Compostable pouch is perfect fit for seaweed chips

New Frontier Foods, a San Francisco area-based company offering a line of five flavored snack chips made from natural, sustainably harvested, and nutrient-rich seaweed, has chosen to use a flexible pouch package for its chips made from Innovia Films’ NatureFlex™ bio-based packaging. Derived from sustainable wood pulp, NatureFlex is certified compostable and is said to offer excellent barriers to oxygen and moisture.

When looking at packaging options, New Frontier felt that the package should reflect their core values while also providing superior protection for their Ocean’s Halo Seaweed Chips. In order to maintain the crunch of the chips, it was critical to guard against moisture vapor. A high barrier to oxygen was also necessary to extend shelf life. Furthermore, the packaging needed to match the Ocean’s Halo brand identity.

Says Robert Mock, co-founder of Ocean’s Halo, “We were introduced to Innovia Films’ compostable packaging alternative, NatureFlex, by Genpak, a leading food packaging company with manufacturing locations in both the U.S. and Canada. Over the past two years, we have built a great partnership with Genpak to bring our products to market with not only high-quality material, but also with a like-minded approach to the environment.”

“When we were faced with packaging choices, we were 100-percent committed to choosing compostable bags because it’s the right thing to do,” adds Ocean’s Halo co-founder Mike Shim. “Health and sustainability is one of our pledges to our customers, and compostable bags are an integral part of that pledge.”

Says Bill Reilly, Development Manager with Genpak, “Our challenge was to develop a structure that provides excellent barrier properties and works well on the packaging equipment. Ocean’s Halo, Innovia, and Genpak worked together closely to develop this functional and completely compostable structure.”

Ocean’s Halo Seaweed Chips are currently available at select Whole Foods Markets in the Northeast, Midwest, North Atlantic, and the Bay Area; HEB stores in Texas; Sprouts on the West Coast, Southwest, and Midwest; 340 Safeway and Vons stores across California; a variety of independent markets; and all nine locations of Texas grocery chain Central Market. Ocean’s Halo is also available nationwide at Amazon.com. The chips are available in five gluten-free flavors: Chili Lime, Sea Salt, Korean BBQ, Hot & Spicy, and Texas BBQ.