
Ice cream as we know it today has a fascinating history dating back thousands of years. In ancient China, for example, there were recipes for mixing snow with honey and fruit, which could be considered the first ancestor of ice cream. In Roman times, Emperor Nero sent servants to the mountains to collect snow and mix it with honey and fruit juices to make a refreshing dessert for hot days.
Over the centuries, ice cream recipes, formats and flavors have evolved. Around the 17th century, the innovation of ice cream as we know it today began to become popular in Europe, especially in Italy and France. Nowadays, ice cream can be found in countless cuisines around the world – even in some not-so-cold climates – and is available in a wide variety of presentations, from traditional cones to sticks to more gourmet versions.
However, such a delicate product in terms of texture and temperature presents significant packaging challenges. What are these challenges and how is current technology helping us meet them?
What are the current challenges in ice cream packaging?
Ice cream packaging must not only preserve the quality of the product during storage and distribution, but also offer practical solutions adapted to its specific format. The key challenges include:
- Extreme temperatures: Since ice cream is a frozen product, the package must be able to withstand very low temperatures without compromising the integrity of the product.
- Design to fit any format: The package design must be functional, attractive and adaptable to the shape of the product, whether it is a stick, cone or tub.
- Careful handling: To maintain the quality and shape of the ice cream in the package, grippers and pick-up systems are used to avoid marking or deforming the product.
This last point is perhaps the one that has evolved the most in recent years with the increase in different types of ice cream. For example, creamy ice creams tend to have a milk or cream base, giving them a rich, smooth texture, while ice creams and sorbets are water-based, making them lighter and more refreshing – two completely different textures that require specific packaging. In addition, ice cream comes in a variety of formats, such as cones, ice creams with sticks, and tubs, each of which presents unique packaging challenges.
Our Ice Cream Packaging Solutions
ATP Packaging offers advanced solutions for the packaging of ice cream in various formats, ensuring the protection and preservation of the product from the production line until it reaches the consumer. Some of the most common applications for which we manufacture packaging machinery are:
Ice Cream Cone Packaging
Packaging ice cream cones presents unique challenges due to their delicate shape and structure. After freezing, the cones are placed in trays, which are then packaged and boxed for distribution. At ATP Packaging, we design packaging lines with pick and place systems that use vision cameras and high-speed robots to accurately identify and position the cones on the trays. The trays are automatically fed into the line by a tray denester, optimizing the workflow.
In addition, our machines are designed with washdown capabilities and stainless-steel construction, which is essential for maintaining hygienic standards when handling unpackaged frozen food.
Once the trays are complete, they are wrapped by flowpack machines and then transferred to the cartoning process. At this stage, side-load or top-load cartoners form the cartons, insert the trays and apply the hot melt to close the cartons, ensuring a strong and durable package. ATP Packaging also has carton forming and sealing machines that can be supplied as stand-alone machines.
Wrap around case packing of ice cream cartons
Once the cartons have been formed and closed, the next step is case packing, where ATP Packaging offers top-load solutions in horizontal and vertical formats to suit each customer’s requirements. To optimize space and ensure fast and efficient handling, we have the Deltawrap cell: a compact, single line, monoblock machine integrating all carton packing processes into Packmaster case. This wrap around case packer performs the feeding, grouping, forming, case packing and hot melt sealing. In addition, it is equipped with a high-precision system that includes a Cartesian manipulator or a Delta robot for case packing.
In summary, ice cream packaging requires a specialized approach that guarantees the preservation of the product, maintaining its taste and texture from the factory to the final consumer. At ATP Packaging, we are experts in designing innovative packaging solutions that not only meet hygiene requirements, but also optimize our customers’ production processes.
With our advanced pick & place, cartoning and case packing technologies, we are ready to meet any ice cream packaging challenge so that consumers can enjoy their ice cream to the fullest!