Made at its Colchester production unit, the ranges use the patented Torus Pak technology, which serves exact meal portions straight to the plate to reduce food waste.
David Garland, managing director of BonCulina UK, said: “These packaging solutions are a huge step up from what was in place before the acquisition, and the introduction of recyclable plated solutions represents a major shift to a higher sustainability standard.
“The healthcare market is dominated by multi-portion solutions, but we believe that the future is in plated solutions, such as BonCulina Plated, which reduces food waste. Although we will continue to offer both ranges, we encourage our customers when possible, to choose a plated solution, both for the patients and the environment.
“We’re inviting other major players in the healthcare foodservice market to follow our example and work towards a more sustainable model, putting the focus on reduced food waste and a lower carbon footprint.”
He said Torus Pak was already lighter than other plated solutions and pallet-optimised to reduce its land travel footprint, but now BonCulina was implementing the recyclable non-carbon black Torus Pak, which can be more easily detected during the waste sorting process and recycled for other industries, unlike most black plastic food packaging.
In addition, he added, the company had replaced traditional CPET (Crystalline Polyethylene Terephthalate) for its multi-portion food range and single hot desserts with Evolve packaging, which uses up to 75% Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) recycled content and is easily recyclable.
“As a clear message to the market, BonCulina has decided to retire the Crown Advantage and Crown Choice product names for the more sustainable BonCulina Plated and BonCulina Multi-Portion respectively.
“BonCulina has worked hard to raise the bar in several areas, including culinary standards, since the acquisition of Anglia Crown in May and this change raises both the quality and environmental performance of products compared with previous solutions under the old Anglia Crown brand,” he said.