Can something as simple as a printed film structure affect an entire country's consumption habits? To a degree, that's the case in Canada where thermoformed/filled/sealed variety packs of shingled, sliced cooked meats sold at retail stores give consumers a home meal alternative to stopping at fast food outlets.
Calgary, Alberta-based meat processor and distributor Burns Meats launched three varieties of EZee Sub meats in Canada in May '95. (Burns plans to launch EZee Sub in the Western U.S. this year, pushing eastward as it builds a network of brokers.)
Since the launch, "retail sales have substantially exceeded our expectations," says Bernie Langlois, Burns' vp of sales and marketing. Beyond boosting the company's sales, EZee Sub has helped its retail customers recoup some of the market share it lost in recent years to popular fast food submarine sandwich restaurants. Stores merchandise the sliced meat packs within a self-contained display case that includes racks for rolls, condiments and vegetables used to make a sub sandwich.
Langlois attributes much of EZee Sub's success to the films that Burns uses to package the sliced meats, both of which are supplied by Curwood (Oshkosh, WI). An approximately 3.5-mil structure is used for the bottom forming web. It includes Curwood's 3-mil EZ Peel® sealant, a three-layer coextrusion of DuPont's (Wilmington, DE) Surlyn®/modified ethylene vinyl acetate/ polyethylene. This structure is adhesive-laminated to a 0.48-mil polyvinylidene chloride-coated layer of polyester. The sealant layer makes it easy for the consumer to peel open the package from a corner, as directed by graphics. The structure also helps prevent film curling.
The approximately 2.5-mil top sealing web comprises a 2-mil coextrusion of Surlyn and PE that's laminated to 0.48-mil PVDC-coated polyester printed flexographically by Curwood in eight colors. Burns uses both Multivac (Kansas City, MO) and Kempten, Germany-based Dixie Union tf/f/s equipment, the latter represented in the U.S. by Robert Reiser & Co. (Canton, MA).
While the intermittent-motion machines are capable of higher speeds, Burns operates at approximately 10 cycle/min rates. Operators manually load product into the two-up thermoformed bottom web. After filling, the top web unwinds. Complete vacuum is drawn to remove oxygen just prior to heat-sealing the top web to the forming web. Output averages 20 packs/min per machine. Burns also uses the equipment for other products.
Depending on the specific EZee Sub variety, the printed lidding is coded with a "best before date" that ranges from 49 to 75 days from date of packaging. Once opened, the consumer can store unused product in another bag or container, since the film is not resealable.
