Pure Flavor’s use of IFCO reusable plastic containers (RPCs) has made a positive impact for the Canada-based, vertically integrated provider of fresh produce products. In fact, after six years of collaboration, Pure Flavor’s use of IFCO RPCs now includes packaging for a wide range of products such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and eggplants.

“IFCO is a valuable partner,” says Jason Veno, packaging operations manager for Pure Flavor. “Not only do they provide us with ‘smart packaging’ that protects and cools our products extremely well, [but] they [also] maximize our operational efficiency by ensuring we have an adequate supply of RPCs year-round, even during peak growing seasons. That predictability means we can continue to serve our customers and their shoppers efficiently, effectively and on time.”

IFCO now provides Pure Flavor with over 1 million RPCs annually, used to package fresh produce at locations in San Antonio, Texas; Romulus, Mich.; and Leamington, Ontario, Canada, before being shipped to retailers throughout the United States and Canada.

“IFCO’s partnership with Pure Flavor is based on thoughtful collaboration and the shared goal of providing consumers with a constant supply of high-quality, safe, nutritious and affordable produce each and every day,” says Daniel Walsh, president, IFCO North America, Tampa, Fla. “Our RPCs are tailor-made for growers like Pure Flavor that want the best possible efficiency and sustainability for their packaging, and we are proud to work side-by-side with such a visionary company. We are also proud of our presence and expansion in the Canadian marketplace, as well as the supporting infrastructure we have established there to better serve our many Canadian customers.”

IFCO and Pure Flavor developed a forecasting model that tracks the company’s produce orders and growing seasons and ensures on-time delivery of the right number and type of RPCs throughout the year. In addition, some RPCs are stored on-site, providing the Pure Flavor operations group with greater flexibility to manage product flow.

Ongoing collaboration between Pure Flavor and IFCO will continue to optimize supply chain operations, as well as reduce the company’s environmental footprint in the months and years ahead.