As an alternative to thermoformed trays, packaging film manufacturer Schur Flexibles (Wiener Neudorf / Austria; www.schurflexibles.com) has presented a flow pack for minced meat. The packaging solution “MonoFlow(re) PXC” uses a 60 µm thin mono-polypropylene film that can be finished with flexographic, gravure or digital printing. Compared with dimensionally stable trays, this variant can reduce plastic content by around 60% for an identical net weight. The sensitive filling material is protected by a high-barrier layer which is not described in detail. According to Schur, this does not negatively affect the recycling process, as it only accounts for less than 5%.

On the occasion of the international trade fair for the meat industry “IFFA”, wrapping machine manufacturer Fuji Packaging (Hamburg / Germany; www.fuji-packaging.com) presented a comparable solution last year, using a polypropylene film of the same thickness from Maag (Oberglatt / Switzerland; www.maag.com). This film, which is also equipped with a barrier layer, is also suitable for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) applications such as minced meat.

Since the oxygen barrier layer accounts for less than 5% of the film, it also has no effect on recycling. Germany’s largest meat producer Tönnies was the first to launch the new Fuji flow pack variant in Germany in early 2020.