A gourmet condiment begins in the bottle. The bottle tells the product’s story on the shelf, but it doesn’t follow it everywhere: at trade shows, during sampling events, and in the U.S. market — which demands single-serving portions — a different format is needed. This is the point at which packaging ceases to be merely a container and becomes a product decision.
This is where the collaboration between Acetum and Encanto Nutraceutical began: bringing the Mazzetti l’Originale branded glaze to market in single-serving format, and doing so with a partner capable of overseeing both the packaging design and the packaging process. This initial project quickly expanded — in just a few steps — from the condiment to Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI.
Who is Acetum?
Acetum S.p.A. Società Benefit is the world’s leading producer of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI in terms of production and export volumes. Headquartered in Cavezzo, in the province of Modena, the company has over 270 employees and distributes its products in more than sixty countries. Among its brands, Mazzetti l’Originale represents the premium segment: a gourmet line that is 100% Italian.
Since 2022, the company has been a Benefit Corporation — a legal structure that incorporates purposes of common benefit into its articles of incorporation alongside the goal of profit — and since 2023, it has been B Corp certified, the first company in its sector to earn this recognition from B Lab. These are two distinct concepts that are often confused: the first is a statutory choice, while the second is a third-party certification subject to periodic verification. Both influence how Acetum selects its suppliers.
From Formatting to Co-packing
It all started with a specific request: a long-standing customer asked for Mazzetti l’Originale frosting in single-serving portions for the U.S. market. The first batch was produced in response to this request, which also provided an opportunity to standardize the sample packets used at trade shows.
«This collaboration stems from a specific need: the launch of Mazzetti l’Originale-branded Glassa sachets with Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI on the U.S. market, in response to a request from one of our long-standing clients. We took advantage of this first order to expand production of the single-serving sachets used at trade shows as samples to let people try our product. For these, Encanto not only handled the packaging but also provided the additional service of applying labels, ensuring optimized production times and costs.»
The technical distinction matters. La Glassa is a condiment made with Aceto Balsamico di Modena PGI, not a PGI product: it contains the certified vinegar but does not qualify under the same regulations. Keeping this in mind isn’t nitpicking, because this is precisely the direction the collaboration will take in the next step.
Why choose a Local Co-packer?
When asked how Encanto Nutraceutical was chosen, Acetum’s response lists three criteria: quality standards, experience with similar products, and geographic proximity.
«As part of our search for reliable suppliers capable of ensuring high quality standards, we came into contact with Encanto through an internal referral. From our very first meeting, we were impressed by both their geographic proximity, something we value highly—and their proven experience in packaging similar products. This allowed us to find a partner capable of effectively meeting our production needs.»
For a company that exports nearly all of its production, choosing a packaging provider just a few kilometers away is not merely a matter of logistical convenience. It aligns with the B Corp identity — supporting local businesses is one of the goals for the common good enshrined in the bylaws — and ties into emissions reporting along the supply chain, where upstream transportation is a key metric, not a minor detail.
There is also a requirement that, for Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI, makes proximity non-negotiable: the rules governing the protection of the designation require that packaging take place within the production area. Here, a matter of principle and a regulatory requirement ultimately coincide.
Gourmet Glaze with Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI, in a 3-sided Single-dose Sachet, 7 ml
For the Mazzetti l’Originale brand Glaze made with Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI, Encanto chose a single-dose sachet sealed on three sides: a format created by folding and heat-sealing a laminated film that provides a high barrier against moisture, light, and oxygen. The three-sided seal ensures superior structural strength — thanks to the folded base, which provides greater support — and minimizes the number of seams, thereby increasing the reliability of the seal.
Gourmet Glaze with Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI,
in a 3-sided Single-dose Sachet, 7 ml
For the Mazzetti l’Originale brand Glaze made with Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI, Encanto chose a single-dose sachet sealed on three sides: a format created by folding and heat-sealing a laminated film that provides a high barrier against moisture, light, and oxygen. The three-sided seal ensures superior structural strength — thanks to the folded base, which provides greater support — and minimizes the number of seams, thereby increasing the reliability of the seal.
Gourmet Glaze with Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI, in a 3-sided Single-dose Sachet, 7 ml
For the Mazzetti l’Originale brand Glaze made with Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI, Encanto chose a single-dose sachet sealed on three sides: a format created by folding and heat-sealing a laminated film that provides a high barrier against moisture, light, and oxygen. The three-sided seal ensures superior structural strength — thanks to the folded base, which provides greater support — and minimizes the number of seams, thereby increasing the reliability of the seal.
From Glaze to Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI
«With Encanto, we developed the packaging for the glaze made with Mazzetti l’Originale brand Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI, initially as a test in various markets. We are currently expanding our collaboration to include the production of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI as well.»
The scope changes. Packaging a PGI product is not simply an extension of packaging a condiment that contains it: compliance with the product specifications and oversight by the certifying body are required. Encanto Nutraceutical is CSQA-certified as a bottler of Aceto Balsamico di Modena PGI: it is this certification that makes it possible to transition from the first batch of sachets to the protected designation product without changing suppliers. The partner who developed the packaging format already meets the requirements necessary for the PGI designation.
Being a supplier to a B Corp
There is one aspect of this collaboration that affects anyone who works as a contract packager. In 2024, Acetum engaged fifty strategic suppliers — of raw materials and packaging — in an ESG assessment process that included dedicated questionnaires and feedback workshops. Maintaining B Corp certification also depends on this.
For a co-packer, this means one specific thing: the supply doesn’t end with the delivered product. It falls within a scope that is measured, documented, and reviewed with each recertification cycle. This is the direction the food and nutraceutical sectors are taking together — at different paces, but in line with the 2026 regulatory deadlines regarding packaging and environmental claims.
In this scenario, a packaging company’s reliability is not merely claimed — it is demonstrated through the certifications it holds, the inspections it undergoes, and the evidence it is able to provide to the client.
If you’re considering the format and partner for single-serving packaging of a condiment or a product with a protected designation of origin, please talk to us.
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