Sealed Air Maps a Course for More Efficient Specialty Baked Goods Packaging

Sealed Air’s Food Care Division has unveiled the latest extension of its benchmark barrier packaging and freshness preservation technologies into the bakery market.

Sealed Air’s Food Care Division has unveiled the latest extension of its benchmark barrier packaging and freshness preservation technologies into the bakery market. Introduced at PACK EXPO 2014, the company’s Cryovac® Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) for Bakery technology offers processors, retailers and consumers a new level of freshness and shelf-life extension for premium and specialty baked goods.

Designed to reduce spoilage for preservative-free, whole-grain, gluten-free and other high-end, specialty bakery products that are often susceptible to mold, Cryovac® MAP for Bakery can extend product shelf life from traditional 1-2 week timeframes to more than 40 days. The package combines Sealed Air’s Cryovac® Freshness Plus active barrier films with gas-flush processing to deter oxygen ingress and prevent mold growth. Together, these solutions preserve freshness and quality while also extending sales time for retailers and consumption windows for consumers.

“As more specialty bakery items enter the market, there is a growing need for packaging solutions to accommodate these high-value, specialty goods,” said Kari Dawson-Ekeland, director of marketing, center of store for Sealed Air’s Food Care Division. “The traditionally short shelf life of specialty baked goods, along with the elevated costs for raw materials and ingredients, make it especially critical for bakeries and retailers to reduce waste and keep products on shelves. Cryovac® MAP for Bakery alleviates these challenges by preserving freshness, enabling wider distribution ranges and extending product shelf life.”

An alternative to cold chain packaging technologies that can impede quality, Cryovac® MAP for Bakery enables processors to extend their distribution ranges without losing peak freshness time in transit. As a result, retailers can expand their bakery offerings to include more specialty items with less risk of waste accumulation from expired or reduced quality products. By maintaining peak freshness, the package also preserves product smell and taste to offer customers an improved sensory experience.

Along with these benefits, Cryovac® MAP for Bakery delivers design flexibility to accommodate a wider range of specialty products. The new package uses an abuse-resistant film, making it more resistant to puncture upon contact with seeds and grains often found on premium breads. Processors also can integrate Cryovac® Freshness Plus active barrier technology into forming and non-forming web materials for superior oxygen protection during each application.

Source: Sealed Air Corporation