For the Floor: Packaging Materials

FoodProcessing.com

Keywords: "packaging materials", DuPont, Cryovac, "Sealed Air", Multivac, Elopak, "M&Q Packaging", Curwood, "IPL Packaging", Ticona, "Ampac Flexibles", Flexicon, "Rock-Tenn Co." and "Tray Pack Corp."

A new, DuPont-sponsored survey found that nearly three quarters of U.S. consumers (72 percent) are willing to pay more for improved food and beverage packaging that guarantees freshness. This roundup of packaging materials will help processors meet consumers' expectations.

Award-winning films

Cryovac OS Films garnered a gold award for technical innovation, while the Cryovac 805 Whole Chicken bag and LID 551P lidding film and package received silver awards in the same category at the Flexible Packaging Assn. Achievement Awards early this year. Cryovac OS Films are a proprietary oxygen scavenging technology. The Cryovac 805 Whole Chicken package is a hermetically sealed vacuum bag that is leak-resistant and virtually eliminates retailers’ concerns about wet, sticky packages in the retail display case and at the checkout counter. Created for the case-ready market, the LID551P trap-printed, peelable lidding film and packaging offers numerous benefits for whole muscle meats, including extended shelf life and merchandising appeal.

Cryovac div., Sealed Air; Duncan, S.C.
800-845-3456; www.cryovac.com.

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Now serving

Serve Box packaging consists of a table-ready rigid plastic tray, sealed with a transparent plastic dome lid. The reclosable tray can be custom-sized and formed to suit the dimensions of the product while holding it in place. Additionally, it can also be gas flushed for MAP applications to extend shelf life. The interior bottom surface of the tray is formed in a wafer pattern to promote proper circulation of the inert gas around the product. It features a tear corner and is designed for stacking for shipment and display.

Multivac Inc.; Kansas City, Mo.
800-800-8552; www.multivac.com.

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Curve appeal

Neilson Dairy’s Oh!, the first milk to offer DHA omega-3 fatty acids, also became the first in North America to use the Pure-Pak Curve carton. The carton’s distinguishing feature is a curved fifth panel, a good message display space, that makes it stand out from traditional gabletop cartons. Otherwise, the paperboard materials are familiar and proven. The cartons are available in several sizes and incorporate a screw cap.

Elopak Inc.; New Hudson, Mich.
248-486-4600; www.elopak.com.

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The incredible shrinking…

The MQ501 heat shrinkable polyester cook-in bags are clear plastic bags that can withstand oven temperatures as high as 400°F and are used by meat packers and foodservice processors to prepare turkey breast, chicken breast and whole-muscle red meats. Shrink properties can be tailored to meet specific requirements and can range from 10-40 percent. The bags come in a variety of sizes and styles.

M&Q Packaging; Schuylkill Haven, Pa.
800-600-3068; www.mqplastics.com.

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Say cheese

Two new flexible packaging films with easy-to-open access and longer shelf life are especially suited for cheese makers. These products include packaging for soft specialty cheeses such as fresh mozzarella, chunk/sliced respiring natural cheeses and bulk shredded cheese. Curpolene 7019 film offers an alternative for the packaging of chunk or sliced carbon dioxide-respiring cheeses such as Swiss, Emmental and Gruyere type cheeses. For bulk shredded cheese, the new Curpolene 7195 film meets the demand.

Curwood div., Bemis Co.; Oshkosh, Wis.
920-303-7362; www.curwood.com.

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Hip to be square

A new line of clear Shure-Lock square containers incorporate the In-Mold Labeling (IML) injection process. The containers feature a square shape that allows retailers to maximize cubic space. This line offers a space efficient solution for packaging, protecting and displaying a wide variety of food products including: deli products like prepared salads, salsa, hummus and fruit; and dairy products like specialty and grated cheese. The containers also feature the Shure-Lock food safety system.

IPL Packaging; Saint-Damien, Quebec, Canada
418-789-2880; www.ipl-packaging.com.

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Cost-effective COC

A new grade of Topas COC (cyclic olefin copolymer) for packaging applications, Topas 8007F-100 provides a broad processing window as a blending component in polyethylene-based packaging films to add stiffness, thermoformability, controlled tear, improved sealing and anti-block characteristics. Additionally, it complies with U.S. and EU food contact regulations and has been evaluated in commercial programs. It can be used in packaging applications and markets including flexible food packaging, blister packs, medical overwraps, pouches, forming webs and shrink films, as well as rigid packaging applications such as medical bottles, vials and syringes.