Expanded Life Extension Applications from New Fresh Cut Packaging
Convex Plastics, January 7th, 2005
Improved shelf life is now available for high respiring fresh cut produce, and produce packed in clam shells, trays and show bowls, thanks to an innovative new packaging range developed by Convex Plastics.
The new packaging known as Opti~fresh provides proven life extension benefits for fresh cut produce with oxygen transmission rates (OTRs) as high as 20,000 cc/m˛ per day on almost any type of film, by utilising especially adapted technology unique to Convex Plastics.
Opti~fresh is also highly sealable, making it an especially ideal lidding stock for clam shells or show bowls, where it can provide a shelf life extension equal to an entire standard modified atmosphere bag by covering just the top surface of the bowl.
The life extension benefits provided by Opti~fresh was recognised last October with the presentation of a bronze award in Film/Laminations at the 2004 New Zealand Plastic Industry Design Awards. The award-winning packaging was specifically designed to extend the shelf life of high respiring fresh cut lemon wedges packed in bags.
Opti~fresh has also proven to be a commercial success as a lidding stock for the PET-based show bowls used to pack the Salads of the World gourmet salad range which is marketed exclusively through Progressive stores by Fraisbon Foods.
According to Fraisbon Foods Managing Director, Ashley Berrysmith, along with providing a definite extra few days' shelf life, using Opti~fresh as a lidding stock has provided other valuable benefits such as ease of opening, tamper evidence, and improved stackability - both on the supermarket shelf and in the consumers' fridge.
He says, “Opti~fresh has given us the opportunity to extend the shelf life of salads packed in quite a difficult tray format where you need high breathability due to the small surface area.”
Over the past seven years Convex Plastics has successfully established themselves as a leading provider of life extension packaging films for fresh cut produce and flowers through the development of their re~fresh modified atmosphere packaging range. Offering life extension applications for produce with OTRs up to 3000 cc/m˛ per day , re~fresh can currently be found in almost all leading supermarkets in Australasia packing everything from mixed salads and stir fry mixes, to fresh herbs, shredded lettuce and carrots.
Convex Plastics Laboratory Manager, Andrew Sheerin says, “Opti~fresh has enabled us to significantly expand our life extension offering by overcoming the ceiling of around 3000 OTR provided by re~fresh on a limited number of films, to an almost limitless OTR on almost any film. It has also enabled us to provide equal film stiffness across a whole line of packaging, despite variations in OTR.”
Convex Plastics are now in the process of extending their Opti~fresh offering by developing biodegradable lidding stock, which is expected to be commercialised by mid 2005.