Packaging - making life easy and tasty

Today's cash-rich/time-poor generation is making particular demands on food manufacturers. They are health aware, and want good food, but equally they lack time for food preparation, needing products that can be made ready for almost immediate consumption. Furthermore, the increased tendency towards single living is driving demand for smaller portions. However, the convenience factor also presents an opportunity for manufacturers to add value to smaller food portions. The doors are open for packaging machinery and materials manufacturers to generate new concepts in convenience packaging that can be efficiently realised.

A hot new concept

The Eatwell company manufactures the Feaster range of microwaveable products, including beef burgers, chicken burgers, breakfast baps and hot baguettes. It has recently commissioned Multivac to supply equipment for the on-site manufacturing of trays. The company is now using the R530 thermoformer in conjunction with the Multivac MR direct film printing system. This enables variable information to be printed directly on the pre-printed film.

Thereafter, a base label is affixed to the pack using Multivac's MR cross-web labelling machine, which labels the pack before it comes off the end of the packaging line. Multivac claims that the new packs are lighter than the premade trays that were previously used. The company also states that the machine can realise an output of 200 packs per minute from a single line. The on-site tray manufacture enables the company to produce the packaging at the same rate as the product. Multivac also believes that one pallet of film for tray manufacturing on the thermoformer equates to 15 pallets of premanufactured trays, thereby reducing warehouse storage requirements.

Dispensing with tradition

Marmite yeast extract has been a British institution since 1902, being supplied in a traditional round jar. However, Seaquist Closures was recently commissioned to increase the convenience factor of the dispensing system. The product is now available in a round, squeezable bottle, which stands top-down on a bespoke yellow cap designed and manufactured by Seaquist Closures.

Seaquist claims that the flip-top closure helps maintain the stability of the tube. The tube also incorporates the SimpliSqueeze silicone valve system for dispensing. When finger pressure is released, the valve reseals to ensure clean product cut-off.

Sealing up the trays

Cheshire-based Packaging Automation has supplied a Vision 400 tray sealer, together with with tooling and conveying equipment, to the ready-meals manufacturer Headland, located at Flint. The company packs ready-meals for the airline sector. Headland initially hired the Vision 400. However, the company secured the long-term customers' order, thereafter purchasing conveying equipment and finally deciding to purchase the Vision 400.

The Vision 400 is an automatic tray-sealer. Packaging Automation claims that it can achieve speeds of 21 cycles per minute, with minimal downtime for tooling changeover. The system can realise atmospheric, MAP-F, MAP-V and high oxygen flushing, making it suitable for a wide range of meat, poultry, vegetables, and convenience foods. It can seal plain or printed film to CPET, APET, aluminium foil, polypropylene, PVC and board.

The heat-sealing machinery producer Proseal has developed and installed a bespoke tray-packing system for fresh fruit salad at a major fruit processing factory. Each of the three integrated lines comprises an automatic tray denester, Fastrax product delivery conveyor, filling conveyor, Proseal GT1 tray sealer, and outfeed conveyor, incorporating the label printer, label verification system, checkweigher and metal detector. Proseal has also launched Proline-M line management software, which can adopt a wide range of communication protocols, including RS232 and RS485, and open network connectivity.

Proseal states that these new lines can operate at a maximum rate of 60 trays per minute. The Fastrax product delivery system is designed to ensure constant product availability at each station, whilst the automatic tray denester uses a fibre-optic system. Two average weight-checking stations check each tray prior to sealing in the Proseal GT1, featuring a film feed system. The GT1 also incorporates a thermal transfer printer for film coding.

The extended outfeed conveyor can be used to facilitate application of a clip-on lid. The trays then pass through a label printer-applicator, which can apply to the top or base of the packs as required, followed by label verification, metal detection and checkweighing, with a final reject station. The entire tray-packing and sealing operation takes place in the 'High Care' area of the factory. A linked belt system then transfers the sealed and labelled packs to the 'Low Care' area for subsequent case-packing and despatch. No part of the belts from the High Care area run into the Low Care section.

Pressure-sensitive film

Sensor Products has launched Pressurex, a pressure-indicating sensor film, designed to indicate compression magnitude and distribution between any two mating or contacting surfaces used when manufacturing convenience packs. Pressurex assists with quality control for such applications as validation and calibration of sealing die pressure. It also helps reveal weak spots, channels and wrinkles on the sealing surface. When placed between two contacting surfaces, the film instantaneously and permanently changes colour, the density being directly proportional to the actual pressure applied.

Weighing out gourmet ingredients

Launched in 2005, the Look What We Found range from Tanfield Food is described as 'gourmet food for busy people', comprising ready-meals, soups and pour-over sauces. All recipes feature ingredients from small-scale specialist producers. The manufacturers claim that customers can produce restaurant-quality food at home in minutes.

