Page 32 - Plastics News August 2018

FEATURES

Developments and Trends in Lidding Film for Food Applications

Justin Larson

Dairy-food CPG companies, especially those offering yogurt, sour cream and cream cheese, are now very
interested in MET PET for their lidding needs

t’s no surprise that in the year since we looked at Another interesting development we’re seeing in the U.S.
IOLGGLQJ ÀOP IRU IRRG DSSOLFDWLRQV IRU )OH[LEOH 3DFNDJLQJ·V and Canada is with produce applications. That market has
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developments and trends in sustainability/recycling, peel a means of reducing cost and the amount of plastic used.
and reseal functionality, and improved barrier for longer The format is commonplace in Europe.
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Companies also want improved clear, high-barrier
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packaging applications. As the technology evolved, MET packaging because consumers like to see the product
PET became an excellent choice for replacing foil in lidding before purchasing it. The same is true for lidded packaging.
applications. Today, as food manufacturers consider their The popular applications for clear, high-barrier lidding are
lidding design, they are looking to MET PET more than ever fresh meats, deli meats, ready-to-eat meals and cheese.
to counter the increasing cost and limited availability of 0RVW RI WKHVH OLGGLQJ ÀOPV DFKLHYH WKHLU EDUULHU ZLWK DQ
foil. Film is readily available, and the thickness of the (92+ VHDODQW ZHE RU DQ $/2; 3(7 ÀOP $GGLWLRQDOO\ D QHZ
vacuum-deposited metal is only a few hundred Angstroms, coating has been developed to deliver an industry-leading
VR WKH LPSDFW RQ WKH SULFH RI WKH ÀOP ZLOO EH QHJOLJLEOH oxygen barrier that exceeds both EVOH and ALOX.
compared with what is forecast for aluminum foil.
On the sustainability front, many end users announced that
Heat resistance is very important in lidding applications
because sealing temperatures can be more than 400°F
for up to a one second dwell. Material stiffness is
also important, especially in “pick and place” lidding
applications, where the lids are dispensed one after
another. MET PET has excellent stiffness and heat
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can create cracks and pinholes in foil and compromise
barrier, MET PET is extremely durable, resists cracking
and pinholes, and delivers excellent oxygen barrier. In
addition, with a lower density than aluminum foil, MET
PET delivers more surface area per pound, so it is a smart,
sustainable choice, while maintaining strong package- they are working to reduce their carbon footprint as much
processing characteristics. DV SRVVLEOH RYHU WKH QH[W ÀYH WR \HDUV %LRGHJUDGDEOH
Dairy-food or Consumer Packed goods (CPG) companies, FRPSRVWDEOH DQG ELR EDVHG OLGGLQJ ÀOPV FDQ KHOS WKHP
especially those offering yogurt, sour cream and cream Toray’s LumiLid bio-based options have performance
cheese, are now very interested in MET PET for their DWWULEXWHV VLPLODU WR WKRVH RI WUDGLWLRQDO OLGGLQJ ÀOPV IRU
lidding needs. Interest in MET PET lidding for nuts, a small premium.
condiments (ketchup/mustard/salad dressings), meats, Some in the industry contend that recyclability is the best
cheeses and liquids is also on the rise. Peel and reseal option in the near-term for a lidded package, and we are
OLGGLQJ ÀOP KDV DOVR EHFRPH RI JUHDWHU LQWHUHVW WR &3* hearing more discussion about that solution. In June,
companies, especially in deli meat and sliced cheese WKH ÀUVW 8 6 SLORW SURJUDP IRU VLQJOH VWUHDP FXUEVLGH
applications, because of the convenience it provides to UHF\FOLQJ RI ÁH[LEOH SODVWLFV SDFNDJLQJ ZDV ODXQFKHG E\
consumers.

Plastics News August 2018 32