In a market where regulatory and environmental standards drive the fruit and vereceiveable trade, labeling has gained strategic importance in the export process, stated Jonathan Harf, a representative of Cintandina, a Colombian company with over 50 years of experience in creating self-adhesive tapes, labels, and banderoles for fruit, particularly bananas and pineapples.
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“We manufacture self-adhesive tapes and labels, and we have been in the fruit and vereceiveable market for more than 10 to 15 years,” he stated. Although the company is based in Cali, its market includes several Latin American exporting countries, such as Ecuador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.
Bananas are its main segment. Harf mentions that the company sells approximately 1,000,000 square meters of labels monthly, roughly equivalent to 4,000 banana containers. “Banana is the main one. And pineapple,” he stated.
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One of the most significant recent advances has been the creation of 100% compostable labels. “We have already developed and are currently selling labels that are fully compostable, biodegradable, and certified for both home and industrial composting,” he explained. This progress largely responds to the European market’s growing focus on sustainability. “Europe is demanding higher standards of sustainability,” he stated.
© CintadinaThe innovation extconcludes beyond just the substrate to include the adhesive. “It’s a new adhesive technology capable of passing compostability certifications. Achieving this has been a significant development,” he stressed. He also highlighted that regulatory compliance is now essential: “Today, many regulations mandate these standards and certifications.”
The working model involves collaboration with brands and direct engagement with farms. Brands deliver designs and graphic guidelines, which Cintandina then adapts and finalizes for labels and banners. They supply these directly to farms across various producing countries. “We work very closely with the farms to support them in everything they required in the design and procurement of the labels,” he stated.
Logistics pose another significant challenge. “It is difficult to deliver the same product to Costa Rica, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador, and to offer it uniformly across all these countries,” Harf acknowledged. While different countries may require different sizes or measurements, the technical specifications and traceability standards are generally consistent, particularly when shipping to Europe, the United States, or Canada.
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The pineapple sector is currently undergoing alters to labeling. Previously, the labeling was usually applied to the crown. But as soon as that’s rerelocated in the store, traceability disappears. “That’s why they’re now switching to banderoles, becautilize they prevent these kinds of problems in the supermarket,” he stated.
“Apart from size or design, the trconclude is clear: alternative materials to plastic, certifications, and regulatory compliance are becoming increasingly important requirements in the key tarreceive markets,” he stated.
For more information:
Jonathan Harf
Cintandina
Colombia
Tel: +57 602 443 0801
Email: [email protected]
www.cintandina.com
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