One of the persistent problems with films used thus far for vacuum packaging of poultry is that when consumers open the package, they sometimes encounter what’s known as “confinement odor.” So Bemis (www.bemis.com) came up with a resin that has blended into it two components: the anti-microbial potassium sorbate and the gas barrier material EVOH. When fresh, refrigerated poultry is vacuum packaged in film blown from this resin, there is no confinement odor. Just as important, refrigerated shelf life is increased by 30 to 40%. This new material will be available to the marketplace, says Bemis, as soon as a USDA review has been completed. Worth noting is that the material is a finalist in the 2018 Technology Excellence Awards that is running throughout the PACK EXPO show.
