Diners find film packs ideal for every meal course (sidebar)

Reducing store ‘shrink’ Along with permitting Ready Pac to broaden its distribution into areas too distant for Milano in the past (the Midwest, Pacific Northwest and to Canada), the improved quality of the product improves sell-through at retail and cuts the cost of “store shrink,” the disposal of packs that didn’t sell quickly enough at the stores. In fresh-cut produce, there’s a saying that “consumers buy with their eyes,” Zinke tells PW. Few other food products give the consumer a chance to see the freshness of the product through windows, and consumers can choose between lots of different brands and products. “We want Ready Pac to set the standard for product quality, because we know the consumer will only pay for what they think is worth it. We think that’s how we can create loyalty to our brand and our products.” The graphics are printed flexo in up to eight colors. “We’ve definitely learned from our experience with this Milano package, and we’ve shifted other products, including new products, into materials from APC,” Zinke reports.

Microwaveable veggies Long an innovator in packaging technologies, Mann Packing, Salinas, CA, is now using a 2.5-mil breathable laminate from Cryovac Div., Sealed Air Corp. (Duncan, SC) to package a variety of fresh-cut vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and blends. What makes the package unusual is that the vegetables can be microwaved without removing them from the bag. Consumers are instructed to puncture the bag before heating. Mann’s shifted to the new material late last year. According to Cryovac, Mann prefers this material’s stiffness to promote product presentation and the anti-fog coating enhances the clarity of the film for consumer product viewing. The package is reverse-printed in eight colors to yield an exceptionally glossy finish. Mann Packing had not returned several calls by press time.

These winners reflect the fact that produce packaging continues to be one of the fast-growing markets for flexible packaging.

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