From Day One: How Almeda Built Its Fresh-Cut Supply Chain Around Reusable Packaging with Tosca
While many food businesses are still figuring out how to transition from single-use packaging to reusable systems, Italian fresh-cut specialist Almeda made that decision from the very start, partnering with Tosca to build a supply chain designed for reliability, efficiency and circularity.
Milan- 27 March 2026- In fresh-cut supply chains, there is no margin for error. Products are perishable, logistics windows are tight, and retail expectations are unforgiving. It is a sector that rewards precision and punishes inefficiency. It is also a sector growing fast: according to Grand View Research, the European packaged salad market was valued at USD 4.11 billion in 2023 and is forecast to grow at 7.2 % annually through 2030, creating significant opportunities while intensifying competitive pressure across the
38 FDPP- www. fdpp. co. uk sector. Add the incoming EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation( PPWR), which is raising sustainability requirements across all food packaging, and the decisions operators make about their supply chains today carry consequences well into the future.
Almeda, a specialist in fresh-cut( IV range) products drawing on more than 50 years of entrepreneurial experience in the Italian agrifood sector, understood this from the outset. When the company was established, it made a choice that remains relatively rare in its industry: rather than starting with conventional packaging and transitioning later, Almeda built its entire logistics model around reusable transport packaging from day one. The partner it chose to make that possible was Tosca.
A strategic choice, made at the start
The decision to partner with Tosca was not driven by regulatory pressure or a cost crisis. It was driven by service quality. In a fast-moving retail environment where packaging failures can mean spoiled product, missed deliveries, or non-compliant pallets arriving at a distribution centre, Almeda needed a partner whose operational reliability matched its own. Tosca’ s close customer support and consistently high service levels provided precisely that assurance.
“ The quality of service makes the difference. Tosca’ s reliability and close customer support allow us to focus fully on our core business, with the confidence that our logistics packaging is managed efficiently and sustainably,” said