Toppan enhances frozen meat and seafood’s sensory integrity with specialty barrier film

05 Nov 2020 --- Toppan Printing is launching packaging that better retains the sensory and nutritional quality of meat and processed seafood kept in frozen storage for long periods.

The new packs are made with the company’s GL Film, a trifecta functional film that consists of a transparent base layer, an inorganic vapor deposition layer and a barrier coat layer.

Meat in long-term frozen storage needs to deliver just as much texture, color and taste as fresh meat. However, Toppan flags that little attention has been paid to developing specialty barrier film packaging to preserve frozen foods better.

“If current logistics using traditional packaging material continues, then food loss caused by product deterioration from frozen storage and cold logistics will also continue,” Minoru Kitazawa, general manager at the company’s living and industry division, tells PackagingInsights.

Increasing recyclability and temperatures
Toppan uses PET, OPP, PE and OPA for the new packaging’s base film. “For mono-material packaging structures, mono-PET, PP and PE are possible. They can be material recycled in the same way as general mono-material flexible packaging materials,” Kitazawa explains.

Meat stored at -23°C for five months in non-barrier packaging (left) versus packaging based on the GL Film (right).The new packaging material also does not require as low storage temperatures as traditional plastic packaging. 

“For example, frozen tuna [with Toppan’s new packaging] can be stored at about -18°C, as opposed to the traditional -50°C. In such cases, the electricity consumption associated with frozen storage can be reduced by about 60 percent.”

However, the volume of CO2 emissions associated with the new pack production is “about the same” as traditional packaging materials of the same thickness, Kitazawa notes.

Research rewards
Kitazawa adds that frozen food packaging is not usually one of Toppan’s target products. “Because of the results we obtained from our testing, we have decided to enhance sales to this industry.”

Kitazawa underscores how instrumental barrier-coated packaging can be in preventing food loss throughout the supply chain.

“We have been working with several universities and frozen food manufacturers to verify the effectiveness of packaging materials for extending the shelf life of frozen stored food.”

The company’s latest launch is targeted at preserving food quality in regions without suitable infrastructure for frozen distribution.

By Anni Schleicher