NEW MATERIALS - AUG 2011

Bio-based PET feedstock

The company announces it has successfully made paraxylene (PX), a component of PET, from plant sugars. The PX molecule, when combined with existing bio-based PET technology, allows manufacturers to offer customers 100-percent renewable, plant-based PET packaging. The paraxylene, called BioFormPX, can be used in bottling, packaging and in a variety of fibers and materials. The chemical is made through a patented catalytic process, which converts plant-based sugars into PX molecules identical to those made from petroleum. All of the company's chemicals are "drop in" replacements that enable full use of existing processing and logistics infrastructure without blending limitations.
Virent Energy Systems Inc., 608-663-0228.
www.virent.com

PP films

PP films

Torayfan CBH and CBLH biaxially-oriented clear barrier PP films are designed to be used as mono-webs and as alternatives to PVDC-coated film. The film's advanced friction properties create a low coefficient of friction (CoF), which enables faster processing on high-speed vertical and hf/f/s equipment. CBH film also eliminates the need for over-lacquers used to maintain a low CoF, and the film's low seal-initiation temperature (SIT) and broad heat-seal window further expedite processing and manufacturing. The company's CBLH film has the same characteristics as CBH film, and it offers an improved sealant layer that provides greater seal strength and a better hermetic seal. Applications for the new films include baked goods, crackers, cookies and confectionery items.
Toray Plastics (America) Inc., 401-294-4511.

www.TorayFilms.com

Biodegradable EPS

The company releases EVRgreen, an EPS resin using EcoPure technology, which promotes the biodegradation of foam products. The majority of discarded plastics end up in biologically active landfills where microorganisms found in these landfills actively assist the biodegradation of the expanded PS resin. These microorganisms interact with the resin's chemistry to break down the polystyrene at the molecular level. The resin has been shown to biodegrade an average of 14.2 percent in the first 133-days of testing under conditions that simulate a biologically active landfill, the company claims. Furthermore, the resin has been shown to promote biodegradation while still preserving the performance characteristics of traditional EPS resin, the company says.
StyroChem, 817-847-8254.

www.styrochem.com

Vacuum packaging

Vacuum packaging

FreshCase packaging is an FDA- and USDA-compliant technology engineered to maintain a meat's fresh red color in a vacuum package. For the consumer, the attractive, leak-proof packages are easy to open, freezer-ready and can be stored in the refrigerator until the use-by date. For retailers, the hermetic packaging offers a shelf life of more than 30-days for whole muscle beef and extends typical retail display life up to 28 days compared to three to five days for tray overwraps, the company claims.
Curwood, 800-544-4672.
www.curwood.com

Cold-chain tracker/monitor

The company's radio-frequency identification (RFID) tracking system records a package's temperature at specified intervals during its journey through the cold chain. This provides companies with information about the supply chain that will enable them to make decisions that will positively impact shelf life, food waste, expenses and brand equity, the company says. The system targets a range of perishable foods (meat, dairy, juices, produce, ready-to eat meals and other fresh or processed foods), as well as pharmaceutical and medical applications (medications, plasma and medical devices) to provide simple-to-access online information for a complete cold-chain record of a product throughout the life cycle of the pallet load, regardless of how many trucking firms, distributors, wholesalers or retailers have handled it.
TempTRIP, 303-895-3455.
www.temptrip.com

Airless applicator

Finger Touch is an airless container for precise application of sensitive formulas. The container features a flexible, finger-shaped applicator and ergonomic actuator, making it easy to apply product to the delicate eye area. Available in 4-, 5-, 6-, 10- and 15-mL capacities, it is suitable for eye treatments such as anti-wrinkle creams and serums. With its unique rounded top, the applicator allows for smooth smearing on the skin. The applicator gives consumers total control over dosage, dispensing exactly 0.15-cc per stroke, while the airless technology prevents contact of the formula with air, protecting the integrity and prolonging the shelf life of the product, the company says.
Quadpack, +44 0 207 326 8640.
www.quadpack.net

Extended-content label

The Superpeel label features front and reverse printing on the adhesive side of the label, with only one layer required, to allow for more information to be featured on the product. The label solution is suitable for plastic bottles and flexible tubes, aerosols and glass nail varnish bottles. According to the company, the label uses less material. Companies may be able to turn a three-ply peel-and-read label with five pages into a two-ply peel-and-read label with four pages.
Skanem, +47 51 85 97 80.
www.skanem.com

CO2 pads

CO₂ Fresh Pads have been adapted for meat, poultry and seafood processors, the company says. The system contains active ingredients such as citric acid and sodium bicarbonate, which are the moisture-actuated CO₂ generating materials in the pads, located between layers of absorbent material and bound to fibers of the material. The CO₂ does not interact with the food but modifies the atmosphere around the product by pushing out the oxygen, altering the pH and lowering the temperature. This inhibits bacteria growth, enabling the food to stay fresh longer, the company claims. The CO₂ pads are designed for use with meat and seafood, food distributors, retail grocers, produce processors and growers, restaurants, cruise ships, cafeterias and florists.
JS Food Brokers, 720-475-0330.

www.co2pads.com

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