its initial level, which is in the interests of the respective seller."
Marc Mölter (r) and his colleague at this year's expoSE in Karlsruhe.
Analyses also show that the taste of the asparagus changes as soon as the produce warms up. This change is actively counteracted by using the boxes and stabilizing the temperature. Other advantages include the longer service life of the boxes compared to conventional polystyrene options, as well as the hygiene and washability of the boxes.
Mölter: "At expoSE, it turned out that the usual asparagus crates fit exactly into our 600x400 cm boxes. This compatibility has a positive side effect, namely that the produce at the asparagus stands does not have to be cooled down."
For more information:
Marc Mölter
va-Q-tec AG
Alfred-Nobel-Str. 33
D-97080 Würzburg
Tel. +49 (0) 931 35 942 0
Fax +49 (0) 931 35 942 10
Email: info@va-q-tec.com
Internet: https://va-q-tec.com