Thermoforming and traysealing specialists Multivac won two Starpack awards for its innovative FormShrink Whole Chicken Packaging Format. The first award, sponsored by WRAP, was for Environment - New Developments, whereas the second award, for Technical Developments, was sponsored by the PPMA.
The FormShrink Chicken pack, developed by Multivac in collaboration with film partners Krehalon for the 2 Sisters Food Group and Tesco, was designed to fulfil specific objectives - increased shelf-life, reduced in-store wastage, enhanced security and minimised packaging waste. Amongst the key benefits delivered to the consumer are reduced packaging and ease of opening. The pack incorporates a specially-designed easy-access 'tear tab' and clearly-read instructions, printed on special Krehalon pre-printed top and base films.
When compared to traditional packaging formats, this pack extends shelf-life by four days and reduces packaging by 68 per cent. The pack eliminates the requirement for the standard plastic trays traditionally used by chicken packers.
The system is unique in its conception. The chicken and tray are loaded onto the thermoformer, which then vacuums the air out of the pack, including inside the cavity of the bird, and gasses the product before the top film is sealed over the chicken to the base film. This is then cut around the outer footprint of the pack. The bird then passes through a shrink tunnel, where the film shrinks back to give an attractive wrinkle-free presentation, without crushing the chicken.
The environmental benefits were recognised by Starpack as being two-fold - firstly there was the packaging reduction to the consumer in terms of the domestic waste stream. However, there was also the additional environmental benefit of producing all packaging on-site, thereby reducing the carbon emissions from transporting pre-moulded trays around the country and an additional win on crate fill, as higher volumes can be transported per crate. This reduces road transportation, resulting in a projected annualised packaging waste weight reduction of 100 tonnes per annum.
The pack is produced on a R550 FormShrink thermoforming machine specially developed by Multivac using FormShrink film produced by Krehalon.
Multivac
T: +44 (0)1793 425800
www.multivac.co.uk
[PIC 5] The FormShrink Chicken pack extends shelf-life, reduces packaging and enhances the pack aesthetics
The FormShrink Chicken pack extends shelf-life, reduces packaging and enhances the pack aesthetics Modern chicken-packing technique
