Sappi Europe has launched its Guard Pro OHS and Guard Pro OMH mono-material papers, said to be recyclable and deliver high-barrier protection without compromising production efficiency.
The new solutions are designed to help brand owners meet tightening EU packaging regulations such as the PPWR and offer a paper-based alternative to plastic and multilayer foils for fast-paced manufacturing lines.
Guard Pro OHS is a heat-sealable, high-barrier paper designed for applications such as flow-wraps, sachets and pouches. Sappi says it offers strong protection against oxygen, water vapour, grease, and MOSH/MOAH.
The barrier properties aim to help extend shelf life, preserve aroma and product quality and protect contents from contamination. Sappi adds that the paper has enhanced mechanical properties which lead to a better runnability on packaging machines.
Apparently, the paper is available in natural and gloss finishes, can be used for direct food contact and complies with toy safety standards, making it suitable for food and non-food packaging that requires secure seal integrity and safety assurance. Typical applications include snacks, dry foods, ice cream flow wrap, hygiene products and children’s items.
Guard Pro OMH offers similar barrier properties to OHS but is designed for cold-seal applications. Available in an uncoated natural and a glossy version, Sappi says it has an improved oxygen barrier compared to OHS and offers ‘excellent’ conversion results in metallization, making it ‘ideal’ for metal deposition and further conversion to ultra-high barrier applications.
Earlier this year, Kapag combined its lamination process with Sappi’s paperboard (or topliner) and barrier paper to deliver a recyclable mono-material solution for food products, designed to eliminate the need for plastic-based alternatives. Kapag’s lamination capabilities include processing materials from reel to reel with widths ranging from 5 cm to 250 cm, and finish to sheet formats up to 360 cm long.
Last month Lecta announced the expansion of its Metalvac range with the Metalvac Seal Oxygen Barrier, a metallized barrier paper aiming to meet industry demands for technical performance, industrial efficiency and sustainability. The Metalvac offers various paper grades with heat sealability and light, water vapour, oxygen and aroma barriers, as well as resistance to moisture and grease (PFAS-free).
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