Keeping it fresh with a top-sealed tray format

There’s been rapid growth in the demand for packaged fresh produce products and ready-to-eat meals over the past decade so what solutions are suitable for this purpose?

According to Gary Lee, Sales Manager, Proseal Australia, the top-sealed food tray is a perfect example of how to protect food, keep it fresh and reduce unnecessary waste.

“A tray sealed with a top film is designed to inhibit and control the ingress or egress of gases and moisture, reducing deterioration of the product to extend shelf life. The modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) enables the manipulation of the atmosphere inside a tray containing meats, fish and other perishable foods,” Lee said.

Suitable for a wide variety of products — from fruit and vegetables to fresh meat and also ready meals — Lee said the top-sealed food tray format has grown in popularity due to its convenience for consumers and the protection it provides for food travelling from factory to retailer to home.

“The MAP process can be achieved by processes such as vacuum-assisted gas flush and standard displacement gas flushing. Additionally, more recently, ready meals and protein have used skin packaging, which features a special film that seals to all surfaces of a tray — rim, sidewalls and base — to tightly cover the entire contents,” Lee said. He added that this method provides the benefits of enhanced on-shelf presentation through vertical stacking and increased shelf life.

Sealed trays are also suitable for the further processing of products using different sterilisation methods such as retort or HPP (high pressure processing), which can further increase shelf life, Lee said.

Proseal is a local manufacturer and supplier of tray sealing machinery and tooling. It also has a full test kitchen at its Westmeadows factory that can provide assistance for testing solutions designed for new product developments. Its ‘e’ range of sealing systems is designed to handle any type of tray and provide all sealing capabilities. Users can simply select the format types they require in conjunction with the correct tooling set. The e-seal technology is designed to deliver a precision seal with a strong sealing force, which ensures every seal has the tightness required to maintain its effectiveness both for further processing and throughout the supply chain.

Image caption: iStock.com/Michael_at_isp