Santa Maria Foodservice launches 100% recyclable Taste Packs

Santa Maria Foodservice has launched new 100% recyclable Taste Packs as "chefs continue to demand more environmentally friendly packaging from suppliers."

The new FSC-certified Tetra Pack packaging, produced with raw materials from renewable sources, will reduce Santa Maria's plastic use by 140 tonnes per year and cut their carbon footprint by a fifth, helping chefs achieve greener supply chains.

Industry demand for reduced plastic packaging hit fever pitch earlier this year when Luke Holder, joint head chef of Hartnett Holder & Co restaurant at Lime Wood hotel in Lyndhurst, Hampshire, and his #ChefsAgainstPlastic campaign went viral. Calling for more mindful use of plastic in a bid to reduce waste, Holder's message was enthusiastically supported by chefs who shared their own stories of produce being delivered in unnecessary amounts of single use plastic.

Steve Kent, marketing and business development director for Santa Maria Foodservice, said: "The industry has reached a tipping point when it comes to excessive and unnecessary plastic packaging. The new reduced plastic Taste Packs are something we've been working on for more than three years, so to have them launch at a time when there is a real and genuine demand from chefs across foodservice, it's very pleasing."

In additional efforts to make their products healthier, Santa Maria has also cut sugar and salt levels in its pre-mixed spice blends by an average of six tonnes and 10 tonnes respectively per year.

The Taste Packs began rolling out across the core range of Santa Maria Foodservice herbs, spices and blends in June and can be purchased from Santa Maria online.