StePac launches recyclable easy-peel top seals for fruit waste and cost reductions

24 Sep 2021 --- Fresh produce packaging company StePac is expanding its Xgo range of top seals. Its new lean and fully recyclable easy-peel film structures are designed for trays or containers for summer fruits, freshly cut fruits and vegetables. 

“Top seal solutions are growing in popularity because of the transition from clamshells to leaner top-seal solutions, representing a 25-30% reduction in plastic use,” Dr. Gary Ward, business development manager for StePac, tells PackagingInsights. 

Top seals also offer the advantage of enabling shelf life extension and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) properties, which additionally increases food safety.

“Consumers are seeking to reduce plastic use and prevent food waste. This recyclable top seal ticks all the boxes for them. It took us just over one year to develop the product and validate it,” Ward explains.

A case in point: Slashing food waste
StePac’s new solutions are already being used to preserve summer fruits from the domestic Israeli market by Rafkor, packing and marketing fruits grown by the farmers in the Upper Galilee region. 

“Since we started using StePac’s fully recyclable top seal solution for cherries, lychee, stone fruits and pears, we have noticed a reduction in waste and quality complaints from our customers,” notes Haviv Aharon, CEO of Rafkor. 

“This has a lot to do with the shelf life extension properties of the product. Since the product is hermetically sealed, it helps enhance food safety. This is driving sales of our products in the e-commerce sector. We are now looking to expand the use of the film to other fruits,” Aharon underscores.

The new films are engineered with StePac’s MAP condensation control technology, extending fresh produce shelf life while preserving nutritional value.More than just strawberries
Ward highlights StePac deals “almost exclusively” with packaging for shelf life extension of fresh produce. “We understand what are the required film properties to preserve quality and extend shelf life of a broad range of fresh produce types,” he asserts.

“We then design and render the packaging product for such purpose and work closely with our customers on postharvest handling to maximize packaging performance.” 

StePac previously boosted activities in the retail sector with its functional standing pouches, automated bulk packaging solutions and MAP systems for pomegranates and their extracted arils. 

“The biggest challenge is always integrating all of the customer requirements in one solution,” notes Ward. “Films should not only be aesthetically appealing, but also run smoothly and efficiently on customers’ machines, deliver shelf life extensions in the most challenging supply chains while remaining cost-effective.”

“All of StePac’s packaging solutions are based on the principles of MAP, which is very effective in significantly extending the shelf life of many different fresh produce items. Rendering films with such properties is a field of expertise,” Ward muses.

A place for plastics
In some cases, the COVID-19 pandemic encouraged fruit and veg producers to revert to plastic packaging to quell consumer hygiene concerns. 

StePac spoke with PackagingInsights during the global coronavirus outbreak in early 2020 amid calls from The European Organization for Packaging and the Environment (EUROPEN) for the European Commission to recognize plastic packaging as critical to the uninterrupted flow of perishable goods.

Ward also talked about plastics packaging’s role in circularity and consumer education in the fight against food waste in a previous PackagingInsights video interview.

By Anni Schleicher

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