New bakery tray meets biodegradability standard

17 May 2011

A light biodegradable ovenable bakery tray, launched at Interpack, is applicable to industrial bakers looking to exploit the premium end of the market, claims Nicholl Food Packaging (NFP).

FP, whose core business is aluminium foil trays, said the container meets all requirements for direct food contact and adheres to the European standard on biodegradability EN13432.

Chris Patten, business development manager at NFP, said the paper tray, which is made from renewable wood pulp, is a response to customer demand for more varied packaging formats.

It is manufactured from a single layer of greaseproof paper that absorbs moisture to ensure effective barrier functionality, he commented. “It is a sturdy container that withstands the rigours of high volume production and denests very well,” said Patten, who added that the containers would suit bakery manufacturers that rely on automated denesters and filling machines.

The tray was produced by the French and Belgium division of NFP, Ecopla, and has been flagged up as the first in a new range of lighter weight and biodegradable packs from the group.

For use in both convection and microwave ovens, Patten said that in terms of margins the tray is most applicable to the higher value end of the bakery market and might be used with products such as summer fruit tarts.

The tray´s low weight, said the company, facilitates a reduction in transport costs and thus allows bakers to cut back on their carbon footprint.

NFP is the UK and Ireland distributor for Stora Enso´s printed paper board trays that can be bespoke printed and gas flushed for shelf life extension in the chilled foods segment. Patten said the group is seen as providing a platform for other suppliers to enter those markets and it is actively teaming up with other packaging producers in this regard.

He reports that Nicholl has just been appointed the UK distributor for Italian thermoform plastics container producer Hotform, with in-store bakers in that market the target of its hinged transparent boxes. While a new tie up with Plastopil, said Patten, will allow UK food manufacturers access that producer´s multilayer barrier films when sourcing foil trays from Nicholl, with the added benefit, said Patten, of concurrently being able to “leverage NFP´s foil tray sealing expertise.”

Source: Nicholl Food Packaging