SEE (Sealed Air Corporation) and Bradbury’s Cheese have announced the CRYOVAC AutoWrap Lite system, said to reduce plastic usage by up to 65% compared to traditional thermoformed packs.
The new system is said to minimize packaging material - using approximately 2 grams for 200 grams of cheese – and extend the shelf-life of products to almost 100 days. It also aims to enhance productivity with its increased line speed and eliminate the need for expensive gases by effectively vacuuming out oxygen.
In 2022, Bradbury’s Cheese conducted two successful trials with the AutoWrap Lite system to test its efficacy. Sealed Air says the trials confirmed extended shelf-life across various cheeses, with the second trial ensuring no disruption to the supply chain or customer satisfaction. Bradbury’s then invested in the system.
Bradbury’s says that by reducing plastic usage and streamlining production processes, it can better plan for longer production runs with fewer changeovers. Brian Owens, operations director at Bradbury’s, commented: “As the largest independent speciality cheese provider, Bradbury’s is committed to exploring new market areas and expanding our product range. The extended shelf life is crucial, especially during peak seasons like Christmas, when demand surges by 30%.”
This summer Lidl Switzerland teamed up with Swiss cheese company Hardegger Käse to introduce cellulose-based packaging made from leftover wood for several organic cheeses. The cellulose film is said to be free of crude oil-based raw materials and the wood sourced from FSC-certified forestry.
In November, dsm-firmenich and MBM Innovations collaborated on a recyclable alternative to traditional PVA cheese coatings, combining their respective high-performance maturation membrane and vacuum packaging machines. Reportedly, the Pack-Age membrane helps to prevent between 5% and 10% of cheese loss during the maturation and processing stages, especially when the coating is removed to slice the cheese.
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