Don Smallgoods reduces plastic with flow packs for its sliced meat

Transitioning away from traditional thermoform packs, Don Smallgoods is packaging its sliced deli meat in flow packs using the Omori Bellpack packaging solution, which was installed and commissioned by Perfect Automation.

From its inception to development by Omori, the Bellpack wrapper became a reality in 2010 and has since been widely used across the European small goods and cheese sectors.

The re-closable flow packs are claimed to achieve a 50% reduction in plastic usage compared to thermo packs and require less energy to produce the package, while also being designed to extend product freshness and longevity.

The re-close mechanism has a user-friendly anti-tampering seal, which allows consumers to easily open and reseal the pack after the initial use. This is designed to ensure continued freshness and usability without any inconvenience.

Other benefits of the pack include: protection against product dehydration even after reuse (opening); extended shelf life with rest oxygen of 0.5% achieved; and reduced labour and maintenance costs in the factory.

By embracing re-closable flow packs, Don Smallgoods can not only enhance sustainability but also achieve a mono-material film structure that is used in the Omori Bellpack wrapper, which helps to ensure compliance with the APCO 2025 standard.

The wrapper efficiently packages sliced deli meat, shingled, at speeds ranging from 80 to 100 packs per minute while ensuring an oxygen residual level of less than 0.5% immediately after sealing, according to the company.