Packaging innovations target whole supply chain: DuPont's annual competition rewards advances in plastic packaging from concept to consumer - Innovations: DuPont Awards

Food & Drug Packaging, August, 2003 by Christopher Barry

The DuPont Awards are an international competition, inaugurated in 1986, recognizing industry advances in plastic packaging for food and non-food products. This year's 16th DuPont Awards competition honored innovation in packaging from across the supply chain--from technology and processes to equipment and converters to the final packages.

This year, a seven-member independent judging panel selected winners from 65 submissions. The Diamond Award winner was recognized for the most significant innovation in plastic packaging.

DuPont Packaging

800-438-7225; www.dupont.com/packaging

Food Category

Diamond and Gold Award

Pouch extends pre-cooked rice shelf life.

Fall River Wild Rice comes in a retort pouch that addresses consumer convenience in two ways: it is microwaveable while keeping the product fresh. The retort process cooks and sterilizes the contents of the package, ensuring purity and quality control. The pouch combines silicon oxide-coated polyethylene terephthalate gly (PETG) with biaxally oriented nylon, PET and polypropylene (PP), providing a barrier to achieve an 18-month shelf life.

CLP Packaging Solutions Inc.

973-808-4441;

www.clp-packaging.com

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Gold Award

Film combines aqueous ink, solventless laminating

These flexible food packaging films can be gravure-printed using aqueous inks and a solventless laminating process. A polarized resin facilitates the bond between the aqueous inks and the film's surface. This innovation combines new plastic film manufacturing technology, reduces organic solvents and produces a glossy printed package.

Fuji Tokushu Shigyo Co.

561-86-8511

Popcorn bags appeal to kids

ASAP Popcorn comes in a multi-pack holding three microwaveable stand-up pouches that transform into fun shapes for kids and adults while kernels pop. The popping bags have kid appeal with themes such as cartoon characters, sports items or special occasion messages. Printing is done on character-shaped, microwaveable, stand-up gusseted pouches that use oil-resistant paper laminated to metalized, sealable PET. Bags are printed with six-color graphics with a protective varnish. A partially demetallized web inside the bag provides a focused pattern for popping kernels. Pouches are made of PET/linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE).

Graphic Packaging

920-729-8734; www.graphicpkg.com

LM Packaging Inc.

203-938-4025

Nordenia North America

573-335-4900; www.nordeniausa.com

Ryt-Way Industries Inc.

952-469-1417; www.rytway.com

Valley Packaging Supply Co.

920-336-9012;

www.valleypackagingsupply.com

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Heat and serve tray easy to handle

Cryovac[R] Simple Steps[TM] for Smithfield Entrees is a microwaveable, easy open heat-and-serve package for pre-cooked entrees.

Vacuum skin package technology keeps entree items looking juicy and fresh while giving consumers an easy-to-use, convenient package. Consumers don't have to puncture ventilation holes into the Simple Steps package before heating. Instead, the film tents up as the product heats, then self-vents and relaxes over the food.

Cryovac

800-845-3456; www.cryovac.com

Multivac Inc.

816-891-0555; www.multivac.com

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Aseptic bottles accept low-acid products

Dr Pepper/Seven Up's Raging Cow dairy based product is aseptically packaged in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bottles supplied by Tetra Pak. Tetra Plast[TM] aseptic technology allows for the distribution of low acid food and beverage products without the need for refrigeration. Tetra Plast aseptic bottles are lightweight and are available in various shapes, sizes and designs.

Tetra Pak Inc.

847-955-6680; www.tetrapak.com

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Vacuum package seals chicken

Foster Farms Fresh & Easy is boneless, skinless chicken vacuum-sealed in individual pouches for convenient, clean and safe transition from package to oven or grill. The inner pouch material from Cryovac is formed on a Multivac R530 machine, and the primary laminate package is made from a top film incorporating an enhanced sealant. Product is then placed in the formed pouch, vacuumed and sealed, and three pouches are sealed in a zippered multi-pack bag.

Cryovac

800-845-3456; www.cryovac.com

Multivac

816-891-0555; www.multivac.com

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Upside-down ketchup bottle improves dispensing

Heinz Easy Squeeze![TM] upside-down ketchup bottle improves ketchup dispensing. Available in 20- and 32-ounce sizes, the multi-layer PET oxygen barrier container uses Owens-Illinois' proprietary SurShot multi-layer injection technology. The bottle is also ergonomically designed for easy squeezability.

Owens-Illinois

419-247-5000; www.o-i.com

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Lidding for hot-fill, aseptic cold-fill applications

Alcoa Flexible Packaging's SurePeel[TM] patented cohesive peel lidding separates seal integrity from actual peel force. This allows for easier, more consistent peels with high burst strength. With its broader sealing window, SurePeel is an ideal lidding structure for hot-fill and aseptic cold-fill applications requiring high barrier lidding such as salsa, apple-sauce, apple juice, tomato sauce and garlic butter. The extrusion-mounted specification by Alcoa contains DuPont[TM] Nucrel[R] resin.