AR Packaging has introduced a gas-tight pressed board tray packaging for chilled foods based on technology developed together with Stora Enso.
Modified atmosphere packaging is a new application for pressed paperboard trays. Now it has been enabled for the first time by combining Stora Enso's expertise in renewable materials with tray production expertise by CC Pack. The new gas-tight tray provides a cost-efficient and sustainable alternative to plastic trays with high proportion of renewable materials and attractive look and feel of paper. The trays are produced with new tray pressing technology, and their material is barrier coated board Trayforma by Stora Enso.
"We are pleased to see a new renewable packaging solution entering the market as a result of this cooperation. The new tray with its high renewable material content is a sustainable packaging option for chilled food products, a market segment that has been dominated by plastic so far. This is a breakthrough and will certainly gain high interest among food companies who are looking for more eco-friendly alternatives", says Henna Paakkonen-Alvim, Vice President, Innovations, Stora Enso Consumer Board Division.
"The increasing demand for sustainable packaging has led to an intensive search for a gas-tight board trays. We have invested lots of effort to develop this new packaging solution together with Stora Enso. The shape of the tray is optimised to ensure tight packs, which gives a shelf life up to 18 days, depending on the product packed. We thereby meet the needs for a wide range of chilled food products, such as fresh meat and chicken, processed meat, cheese and ready meals etc.", says Åke Larsson, Managing Director at CC Pack.
The board trays are supplied together with a matching lidding material which provides a safe seal and a barrier adapted to the packed product's needs. The trays are converted by CC Pack and the lidding material comes from Flextrus, both members of AR Packaging and situated in Sweden. AR Packaging is already running trials of the new trays with several major chilled food producers in Europe.
