Why does Taifun tofu come in plastic packaging?
Unpackaged tofu only lasts a few days. Our tofu specialities are packaged and pasteurised so that they can well withstand all stages of trade and transportation, in order to reach you in fresh and undamaged condition. This is the only way that we can guarantee product safety.
As an ecologically oriented company, it is important to us to choose the most environmentally friendly packaging available. The bioplastics currently on the market are not sustainable alternatives:
- So far, no biodegradable foils have been developed that meet our quality standards: They must be suitable for pasteurising and capable of being refrigerated, and they must optimally protect a moist product like tofu.
- PLA packaging is often produced from genetically manipulated maize, and we are explicitly opposed to genetic engineering.
- The cultivation of maize or sugarcane for the purpose of manufacturing PLA film competes with the potential cultivation of these crops for food and animal feed.
- Compostability is only possible under certain industrial conditions that hardly occur in nature.
- Even recycling is only theoretically possible because no machines have yet been developed that are capable of sorting out and industrially recycling bioplastics.
- These materials may not be disposed of in organic waste collection bins.
More ecological than glass
We shall continue to keep track of developments in the packaging industry. In the meantime, we strive to keep our packaging as thin and light as possible and are constantly looking for ways to reduce it. At an average packaging weight of 5 grams per 200 grams of product, the foils we use are more ecological than disposable glass jars, for instance. There is (currently) no system in place for returning disposable glass jars. They can be recycled and melted down, but that is a highly energy-intensive process. Moreover, glass is much heavier, which negatively affects the carbon footprint of transport.
We have therefore chosen the most ecological and economical plastic foil available today. As soon as better alternatives appear, we will gladly consider using them for our tofu.