The freshly-prepared dishes, such as Smoked Haddock Pottage with Nadine Potatoes and Saffron, are packed in lightweight pouches. Following filling, these are slow-cooked in traditional steam pressure cookers. The company purchased the Ishida CCW-NZ-106 Fresh Food Weigher (FFW) to weigh the main ingredients for each recipe, including meat, fish and vegetables. According to Tanfield, product giveaway has been reduced from around 3g to less than 0.5g. Using Ishida's multihead weighing technology, the computer selects the combination of hoppers that most closely match the target weight. A set of booster hoppers beneath the weigh-hoppers hold the product not initially selected by the computer. This enables the weigh-hoppers to accept more product, thereafter generating additional weight combinations. Ishida claims that this enhances weighing speed and accuracy.

Target weights for each individual recipe ingredient are stored in the PLC of the FFW. Tanfield also requested a second set of hoppers and belts, enabling the machine to operate whilst the other set is being cleaned. Ishida claims that changeover can be undertaken in under 30 minutes.

Keeping cheese fresh

Dairy Crest has equipped its new factory at Nuneaton with three new PFM flow-wrappers to realise zipper-style reclosable packs of cheese portions, principally Cathedral City, its main UK cheddar brand. This is the largest order for PFM zipper packs received to date.

PFM claims that the new BG2800 Zip machines can realise modified atmosphere packs (MAP) of 200-800g at maximum outputs of 150PPM. The system incorporates a multi-die cross-sealing system that realises approximately ten times the dwell time of conventional MAP machines, according to the company. The reclosable zipper profile can be fed continuously, being incorporated securely in the cross-seals, rather than being cut to length and placed between the cross-seal positions.

By working with Dairy Crest and the Dutch project management company VM Engineering, PFM has modified the BG2800 Zip machines so that zipper profile can be added in both continuous or cut-to-length mode. The machines are also able to produce lap-seal reclosable packs, incorporating adhesive tape, and conventional fin-seal pillow packs.

Different closing strategies

The pâté manufacturer Hamé, based in the Czech Republic, has launched a range of products in two-piece 73mm diameter steel bowls that incorporate Easy Peel closures from Impress. Previously, the company had used a standard sanitary end that had to be opened with a can-opener. Both the body and lid are decorated with six-colour printing. Hamé has launched four varieties in these 100g containers, which Impress claims convey a 'fresh' image, reminiscent of products found in the chill cabinet. The bowls can also be served directly at the table. The new cans and ends are produced by Impress Znojmo and were launched to the Czech market earlier this year. Pavel Hron, Impress' Key Account Manager for Hamé, also commented that: "The new end is 50 per cent lighter than a standard end."

Brand new packs

RPC Barrier Containers France is supplying plastic cups for a range of products supplied in French school canteens. The local education authorities responsible for running the canteens wanted to introduce new packaging for a variety of food products, including salads and desserts. They approached RPC Barrier Containers France, who quickly recognised that the white barrier cups would deliver a solution. Thermoformed in PP/EVOH/PP, which is claimed to provide barrier protection against oxygen ingress for a longer ambient product life, the 80ml and 140ml white cups are filled and sterilised before being closed with aluminium film and labelled.

ANL Plastics has launched Visiopac, a patented dome pack made from PET or PP that hermetically seals the base and lid. According to ANL, the Visiopac can be used for ready-meals, pastry, poultry, fish and salads. The dome pack is hermetically closed using a sealing ring, which can be printed. The company believes that consumers will then be confident that their meal has been preserved. The Visiopac concept can also be easily opened and reclosed. The pack can be used for cold and warm preparations and may be microwaved. A range of special variants is also available, such as the VisiOpacAlu, which comprises a smooth wall aluminium base with a PET lid, permitting traditional cooking in the aluminium foil tray.

New opportunities and solutions

It's great to upset the status quo, and the trend towards convenience is doing just that. New demands are resulting in the evolution of new products, and different types of packaging are required. These need to embody consumer convenience, impart the required barrier qualities, operate as a marketing tool and have environmental qualities. Machinery and materials manufacturers are thus collaborating to develop new concepts that are fit for today's scenario.

Eatwell purchased a Multivac R530 thermoformer for the on-site manufacturing of trays On-site manufacturing is more efficient The Czech pâté manufacturer Hamé has launched a range of products in two-piece steel bowls that incorporate Easy Peel closures from Impress Easy peeling RPC Barrier Containers France is supplying plastic cups for a range of fresh products supplied in French school canteens French fresh foodservice The flip-top closure for the new Marmite dispenser helps maintain tube stability Stable tube for Marmite Tanfield Food has installed the Ishida CCW-NZ-106 Fresh Food Weigher, claiming that product giveaway has reduced from around 3g to less than 0.5g Reducing product giveaway