Launched in North American last year, and in Europe in 2015, Sealed Air’s Cryovac® OptiDure™ Abuse Bag addresses product waste and inefficacy. Combining optical properties, a proprietary sealant, and overlapping sealing technology to reduce leakage, the OptiDure bag was a Diamond Finalist Award Winner in the 29thDuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation.
Used in vacuum-packaging applications, the bag is intended to help meat and cheese processors and retailers improve their operating efficiencies and brand image while sustainably addressing global food waste. OptiDure is a multilayer, coextruded structure that includes 75 μ/PVDC barrier.
It’s available in tubing widths from 200 mm to 450 mm. A factory seal can be applied as an end or side seal, depending on the customer application. For example, customers that use any type of automation in their loading process may prefer taped bags to feed through their machines. The same can be true for hand-pull applications to make it easier to remove bags from the carton. Bags may be printed or unprinted. A variety of sealing options are available, depending again upon customer application and product shape.
At press time, the names of customers using the bags could not be divulged, but PW was told that “a large Midwestern meat processor” was using OptiDure.
According to DuPont, OptiDure represents a significant breakthrough in vacuum packaging for protein, where there is a typical industry leaker rate of 3%. A 1% reduction in leaker rates could eliminate $140 million in food waste globally. OptiDure’s Overlap Seal Bag (OSB)technology enablesimproved seal integrity through contamination and wrinkles,which helps to facilitate faster throughput, increased production efficiency, and reduced product and package waste.
The bag offers multiple benefits, including the following:
• Durability. High mechanical abuse properties combine with improved burst strength and abrasion resistance, protecting the package throughout distribution.
• Reliability. Overlapping seal technology reduces leakers and improves seal integrity by sealing through contamination and wrinkles. The bag allows increased output and prevents sticking between bags.
• Aesthetics. Proprietary structure and composition deliver clarity and vibrant appearance to allow brands to “pop” and stand out in the case. Its shrink performance creates a high impact, case-ready package.
• Sustainability. Bag material is engineered to provide unrivaled abuse performance while using 25% less material. Serves as a “drop-in solution” for highly automated production lines.
