Packaging

The plastic alternative

Friday 06. March 2009 - A new way to preserve: Süpack Verpackungen GmbH from Ochsenhausen is to present two sterilisable multi-layer films, Barriere Lid and ecoterm SAV, at the Anuga FoodTec which combine the advantages of traditional preservation solutions with the benefits of modern plastic packaging.

“Sterilised, extremely long-lasting food is traditionally packaged in tin foil, glass or aluminium. Until now, plastic was hardly in a position to meet the high demands of these foods with regard to heat resistance and provision of an oxygen barrier. But now, with our solutions Barriere Lid and ecoterm SAV, we can offer the manufacturers of these products completely new packaging solutions made from 100% plastic,” says Johannes Remmele, Managing Director of Südpack Verpackungen GmbH & Co. KG. The new Südpack films not only score thanks to their excellent ease of processing, but also because they offer a clear view of the contents, extreme stability and great flexibility as far as shape and colour of the packaging are concerned.

Both types of film are suitable for pasteurisation and sterilisation and provide extremely high oxygen and hydrogen barriers. They are thus predestined for use with ready meals, baby food, preserved fruit, pet food and for other applications where both heat treatment and long-term storage at room temperature are necessary.

At the point of sale, hundreds of points speak for the Barriere Lid and ecoterm SAV. Whether the packaging should be transparent, printed or dyed, whether round, square or in unusual shapes – these plastic films are prepared for anything. “Thanks to the great design flexibility, our customers have the chance to clearly distinguish themselves from their competitors. And the greater the competition on the shelves is, the more important this freedom becomes,” says Remmele.

About Barriere Lid:
The film Barriere Lid is a special multilayered composite film with an extremely high oxygen barrier, allowing a shelf life of up to two years. It is just as suitable for use as a covering film for trays or thermoform packaging as it is as a material for tubular bags or stand-up pouches. When used as a packaging film for ready meals and baby food, the user benefits above all from the fact that the Barriere Lid is also suitable for heating products in a water bath or the microwave. Directly from the refrigerator into the microwave without the annoyance of transfer to another container – it doesn’t get any more convenient. Of course, the new film is also peelable, and thus easy to open and convenient to use. But these aren’t the only reasons that Südpack sees a correspondingly high market potential: “For preserved foods, we are seeing a trend towards stand-up pouches, which supplement the range of available goods. Barriere Lid is also a suitable material for this,” says Manfred Hoch, Head of Business Development. The stand-up pouches captivate with the eye-catching face that they turn to the customer and, at the same time, are a resource saving packaging alternative that use comparatively little material.

About ecoterm SAV:
ecoterm SAV is a rigid film that prevents so-called sterilisation shock thanks to its double barrier. This means that, even after sterilisation, the barrier is still high enough that even extremely sensitive products, such as wet dog and cat food, can be packaged in ecoterm SAV without hesitation.
ecoterm SAV offers advantages due to its flexible colour and shaping possibilities – it can be dyed in every imaginable colour or simply left transparent to provide a clear view of the product. And because plastic can be shaped especially well, even unusual packaging shapes can be realised without any difficulty.

Südpack’s preservation solutions score not only because they are eye-catching on the shelf, but also in terms of sustainability and resource-saving production: plastic retains its shape well and can even survive falling from the shelf without becoming dented. The films are transported and stored either as space-saving rolled goods or easily stackable trays. This saves on transport costs and logistics and, at the same time, protects the environment.