ICA Fill & Seal Solution
ICA President Cesare Rapparini showing European Union officials ICA’s compostable ring
Identifying the right machine for the task is critical, explains president and c.e.o. Tom Martin. “The new facility is a key component of our strategic decision to continuously reinvest in Pod Pack’s excellence in service, quality, and innovation,” he said.
In a facility this size “100 a minute will not get it done” says ICA USA business development director Philip Angus. Roasters don’t have millions to spend on machines so they settle for small machines, inexpensive machines, some that don’t meet safety or sanitation standards, he said.
ALSO: Pods Perform
Making coffee that is convenient but not that good is not good enough.
“Consumers like the convenience, but not if it does not fit the expected taste profile,” he explains. Much of this is cultural, he says. In Europe, especially in Italy, pods are seen as both convenient and “they make a high-quality cup.”
Pressing an in-home espresso maker, squeezing, and discarding pods may not be as simple as loading a K-Cup, pushing a button and tossing it in the trash, “but hard capsules are not environmentally friendly.” Compostable rings are certified by the European Union and overwraps made of compostable films are readily available and not that expensive. Machine innovations meet the standard for efficient production at high speed for pods that enable ideal extraction at a reasonable cost, says Angus.