Co-creation of packaging and outsourcing of (re)packaging and logistics are key trends in the food industry, says Chris Mullie of Barias. His firm was recently voted company of the year.

Co-creation of packaging and outsourcing of (re)packaging and logistics are key trends in the food industry, says Chris Mullie of Barias. His firm was recently voted company of the year.

‘We are the extension of our customers’ production in the food industry,’ says Barias’s founder and managing director, Chris Mullie. ‘Food companies can focus on their core business: innovative product development and production.

We provide ecological packaging and share our knowledge and experience in this field.’ Barias supports companies in packaging and stocking mainly chilled and frozen food products to ensure timely, fast, flexible and efficient deliveries. ‘Government and market requirements for food safety and sustainability are becoming ever more stringent, and consumers are becoming ever more critical. It is increasingly difficult for food producers to do everything 100% themselves.’

Retail and catering sector in particular

The company, based in the Food Valley of West Flanders, mainly supplies the retail and catering sectors, and less so food companies. ‘Depending on the customer, the volume and the type of product, we adapt our packaging lines to the needs of the customers and their different marketing channels.’ Barias has a complete range of packaging machines and technologies for guaranteed quality and food safety. It goes without saying that Barias has several certificates. Companies can deliver the products in any way they like, for example one-kilogram bags of frozen vegetables to be mixed and repacked or pallet boxes with 600 kilogram bags of frozen vegetables packed in one-kilogram bags.

‘We have been voted West Flanders Company of the Year for various aspects of our operations.’ Some of them have already been mentioned. Mullie also mentions the HR policy and the far-reaching automation of the processes and putting the customer first.