Film & Foil
Functional films seal success for the meat industry
The most diff icult challenges often inspire the most important innovations N
o sector proves this mantra more than meat and protein packaging, which has proved to be a hotbed of innovation for the last two centuries. Yet, even as meat packaging has changed, the fundamental challenges it faces remain the same: As consumer demand for meat products grows, how can brands, processors and packers protect and preserve these highly perishable goods in order to meet that demand? And how can they manage this in a way that makes economic sense?
Answering these questions has driven the rapid evolution of meat packaging from rudimentary tin containers transported in ice-cooled rail cars to the precision-engineered, hermetically sealed trays used in today’s automation-empowered cold chain. Functional fi lms have been central to this evolution and will continue to be so as the industry evolves even further, making them a key area of focus for forward-thinking meat brands, processors and packers.
OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY FOR MAP AND VSP
While challenges around product protection and profi tability are the same as ever, the solutions to those challenges are evolving continually. Many everyday meat products are packed in trays sealed in a gas-fl ushed modifi ed atmosphere pack (MAP) or a vacuum skin pack (VSP). Both approaches off er benefi ts for diff erent products and packing lines. MAP is generally more versatile, while VSP off ers further extended shelf life and greater visibility for premium products – but each approach requires a carefully tailored lidding fi lm that is designed with specifi c functional properties in mind. For example, MAP is commonly used for ready meal applications that must be packed on lines that incorporate inline sterilisation systems to guarantee product safety. For these applications, a retortable or pasteurisable fi lm is required. To illustrate this point, our Capfi lm PP fi lm is designed to withstand temperatures of up to 100°C while retaining exceptional clarity and excellent puncture resistance, ensuring minimal waste and maximum effi ciency on the packing line.
CONVENIENT SOLUTIONS FOR TODAY’S MARKET
Convenience for processors and packers is only half the story – consumer convenience is also a critical consideration for any lidding fi lm application.
14 September 2025
challenge, and choosing the right fi lm is central to overcoming it. Compatibility with APET and CPET trays, weld or peelable sealing performance, ovenability and microwavability and overall temperature resistance all have to be considered when designing a ready meal pack, for example. Of course, no two applications are exactly alike. A pouch for a cooked snack product requires a very diff erent set of properties from a thermoformed tray containing raw poultry, for example. Film technicians can tailor fi lm products to suit specifi c end markets, giving them a hugely important role in the future of meat packaging; a role in which they collaborate with meat packers and processors to develop the most effi cient and optimised solution.
A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR FLEXIBLE PACKAGING
Today’s world also presents a major new challenge: sustainability. This one word is deceptively complex, covering many diff erent ideas and principles and will defi ne the future of the meat packaging industry.
As consumer preferences and legislation around the world increasingly demand that businesses focus on making their packaging more sustainable, meat processors and packers fi nd themselves having to balance all of the concerns outlined above with new environmental considerations. This might involve making packaging easier to recycle as soft plastic recycling continues to scale up around the world. Advancements in water- based barrier coatings, for example, can be used to augment the performance of monopolymer fi lms, which are easier to recycle as they do not need to be separated into their constituent materials during the recycling process.
Today’s increasingly time-poor consumers demand food products that they can easily fi t into their busy schedules. Easy-open and reclosable snacks, ovenable ready meals and grab-and-go convenience food are staples in the diets of many of today’s consumers, and so packaging needs to be designed to accommodate these needs. This poses an additional layer of technical
We have also seen how other innovations may lower the overall carbon footprint of a pack by reducing the emissions involved in its production. Advanced thermoforming fi lms can be developed to make them suitable for forming and sealing at lower temperatures than traditional solutions, making for a much more energy-effi cient supply chain. As fi lms are used throughout the meat and protein supply chain, they have a unique power to create lasting change in the industry. As part of the Carton Pack Group, we have seen fi rsthand how that power can unlock new opportunities for our customers, meaning functional fi lms should form a central pillar of any meat business’s operational strategy.
www.convertermag.com
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