Curwood's Bulk Cheese Packaging Wins Flexible Packaging Achievement Award

19 Apr 2013

Curwood’s new EZ Open Block-Tite® bulk cheese packaging transforms the opening and stripping process with easy-open, peel-away film, earning a Technical Innovation award from the Flexible Packaging Association.

Until now, the process of opening and stripping 40# bulk cheese blocks has required sharp knives and physical force due to the skintight package, puncture-resistant film and heavy weight of the product itself. Curwood’s new EZ Open Block-Tite® bulk cheese packaging transforms the opening and stripping process with easy-open, peel-away film, earning a Technical Innovation award from the Flexible Packaging Association.

The first bulk cheese package to incorporate an easy-peel feature, EZ Open Block-Tite® packaging brings together high-abuse Block-Tite® barrier bulk film and Curwood’s proven EZ Peel® opening feature. With the EZ Peel® feature, processors simply lift the flap on the block’s back seal using special grasp notches, then peel the package open for clean, fast, complete film removal. The opening initiates an easy linear tear, which allows the film to pull away effortlessly and cleanly in a straight line, following the block shape of the cheese.

“In partnering with our cheese customers, we recognized that an easy-peel package would be a big step forward in opening and stripping cheese blocks for further processing,” says Brian Sturgill, Market Manager for Bemis Curwood. “By taking our consumer opening technology and applying it to bulk cheese, we are able to offer a win-win solution for original cheese makers and cheese processors.”

While the opening feature adds to convenience and efficiency, it also significantly improves safety. The peel-away feature eliminates personal safety hazards associated with using sharp knives to cut and remove the film; reduces the potential for cross-contamination of cheeses via non-sterile knives; and removes the potential for film shards left on the cheese, which could then be ground or sliced into the product.

The new EZ Open Block-Tite® format allows original cheese manufacturers to add the integrated peel-open feature without sacrificing machine speeds or package integrity. The EZ Open Block-Tite® film machines like non-peelable films—no machine or speed adjustments are required.

Known throughout the world for technological leadership in high-barrier packaging, Curwood is a preferred supplier of innovative packaging materials and systems for food, beverage, household, industrial and personal care industries. Curwood maintains strategic manufacturing and service centers throughout North America, South America and Europe, and is well positioned to meet global distribution and marketing needs. Headquartered in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, U.S.A., Curwood is part of the Bemis family of companies.

Source: Bemis Company, Inc.