Toppan develops eco-friendly packages for frozen food

According to the company, primary products such as meat and processed seafood, in most cases, are stored in frozen warehouses for longer periods. These storage conditions slowly deteriorate the quality of the products. And thus, the company focused on developing speciality barrier film packages to better preserve frozen foods.

The new frozen food packaging uses a barrier film developed by leveraging original vapour-deposition and coating technologies to reduce oxidation and therefore prevent discolouration, loss of flavour, and changes in food texture for a longer period than is possible with conventional packaging. “These features reduce food loss and waste and facilitate the expansion of distribution by preserving food quality in regions without suitable storage infrastructures,” said a company press note shared with PrintWeek.

The new packaging is available in a mono-material structure for enhanced recyclability. It also allows food products that are conventionally subject to ultra-low-temperature frozen storage at -50 degree celsius or lower (F4) to be stored at higher temperatures of -18 degree celsius. The company claims that this change cuts storage costs by around 60%, while also helping to lower the CO2 emissions associated with power consumption for freezing.

“This new packaging has the potential to bring economic and environmental benefits for the food industry and wider society by maintaining food quality for longer,” said Masa Tatewaki, executive officer of global business in Toppan’s Living and Environment division. “We will be expanding sales to food manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers of frozen foods and will take advantage of the technology to develop more eco-friendly products that enhance freshness retention to contribute to a safer and more sustainable society.”