Discover your next big idea at PACK EXPO Las Vegas this September
Experience a breakthrough in packaging & processing and transform your business with solutions from 2,300 suppliers spanning all industries.
REGISTER NOW & SAVE

Breakthrough in meat packaging

H.E.B.'s Texas Beef brand capitalizes on a new technology that allows fresh red meat to 'bloom' under vacuum skin-packaging conditions.

Vacuum skin-packaged meat that stays red.
Vacuum skin-packaged meat that stays red.

Vacuum-packaged fresh red meat shipped refrigerated in corrugated cases has long been viewed as an eminently sensible case-ready packaging format. Why? Because it could be a two-part alternative to the four-part masterbag format that currently dominates today’s case-ready meat category: EPS foam tray, stretch wrap, modified atmosphere master bag, corrugated case. Not only is vacuum packaging greener, more compact, and less costly than the masterbag case-ready format, it provides a refrigerated shelf life that’s considerably longer. And it lets consumers freeze meat right in its original packaging with no threat of freezer burn.


The one drawback to vacuum packaging that has kept it primarily on the sidelines in the U.S. is that it deprives fresh red meat of oxygen and consequently causes the meat to darken to almost a purple color. U.S. consumers have shown repeatedly that they want fresh red meat to be red, not purple.


But now Curwood (www.curwoodfreshcase.com) has come up with a solution called FreshCase packaging. Introduced in 2011, it’s now in use by several meat processors for both whole-muscle and ground beef in formats that include
• a rigid tray with EZ peel vacuum skin film
• forming/non-forming films
• vacuum pouches

Annual Outlook Report: Workforce
Hiring remains a major challenge in packaging, with 78% struggling to fill unskilled roles and 84% lacking experienced workers. As automation grows, companies must rethink hiring and training. Download the full report for key insights.
Download Now
Annual Outlook Report: Workforce
Coding, Marking, and Labeling Innovations Report
Explore our editor-curated report featuring cutting-edge coding, labeling, and RFID innovations from PACK EXPO 2024. Discover high-speed digital printing, sustainable label materials, automated labeling systems, and advanced traceability solutions that are transforming packaging operations across industries.
Access Report
Coding, Marking, and Labeling Innovations Report