'Smooth as silk' filling machine for Tofutown

Originally a small ‘hippie collective’ called Soyastern that formed in 1981, Tofutown has now become one of Europe’s leading producers of meat and dairy alternatives manufactured from plant sources.

The company uses filling technology from SIG Combibloc and uses a CFA 310 filling machine for its range of soy and rice drinks which are filled into the combiblocSlimline aseptic carton pack.

“In a single sentence, our business model is: We make foods that people like eating and drinking, without resorting to the use of animal products. We use organic raw materials such as wheat, soy beans and organic vegetables,” said company founder Bernd Drosihn, who also runs the Tofumusic record label.

“Overall, at our three German factories in Wiesbaum (Vulkaneifel), Lüneburg and now also Neukirchen in North Hesse, we make more than 110 vegetarian products - around 35% of which are exported.”

Tofutown products are available throughout North America and Australia, plus some parts of Asia and the Middle East. The product portfolio includes vegetarian sausages and burgers, tofu products, sandwich spreads, vegetarian lards and cheese, soy and rice drinks and pasta sauces.

In 2004, the company developed the world’s first whippable organic soy cream. Its cream products - as well as its rice and soy drinks - are sold in carton packs.

Tofutown initially used a co-packer to have its products filled in SIG Combibloc carton packs. Eventually, though, Drosihn decided that the company should invest in its own SIG Combibloc filling machine.

“We’ve been won over by the efficiency and flexibility of the machine. The individual processes are perfectly coordinated with one another. It runs like a toy on a slot car track - smooth as silk!” said Drosihn