FachPack 2022: SP Group to present high-barrier vacuum solution for food sector
04 Aug 2022 --- SP Group is launching the “first” high-barrier recyclable, retortable solution for vacuum packing, branded PP HB Ecotop. Consisting of a top film and base web for vacuum packing, the product has been primarily designed for the FMCG market.
The solution is part of SP Group’s Eco range, which includes all of the company’s recyclable, monomaterial packaging solutions, and will be presented at the FachPack trade show in Nuremberg, Germany, this September.
The combination of the PP HB Ecotop top film with the RST B Eco thermoformable base web creates a fully recyclable packaging solution with 90% PP.
The company asserts that the remaining materials do not interfere in the recycling process. The solution replaces conventional PA/PP and PA/PP EVOH coextrusions, which are difficult to recycle, while having very similar features and properties to multi-material structures. It boasts good puncture resistance and mechanical performance.
SP Group’s new packaging solution was designed for products that require vacuum packing.PP HB Ecotop top film is also compatible with rigid PP thermoformable trays, providing a recyclable, monomaterial solution suitable for products that require modified atmosphere packaging rather than vacuum packing.
The solution has been developed in response to guidelines set by the EU as part of the Horizon 2030/2050 sustainability program, which requires all plastic packaging to be made recyclable, reusable or compostable.
Earlier this year, PackagingInsights looked at some of the most recent technological developments in vacuum seal technologies.
Food sector focus
SP Group’s new packaging solution was designed with the food sector in mind, with a particular focus on products that require vacuum packing, such as prepared vegetables (like corn on the cob or beetroot) and pre-prepared dishes. PP HB Ecotop is described as “the ideal top film” for pre-prepared food products requiring hot-fill processes, such as rice pots, jams and baby food.
The materials are suitable for products exported to Germany, where PP is the main recycling stream. A material’s ability to withstand heat treatments, such as retort processing, is essential for prolonging the shelf life of food products, preserving its properties, reducing food waste, and improving environmental sustainability.
With environmental sustainability being a popular term in today’s world, there is a big demand for fully recyclable structures that lengthen shelf life to ensure products can be stored longer, the company highlights.
SP Group can be found at Stand 646, HALL 7, at FachPack 2022.
Edited
By Natalie Schwertheim
