Multilayer Packaging Films 2013

As demand grows worldwide for food and pharmaceuticals, safety and sustainability are the hot topics, particularly in Europe where the legislative impact on the industry is growing. Packaging is becoming more sophisticated and tailored to market requirements. At the same time there is increased awareness of other issues like sustainability in the supply chain and the critical factor of safety in food contact, which is studied in terms of levels of extractables and leachables in European standards.

Barilla, the Italian food supplier, has taken particular care with food contact issues and assists in leading the Italian Packaging Institute on this matter. Economics of production must also be considered, with budgets tight across the globe. AMI has reviewed the markets in flexible packaging and will be presenting some of the data at the next specialty conference on Multilayer Packaging Film, which takes place in Imperial Riding School Renaissance Hotel in Vienna, Austria from 18-20 November 2013.  Converters are constantly looking for enhancements to differentiate their products in the marketplace. For this, Constantia Flexibles’s R&D division focuses on design.

The better the barrier the longer the shelf-life will be for perishable foodstuffs. BASF has recently announced an increase in production of polyamide for packaging, which is a very high barrier material, whilst Reliance in India has studied nanocomposites for this purpose, and Nippon Gohsei has brought a biodegradable gas barrier polymer to the market. The adhesive interlayer is critical to holding the film structure together and companies such as Yparex are supplying these materials.

Intertek has looked at multi-material films in terms of compliance with food-contact legislation. Polyram has specifically studied the effZoom Kobe Venomenon V 5