Stora Enso is the first packaging board manufacturer in the world to acquire a Xeikon digital printing machine for board packaging for its research centre in Imatra, Eastern Finland. Testing of digital printing on the different grades of board was started on company's printing machine in February 2000. The digital printing machine was supplied by Stora Enso's long-term cooperation partner Xeikon N.V. of Belgium.

Europe's biggest forest industry concern, Stora Enso, is launching the new Performa CTMP product family on the market this summer. CTMP combines the best properties of folding box board (FBB) and Solid Bleached Sulphate board (SBS), thus creating a completely new category of packaging board to meet market demand. The new boards have been developed especially for packaging products that are sensitive to tainting. Thanks to its structure Performa CTMP is expected to bring savings of 10-20% for the packaging industry compared with conventional packaging materials states the company.

Good aroma barrier properties and a long shelf-life are crucial factors in the packaging of spices. Traditionally, spices have been placed in glass jars and even the board packs currently in use include an aluminium laminate. McCormick has adopted a new type of spice packaging on the Finnish market. This is the aluminium-free Performa CTMP board provided with Ensobarr coating which is said to guarantee spices a shelf-life of three years and good aroma-, moisture- and UV-protection properties.

The market for milk-based desserts is undergoing a period of tough competition between different brands. New brands and flavour combinations appear on supermarket shelves every month. Valio, one of the Nordic countries' dairy giants, stands out clearly from the competition with its packaging choice. The company's Fanny line of custards is packaged in half-litre gable-top cartons from which the custard is easy to serve into dessert bowls.

The board used for packaging hot liquids such as soup must be able to withstand hot filling and heating in a microwave oven, and ensure the shelf life of the contents. Once a difficult problem to solve, Stora Enso is now able to offer a solution to these demands.