The move from clamshells to tray-sealing produce packages is one of the most significant advances in packaging technology in the past five years.
Tray-sealing gives better tamper evidence and marketing capabilities as well as cost and material reduction opportunities, said Drew Lericos, senior director of marketing for Multivac Inc., Kansas City, Mo.
“Customers are moving even beyond tray-sealing technology to thermoforming,” Lericos said. “This is a more sustainable alternative and highly efficient.”
Further gains in the next five years could come with greater automation in packaging, labeling, printing and inspection. Automated packaging lines that work in total harmony as a packaging solution with minimal labor requirements will be the aim, he said.
In terms of sustainability, Lericos sees more material source reduction of plastic, with new substrates like paperboard and more use of recyclable and potentially biodegradable packages.
