Sustainable Luxury for OGGI Foods’ Frozen Pizza Packaging
Netpak partnered with OGGI Foods to move a premium frozen pizza carton program into 100% recycled content while preserving the matte finish, UV spot gloss, embossing, and freezer-ready shelf presence expected from a gourmet gluten-free pizza brand.
OGGI Foods needed packaging that made sustainability feel premium
OGGI Foods brings authentic Italian tradition to the gluten-free pizza category, inspired by Naples — the city that set the gold standard for pizza. Every OGGI crust is hand-stretched, stone-baked, and crafted with premium non-GMO ingredients to deliver the taste and texture of real pizzeria-style pizza.
Known for its award-winning crusts with authentic rising air pockets — a first in the industry — OGGI combines traditional Italian techniques with modern innovation to redefine gluten-free pizza. OGGI Foods offers better-for-you pizzas without compromising on flavor, texture, or experience.2
That positioning created a packaging challenge. The carton had to support a premium frozen pizza experience while moving to recycled content. The design direction called for a sophisticated matte background, UV spot gloss for highlights, and embossing for tactile shelf impact.
For frozen food packaging, that combination is technically demanding. Recycled paperboard can behave differently than SBS during printing, varnishing, embossing, cutting, gluing, and freezer distribution. The challenge was to keep the upscale look without losing production reliability.
Why this fits Netpak
Netpak manufactures custom folding carton packaging for North American brands, including specialty finishes and sustainable paperboard options. Netpak’s product pages describe folding cartons built from custom dielines, the right substrate, and finishes matched to the product category, including FSC, PEFC, PCR recycled, and carbon-neutral board options on request.1
OGGI’s frozen pizza cartons use high-contrast black packaging, product photography, bilingual labeling, and premium finishing cues to compete in the frozen aisle.
Premium design had to survive the move to recycled board
The visual system depended on dense black coverage, high-impact food photography, strong flavor coding, and selective premium effects. Netpak’s role was to preserve that retail presence while moving the carton into 100% recycled content.
Replace SBS-level appearance without losing freezer performance
OGGI wanted sustainable frozen pizza packaging that still looked and felt like a premium retail carton. The packaging had to signal quality before the consumer picked up the box.
100% recycled content
The carton needed to move away from traditional SBS while preserving the visual quality, print stability, and converting performance expected from premium frozen food packaging.
Matte, UV gloss, embossing
The design required a matte background, targeted UV spot gloss, and embossing. These finishing choices had to stay crisp on recycled paperboard.
Retail and freezer durability
The carton had to protect the product, maintain shelf presence, and support frozen food distribution where condensation, handling, and storage conditions create additional stress.
A recycled paperboard carton engineered for premium frozen pizza packaging
Netpak sourced FSC and PEFC-aligned recycled paperboard options and developed a production approach that could reproduce the visual strength OGGI expected from premium SBS-style packaging. FSC explains that its recycled label verifies reclaimed or recycled paper material, while PEFC chain-of-custody certification provides credible proof of responsible and traceable fibre sourcing.3,4
The carton used advanced offset printing, matte base coverage, targeted UV spot gloss, and embossing to create contrast between the background and key brand elements. Netpak also worked closely with its ink supplier to develop varnish and ink formulations suited to the recycled substrate.
That supplier collaboration mattered. Recycled board can require different ink laydown, drying, adhesion, varnish behavior, and embossing pressure than conventional SBS. The print system had to deliver vibrant color, freezer-ready durability, and premium shelf appeal without compromising production repeatability.
How the recycled premium carton moved from concept to production
Design consultation
Netpak worked with OGGI to translate the “secret in the crust” brand direction into a carton system built around matte dominance, selective gloss, and tactile highlights.
Substrate and ink testing
Recycled board samples were tested with custom ink and varnish formulations to balance color, adhesion, gloss response, and embossing performance.
Prepress and finishing
Prepress controlled the print file, varnish areas, embossing zones, and production tolerances before scale-up into offset printing and die-cutting.
JIT and 3PL execution
Netpak supported on-demand production, 3PL warehousing, and coordinated delivery support to streamline packaging supply.
Die-cutting and tooling control helped translate OGGI’s recycled premium carton design into repeatable production.
Finishing quality depends on disciplined converting
Matte coverage, UV spot gloss, embossing, and recycled board performance all depend on accurate tooling and controlled conversion. Netpak’s production process supported the premium finish while keeping the carton suitable for frozen food packaging conditions.
Premium frozen food packaging with a lower-material-impact profile
The OGGI Foods project shows how custom folding carton packaging can combine sustainability, visual quality, production control, and logistics efficiency without reducing shelf impact.
100% recycled board
The carton moved into recycled content while maintaining the premium print and finishing effects required for a high-quality frozen pizza brand.
Matte, gloss, and embossing
The matte background created a premium base, while UV spot gloss and embossing added contrast, product cueing, and tactile differentiation.
JIT production
On-demand production helped reduce excess inventory and packaging waste while keeping carton supply aligned with OGGI’s production schedule.
3PL support
3PL warehousing and coordinated delivery support streamlined packaging supply while reducing storage pressure for OGGI.
3PL support helped reduce inventory pressure
Netpak’s 3PL warehousing and coordinated delivery support streamlined packaging supply for OGGI. The program helped keep cartons available for production while reducing the need to hold excess packaging inventory.
Warehousing and logistics support helped align frozen pizza carton availability with OGGI’s production needs.
