Supermarket Perimeter - March 2020 - 66

PACKAGING

by Andy Nelson

COMMISSARIES, CENTRAL
KITCHENS AND OTHER OFFSITE FACILITIES that provide
prepared and other foods to
grocery stores must be especially vigilant when it comes to
one critical aspect of packaging:
making sure product stays fresh.
Having an extra link in the supply
chain creates hurdles to achieving that goal.
For Shelton, Connecticutbased Inline Plastics, ensuring
product freshness starts with
DPET, a high-quality, durable and
sustainable material, says Sarah
Korwek, product manager.
DPET is used in Inline's
Safe-T-Fresh line of products,
which in addition to offering
the industry's ﬁrst tear-and-strip

tamper-evident technology, has
also been designed to maximize
product freshness, Korwek says.
"Our technology creates a tight
seal, preventing leaks and extending the shelf life and reducing
food waste," she says.
When it comes to commissaries, central kitchens and other
facilities, Inline is seeing growing demand for its grab-and-go
and prepared foods products,
Korwek says.
For products that are handled
more and spend more time in
transit to their ﬁnal destination -
such as products made in commissaries - these Inline products
are a perfect ﬁt, she says.
"Our exceptional clarity and
quality product lines improve the

Peak performance
In foodservice packaging,
performance is the number one
attribute that restaurant operators
and other foodservice channels
- including grocery deli prepared
departments - seek, says Natha
Dempsey, president of the Foodservice Packaging Institute, Falls
Church, Virginia.
And under the banner of
"performance," freshness is near
the top.
"We have conducted our
Foodservice Packaging State of
the Industry survey for more
than 20 years, and every year,
this holds true," Dempsey says.
"Operators are looking for a

For Inline Plastics, product freshness starts with DPET, a high-quality, durable and sustainable material
designed to be tamper-evident and to maximize freshness.
66 - MARCH 2020

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package that can maintain and
deliver the best possible product
to their customers."
Keeping product fresh can be
a bigger challenge than ever for
many suppliers and their retail
partners, given the ever-larger
role played by delivery in today's
food world, Dempsey says.
"Delivery is one of the hottest
topics around," she says. "As more
folks get into the delivery game
and may be using third-party
agents by which to deliver their
products, the need for tamper-evident packaging is certainly
on the rise."

A half-century of tinkering
Inline's 50+ years of experience,
Korwek says, has made it an
expert in recognizing that different products require different
oxygen levels for peak freshness.
The company's R&D team has
incorporated specially designed
vents into certain product lines
to optimize air ﬂow and control freshness for products that
need it.
For products that need to be
airtight, Korwek says, Inline's
award-winning leak resistant
seals are the best option. In
addition, Inline is working toward
a more sustainable future in its
packaging design.
"In addition to already being
100% recyclable, effective second
quarter 2020, we will be adding
post-consumer content to every
single one of our products,"
she says. "Within a couple of
months, all Inline plastics will
be made with materials diverted
from trash."
Inline expects to divert close to
1 billion bottles from oceans and
landﬁlls while enhancing product
quality, clarity, consistency, and
strength.
"We are always working on
new features and technologies
that maximize merchandising,

INLINE, NOVOLEX, PLACON

ENSURING
FRESHNESS

merchandising, while ensuring
the contents will travel safely
without leaking or losing freshness," she says. "Every time a
package changes hands, there
is the potential for tampering.
Tamper-resistant packaging minimizes these possibilities, ensuring
foods reach the consumer as safe
and fresh as possible."

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Supermarket Perimeter - March 2020

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