Flow Wrapper for Trayless Ground Meat Packaging

Finding great success in the European market, especially in Germany, due to packaging material regulations, Formost Fuji’s ground meat wrapper, which flow-wraps ground meat without the foam tray, is making its U.S. debut at PACK EXPO International. The FW3710B box-motion, wet-duty stainless steel wrapper can handle ground meat loafs up to 35 to 40 lb. in an 8-in.-wide format at speeds to 120/min plus.

The most notable advantage of the new packaging system is the elimination of the non-recyclable polystyrene foam tray traditionally used for this type of product. “That’s the obvious benefit,” says Lee Benton, South Central sales manager for Formost Fuji. “Another advantage would be related to shipping of the product. It currently takes three trucks to ship product packaged with foam trays for every one trailer truck of ground meat product without the tray.”

It currently takes three trucks to ship product packaged with with foam trays for every one trailer truck of ground meat product without the tray.Removing the tray also eliminates the need for packagers to purchase, ship, store, and handle the trays. “Customers aren’t getting three or four truckloads a day of trays, so they’re able to reduce the footprint in their warehouse because they need less storage space,” Brenton remarks. “They can also reduce the amount of labor they have, which is a huge challenge for everyone right now. Just having someone move trays around the plant all day is kind of a waste when you don’t have to do it. You can then use those people somewhere else in the plant.”