Performance impact from the Netpak and OGGI packaging program
According to project feedback shared between Netpak and OGGI Foods, the redesigned frozen pizza packaging delivered a reported 25% lift in shelf take-rate during initial retail testing, with retail feedback pointing to the premium matte, UV spot gloss, and embossed finish as a key driver of frozen-aisle attention.9
Why the results matter
Frozen pizza packaging has to work in the production system and the retail freezer. OGGI’s redesigned carton supported retail presentation and helped strengthen the brand’s premium sustainability positioning in the frozen pizza category.
Certified systems behind premium recycled food packaging
The OGGI project relied on more than design execution. It required supplier controls for food packaging, traceability, certified material sourcing, and repeatable production. Netpak’s certification base supports those requirements.
Netpak recently achieved BRCGS AA+ under unannounced audit conditions, the highest unannounced grade format under the BRCGS protocol. For frozen food brands, that matters because packaging suppliers are evaluated on live production discipline, material control, hygiene, traceability, and corrective action systems.5,10
FSC and PEFC options support the recycled and certified-board strategy, while BRCGS Packaging Materials certification gives buyers an additional level of supplier assurance for food packaging programs.
Certification fit for the OGGI project
- 1FSC and PEFC options support responsible paperboard sourcing and recycled-content claims.
- 2BRCGS Packaging Materials supports food packaging supplier qualification.
- 3BRCGS AA+ reflects unannounced audit performance under live operating conditions.
Netpak supports frozen food packaging programs with certified sourcing options, BRCGS-audited production systems, and documentation aligned to each approved production specification.
Recycled premium packaging aligned with OGGI’s better-for-you positioning
OGGI’s brand is built around gluten-free frozen pizza and ingredient-focused positioning.2 A recycled premium carton supports that positioning because the packaging communicates quality and sustainability before the consumer opens the box.
The move to recycled board also fits broader packaging expectations. FSC notes that recycled paper materials help keep material in production instead of sending it to landfill, and PEFC describes chain-of-custody certification as a way to provide traceable sourcing assurance for forest-based packaging.3,4
For brands in frozen food packaging, this is the useful standard. Sustainability needs to be visible, credible, and compatible with the actual performance demands of cold-chain packaging.
A frozen pizza packaging system built across multiple SKUs
The packaging system had to hold together across classic, vegetarian, plant-based, and cauliflower crust products while preserving OGGI’s premium frozen pizza shelf presence.
Cauliflower Crust Twin Pack
Veggitaly
Siciliana Beyond Sausage
Americana Beyond Beef
Costco Margherita 2-Pack
Quattro FormaggiWhat this case study shows about Netpak’s frozen food packaging specialty
The OGGI Foods project demonstrates Netpak’s ability to deliver sustainable frozen food packaging, recycled premium paperboard cartons, high-end finishing, JIT production, 3PL support, and certified supplier assurance in one program.
When to involve Netpak early
- 1Your frozen food carton needs recycled or certified paperboard.
- 2You want premium matte, UV spot gloss, embossing, window patching, or specialty finishing.
- 3You need freezer-ready packaging that performs in production, storage, shipping, and retail display.
- 4Your team wants JIT production, warehousing, and logistics support to reduce inventory pressure.
- 5Your procurement or QA team needs supplier certification, traceability, and food packaging controls.
What to send for a project review
- 1Current dieline, carton dimensions, and product format.
- 2Frozen food packaging requirements, including freezer exposure and expected shelf life.
- 3Board preference, recycled content target, FSC or PEFC requirements.
- 4Finishing goals, including matte coating, UV spot gloss, embossing, foil, window patching, or specialty varnish.
- 5Production volume, launch date, warehouse needs, and delivery cadence.
- 6Any retailer, food packaging, sustainability, or certification requirements tied to the program.
Request a premium frozen food packaging review
Send Netpak your frozen food carton specifications, recycled board targets, finish requirements, certification needs, production volumes, and logistics requirements. Ask for a review of structure, substrate, print method, coatings, embossing, JIT production, 3PL support, and supplier documentation before finalizing your packaging program.
Sources
- Netpak, Custom Folding Carton Packaging and Sustainable Paperboard Options. https://www.netpak.com/en/products/
- OGGI Foods, Authentic Italian Gluten-Free Foods and Pizza Product Information. https://www.oggifoods.com/
- Forest Stewardship Council, Paper and Packaging, FSC Recycled Label. https://fsc.org/en/businesses/paper-packaging
- PEFC, Packaging and Chain of Custody Certification. https://www.pefc.org/for-business/pefc-and-key-sectors/packaging
- BRCGS, Packaging Materials Standard. https://www.brcgs.com/our-standards/packaging-materials/
- Netpak, Packaging Quality and Certifications. https://www.netpak.com/en/packaging-services/quality-certifications/
- Netpak, Paperboard Grades for Folding Cartons. https://www.netpak.com/en/products/paperboard-grades/
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Food Types and Conditions of Use for Food Contact Substances. https://www.fda.gov/food/packaging-food-contact-substances-fcs/food-types-conditions-use-food-contact-substances
- Internal Netpak and OGGI Foods project feedback, approved case-study performance claims, including 25% shelf take-rate lift, 22% packaging spend reduction, 30% inventory holding reduction, 16% year-over-year waste savings, and Netpak recycling over 2.5 million pounds of folding carton material in 2024–2025.
- BRCGS, Position Statement and Protocol on Unannounced Audits. https://www.brcgs.com/media/rahl2upy/brcgs079-ps-and-protocol-on-unannounced-audits-meeting-the-gfsi-benchmark-v6-24-07-2024.pdf