Shelf Life & Flexible Packaging Trends
What is the true value of Shelf Life?
I recently attended the Winter Fancy Food Show at the Moscone Center in San Francisco on January 18th, 2016. I can honestly say that at age 52, and with 27 years under my belt in Flexible Packaging, that I know how to efficiently ‘walk’ and ‘work’ a trade show floor. With this said, I was pleasantly surprised by the obvious shift and focus toward flexible packaging in many different retail POP (Point of Purchase) put ups on display in the ‘What’s New?‘ glass display cases in the main entryway in front of the North Hall doors.
Point of Fact: In the entire building there was one small regional guy selling tomato sauce out of glass containers. I asked him if he was aware of the potential savings he could incur using a laminated pouch instead of glass and his face became somewhat perplexed (like I was speaking a foreign language that he was not fluent in). Conversion to Pouch from Glass and Aluminum Cans is ‘What’s Next’ on a Larger than Life Scale for American Consumers. If you don’t believe me, then just take a paper notepad, and pen, and add up how many Laminated Pouches have replaced fiberboard containers in your local grocery store. Tomato Sauces are the next WAVE. Don’t believe me? Watch that aisle transform itself over the next 12 to 24 months every time you go to the local grocery store. KraftHeinz is already pushing forward in this arena, and making inroads with different varieties of Salad Dressings.
So, and with ‘All of the Above’ being noted: What Laminated structured pouch used for – Food Packaging – will ultimately give you the greatest Shelf Life at the best price?
Personally, I believe after 27 years in doing what I do, and with hard “data strongly suggesting” the same conclusion, that a / Valfilm USA / 3 Mil. PVDC COEX sheet laminated to a 48 Gauge PET (used to create an 8 Color Printed Stand Up Pouch) will save the average American Converter 11% on substrate costs (versus EVOH, Nylon and Foil film alternatives) and increase SHELF LIFE by 2 to 3 times. Also, and if you’re presently using Foil, you will simultaneously avoid and eliminate Flex Cracks and Pin Holes downstream.
To conclude this brief Technical Narrative, you need to ask yourself one question if you are an American ‘Pouch’ Converter today:
If my ‘American Competition’ can offer this unique Flexible Packaging ‘Cost Savings Option’ to my current ‘High Profile’ Pouch Converter/Customers – Can I ‘afford’ to simply ignore it?
