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Overwrapping and Modified Atmosphere Packaging Safeguard Meat Packs, Retail Ties

Best Choice Meats is maintaining product quality and retailer relationships with the help of Ossid and Reepack packaging equipment.

The Ossid 500im allows Best Choice Meats to perform quick changeovers for the company's various meat products.
The Ossid 500im allows Best Choice Meats to perform quick changeovers for the company's various meat products.
Photo provided by Ossid

To meet retailer expectations for quality, consistency, and shelf life, meat producer Best Choice Meats has upgraded its packaging line with new overwrapping and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) systems, according to equipment supplier Ossid.

The Chicagoland-based meat producer is humming along with over four decades of meat manufacturing and distribution behind it, with a track record of finding market niches. It’s product offering includes halal and kosher options, and it offers co-packing services for other meat producers to extract maximum value from its equipment investments.

Overwrapping equipment avoids leakage

Best Choice Meats’ recent equipment investments stem from a longstanding commitment to customer satisfaction, according to Jay El-Kareh, the company’s owner.

“I learned early on that having a good seal on poultry products is critical to preserving relationships with retailers,” El-Kareh says. “A standard overwrapper that just seals the edges can lead to the product leaking juices. The market manager has to then wipe the whole case down with bleach, so it doesn’t stink. That creates more work for them, and they stop buying the product.”

El-Kareh entered the market for a tray overwrapping machine a few years ago, seeking an equipment solution for his low- to midsize speed requirements, with a limited footprint and a focus on quality. Best Choice Meats only needed one machine, which meant savings in cost and space on the packaging floor, but it put added pressure on that machine to perform reliably.

After tapping the shoulder of a longtime associate in Brian Guillaume, a regional sales manager for Ossid, El-Kareh selected the Ossid 500im Leak Resistant End-Seal Overwrapper.

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