Flexible branding & operational efficiency with banding for skin packaging

Zalmhuys Group, specialists in fish processing and distribution for retailers, delivers high-quality salmon products to markets worldwide. From arrival to final packaging, each product is carefully processed and prepared before being sent to retailers ready for sale, making both product quality and presentation critical to success.

To achieve a premium appearance, Zalmhuys uses skin packaging for a select portion of its salmon products. This packaging method highlights the natural appearance of the fish and maximizes product visibility on the shelf. However, while skin packaging offers clear presentation advantages, it also creates a major challenge: applying consistent and premium branding to a packaging format that is flexible, irregular, and highly product-dependent.

Given Zalmhuys Group’s high standards, only a branding solution that matched the quality of the product itself would be considered.

Following the acquisition of a company already working with banding technology, Zalmhuys Group identified an opportunity to solve this challenge. Recognizing the potential of banding for skin packaging branding, they began integrating the solution into their own packaging operations to support both premium presentation and operational efficiency.

Challenge: Branding on skinpack packaging

While skin packaging enhances product presentation, it also creates significant challenges when it comes to applying consistent branding.

One important factor is that skin packaging is not a rigid packaging format. The film tightly surrounds the product and remains flexible and soft by nature. This means that any branding solution applied to the packaging cannot rely on a fixed or stable surface to maintain its appearance and positioning.

In addition, the product itself naturally varies in size and shape. Each salmon portion differs in thickness, contours, and dimensions, causing every skin pack to have a slightly different format. Instead of a flat, standardized surface, the packaging closely follows the shape of the fish, creating an uneven and irregular structure.

The combination of flexible packaging material and product variation makes achieving consistent branding on skin packaging particularly difficult. Zalmhuys Group therefore needed a solution that could adapt to these variations, preserve product visibility, and deliver reliable branding across the entire product range.

Solution: Banding for skin packaging branding

To overcome these challenges, Zalmhuys Group implemented banding as a branding solution specifically suited to the characteristics of skin packaging.

Because the band wraps around the packaging and is sealed at the right tension, it naturally adapts to the shape of each individual product. Regardless of differences in size, thickness, or contours, the band maintains a secure and consistent fit across the entire product range.

At the same time, the band leaves most of the product uncovered, allowing the salmon to remain clearly visible. This is especially important in retail, where the appearance of the fish plays a major role in attracting customers and communicating freshness and quality.

Banding also enables 360-degree branding around the packaging. By wrapping fully around the skin pack, it creates a continuous surface for branding, retailer information, and product communication. This ensures a clean and recognizable presentation from every angle, helping products remain visually consistent and appealing on the shelf.

Another advantage is that banding does not rely on adhesives or glue applied directly to the packaging. Consumers can easily remove the band and open the skinpack without dealing with sticky labels or adhesive residue. This creates a cleaner and more efficient way of opening the packaging, further supporting the premium perception of the product.

Added Value: Branding & operational efficiency

The introduction of banding has enabled Zalmhuys Group to achieve consistent and recognizable branding across a wide range of packaging formats. Whether products are presented on a gold base, in fully transparent skin packaging, or in plastic MAP packaging, the branding remains uniform and professional, strengthening shelf impact across the entire product range.

At the same time, banding enhances the products' premium appearance. Because the band is minimal and precisely positioned, the focus remains on the fish itself, maximizing visibility and reinforcing freshness and quality. Its flexibility allows it to adapt to variations in product size and shape, ensuring a secure and consistent fit without compromising presentation.

Beyond branding, banding also plays an important role in improving operational processes. It is used to bundle fish products into stable groups, such as stacks of six, creating a more uniform and secure format for handling throughout the supply chain. In addition, banding is applied to seal small cardboard boxes, ensuring that contents remain securely in place during storage and transport.

Conclusion

By implementing banding across both packaging and logistics operations, Zalmhuys Group has developed a flexible and scalable solution that complements the unique characteristics of skin packaging.

Banding not only solves the challenge of applying reliable branding to flexible packaging formats but also enhances product visibility, improves presentation, and supports operational efficiency throughout the supply chain.

As a result, banding has become an integral part of how Zalmhuys Group delivers premium salmon products with consistent branding, strong shelf appeal, and high operational standards.