The manufacturer of starch trays, MFG Tray, unveils its deep-rooted mission to eliminate wood starch trays in the manufacturing of gummy confectionery.
MFG’s mission is to eliminate wood starch trays in confectionery processing with new light weight starch trays. The manufacturer of reinforced composite starch trays, MFG Tray, is on a mission to eliminate wood starch trays in the manufacturing of gummy confectionery. MFG Tray’s new patent pending, newly designed, lighter weight starch tray will provide many of the benefits of the current trays. These benefits include dimensional stability, cleanability and long life at a reduced cost. This will enable customers who have, in the past, thought that composites were too expensive to enjoy the benefits of composite trays at a competitive price for wood.
Wood is dead. Now in 2022, MFG Tray is offering a new seamless moulded design, lighter weight starch tray with the same benefits as our current composite trays but at a reduced cost – competitive to wood.
- Price competitive
- Weight equivalent
- Secure stacking
- Consistent drying time
- Compatible with high-speed machines
- Expels moisture and starch residue
- Easy integration with standard FRP or wood
How our story begins
In the early 1970s, MFG Tray found a gap in the confectionery industry, the need for a tray that lasted longer, was easy to clean and available at a reasonable price. In response to this need, the first composite starch tray was born. Before the introduction of the company’s composite trays, the only product available was wood trays, which has been the standard for many years. However, this product certainly has its problems. The sole reason for the development of the MFG composite starch tray was that the company knew it had the experience and knowledge to provide a tray that would generate a more efficient process for confectionery operations.
For example, wood trays shed wood fibres into the starch as they travel through machines. They also often become jammed in machines because of their five-piece construction that allows them to move around. This results in substantial amounts of downtime and loss of production and efficiency. To add to the list of the downfalls of a wood tray, they typically only have a useful life of around two years – it is not unusual to replace up to 10% of such trays every year. Wood trays simply could not be cleaned. The sole reason for the development of the MFG composite starch tray was that the company knew it had the experience and knowledge to provide a tray that would be both cleanable and durable.
The benefits of using the composite trays were quickly recognised. The only noticeable drawback was that the new product was costing roughly 1.5x the cost of traditional wood trays. As more companies tried the trays, this issue went away as they began to realise that the increase in production that was achieved, and not having to constantly replace the wood trays, made them have the best value.
Read more of this article in our latest edition here: March 2022 Single Issue form – International Confectionery Magazine (in-confectionery.com)
Media contact
Roshini Bains,
Editor, International Confectionery
Tel: +44 (0) 1622 823 922
Email: editor@in-confectionery.com
