ULMA Helps Meat Companies Beef Up Their Packaging

ULMA Packaging is targeting meat and poultry companies to improve food hygiene, as well as increase productivity, with its wide range of high-speed automated equipment that provides excellent pack presentation and extended shelf life.

The meat sector demands the highest quality in packaging solutions. ULMA, one of the country’s leading suppliers of packaging machinery and complete automated lines, offers a range of packaging machine options – Thermoforming (TFS), Tray Sealing, Horizontal Flow Pack (HFFS), and Vertical Form Fill Seal (VFFS).

A variety of equipment available for both fresh and processed meats is supplemented by the latest in film wrapping that offers convenience to consumers as well as stand-out shelf appeal. One area that ULMA is leading the field on is cook-in-the-bag technology to meet increasing demand from retailers for convenience packaging that helps in the battle against harmful bacteria such as campylobacter.

Designed so that consumers can pop chicken into the oven for cooking without having to handle the raw poultry, ULMA's horizontal flowwrapper, the Artic Quad, creates Polyester Ovenable Material or Barrier Laminate Material in quad and pillow pack formats with complete modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) for extended shelf-life.

Once the chicken is wrapped, with or without a tray, the machine profiles and seals film on four corners for a box-like effect, adding extra value for suppliers by allowing printing on four sides of the pack and increasing the visibility of the product to shoppers, who do not need to handle the product before placing it straight into the oven.

ULMA’s range of TFS thermoformers also use specially designed top films for enhancing the product’s appearance and extending shelf life. It has teamed up with global packaging giant Sealed Air to roll out across the UK the revolutionary Cryovac Darfresh vacuum pack that reduces waste and offers excellent benefits for a variety of meat products.

Using roll stock material to create a cost-effective, vacuum skin consumer pack that fits around the product like a second skin to produce a securely and hygienically sealed pack, especially suited for fresh and processed meat, beef, pork, lamb, poultry and fish. ULMA’s collaboration with Sealed Air provides retailers with secure and exceptionally attractive product presentation.

There is also Darfresh Bloom to help red meat sealed under vacuum retain its colour and a microwavable version for ready meals, while double decker packages are available for providing a flat top surface to apply a label.

ULMA’s UK Managing Director, Chris Pickles, said: “The major advantages of skin packaging for retailers are extended shelf life and enhanced pack appearance, while other benefits include moisture retention, the ability to customise pack shape and dimensions as well as vertical merchandising.”

In addition to flowrapping and thermoforming ULMA also offers a wide range of tray sealing machines, such as the TSA 680-1000 with its high speed MAP packing of meat and poultry products, built to meet the most demanding high care requirements of the market.

Innovative packaging technology – backed up by complete spares and service support – offers the meat and poultry industry stand-alone equipment and fully integrated solutions that are highly productive and efficient to meet the growing demand from retailers for exceptional hygiene, extended shelf life, great commercial visibility and speed to market.