Discover the Power of Flexible Packaging in Food Service: A Game-Changer for Food Service

Flexible packaging, such as the CRYOVAC® VFFS solution, is engineered to meet the diverse needs of food service operations. Whether packaging liquids, solid-liquid products, or temperature-sensitive goods, it offers unparalleled efficiency and versatility. Transitioning from rigid containers to advanced flexible solutions is a smart investment for businesses seeking innovation and sustainability.

Say goodbye to the limitations of rigid containers and hello to a game-changing solution with CRYOVAC® Flexible Food Packaging. Designed for food processors and sustainability advocates, this innovative packaging delivers efficiency, versatility, and a lighter environmental footprint.

Why Choose Flexible Packaging vs. Rigid plastic containers and cans?

· Reduce Your Environmental Impact

Flexible packaging uses up to 75% less energy and generates 90% fewer CO2 emissions compared to metal cans. With options like CRYOVAC® FlexPrep™ portion pouches, you’ll achieve up to 98% yield—minimising waste and maximising savings. Plus, many of our films are compatible with recyclable LDPE RIC4 streams*.

* The degree of recyclability depends on the specific product configuration or components intended for recycling and the scope and availability of appropriate local recycling facilities.

· Save Space, Cut Costs

Save up to 40% more storage space with lightweight, compact packaging. From the pre-packaging stage to transport, flexible packaging reduces truckloads and storage needs, freeing up valuable room and cutting costs across the supply chain.

· Boost Productivity and Versatility with Automation

Optimise your operations with faster production rates and dynamic sizing options CRYOVAC® Vertical Form-Fill-Seal (VFFS) machines handle both cold and hot fill applications, ensuring operational flexibility.

Produces up to 25-32 packs per minute, optimizing production rates for soups, sauces, dressings, ground meats, and more.

Seamlessly replaces manual packing and premade pouches with an automated solution for enhanced efficiency and precision.

· Strong Performance with Outstanding Protection

Don’t compromise on quality—flexible packaging offers excellent resistance to punctures and leaks, ensuring your food stays fresh, flavourful, and secure. Say goodbye to cracks and breakages common in rigid materials.

· Elevate Sustainability and Efficiency

Flexible packaging isn’t just about better performance—it’s a smarter choice to align with the new sustainability landscape. Whether you’re looking to cut carbon emissions, streamline your operations, or improve cost-efficiency, flexible food packaging is paving the way for a more sustainable and productive food industry.

Innovative Packaging for a Changing Market

CRYOVAC® branded pouches are designed to elevate your meat and alternative protein products, offering unmatched versatility, performance, and shelf appeal. Whether you’re packaging fresh cuts, plant-based proteins, or ready-to-eat products, our pouches deliver superior protection and showcase your brand with high-impact visuals.

Engineered with advanced materials and sustainable solutions, our printed pouches help you meet the evolving demands of processors, retailers, and eco-conscious consumers.

Your Challenges, Our Solutions

In the dynamic meat and alternative proteins market, your packaging needs to work harder than ever—protecting products, reducing environmental impact, and standing out on the shelf. Here’s how CRYOVAC® branded pouches tackle these challenges head-on:

1. Protect Product Integrity

· The Challenge: Packaging must safeguard delicate products like fresh meats and alternative proteins from spoilage, contamination, and damage during transport and storage. This is critical for maintaining customer trust and reducing waste.

· Our Solution:

o High-barrier materials provide an exceptional shield against oxygen, moisture, and contaminants, preserving freshness, flavour, and texture.

o Advanced seals ensure leak-proof protection, minimizing hygiene risks and reducing the likelihood of product returns or recalls.

o Custom options like puncture-resistant films protect even the toughest products from damage.

2. Minimize Environmental Impact

· The Challenge: Processors and brands are under pressure to reduce their environmental footprint without sacrificing performance, shelf life, or cost efficiency.

· Our Solution:

o Recycle-ready* pouches are designed and manufactured in line with European sustainability standards including OPRL and CEFLEX

o Mono-material, multi-layer structures use less material than traditional rigid packaging offering a lightweight solution that reduces overall plastic use.

o Extended shelf life prevents food waste, enabling processors and retailers to align with eco-conscious consumer demands.

* The degree of recyclability depends on the specific product configuration or components intended for recycling and the scope and availability of appropriate local recycling facilities.

3. Maximize Shelf Appeal

· The Challenge: With growing competition in both traditional meat and plant-based protein markets, products need to stand out and reflect brand values at first glance.

· Our Solution:

o Cutting-edge digital and flexographic print technologies bring your brand to life with vibrant colors, high-definition imagery, and premium finishes that grab attention.

o Customizable designs ensure your packaging tells your brand story, highlighting key attributes like sustainability, product benefits, or ethical sourcing.

o Our range of premium pack finishes creates a polished, professional appearance for retail shelves.

4. Optimize Operational Efficiency

· The Challenge: Packaging operations face tight margins, fluctuating demand, and the need for quick turnarounds—all while managing diverse product SKUs.

· Our Solution:

o Our printed pouches are designed for compatibility with various filling and sealing equipment, ensuring smooth integration into your production line.

o Flexible pouch formats allow for easy handling of different product sizes, shapes, and configurations.

o Digital print allows you to order in line with product demand, even for the lowest volume SKUs. Helping reducing your levels of obsolete stock and packaging waste

5. Adapt to Consumer Trends

· The Challenge: Consumers expect more from packaging, including clear sustainability messaging, convenience features, and transparency about product origins.

· Our Solution:

o Options for resealable closures, easy-open features, and clear windows add convenience and enhance user experience.

o Custom printed packaging allows you to create an emotional connection with customers by telling your brand story on the pack, highlighting elements such as sustainability efforts, certifications, and product benefits.

Explore Our Pouch Range

CRYOVAC® branded pouches offer a wide variety of options to meet the specific needs of the meat and alternative proteins market, here is an overview of our most popular pouch options:

Stand-Up Pouches

· Designed For: Plant-based protein products, marinated meats, and ready-to-eat items.

· Benefits:

o Excellent shelf presence with a stable base for upright display.

o High-impact print capabilities for vibrant branding and consumer messaging.

o Flexible options for resealable closures, maintaining product freshness while enhancing convenience.

o Ideal for premium products that demand attention in retail environments.

Vacuum Seal 3-Side Seal Pouches

· Designed For: Fresh cuts of meat, processed proteins, and portion-controlled products.

· Benefits:

o Leak-proof construction ensures hygiene and product integrity during transit and storage.

o Superior barrier protection extends shelf life by locking out oxygen and moisture.

o Space-efficient, flat design reduces packaging material while maximizing storage capacity.

o Crystal-clear materials showcase the product, reassuring consumers of quality and freshness.

Each pouch type is available with advanced printing capabilities, enabling you to showcase your brand’s unique identity with vibrant graphics and engaging messaging.

What are they?

Over the past few decades, nearly every aspect of food production has evolved to optimize resource efficiency and ensure product protection. At Sealed Air, we are dedicated to building a sustainable, safe, and nutritious food supply chain. Through innovative solutions like CRYOVAC® brand Darfresh® packaging, we, along with our strategic equipment partners – empower you to lead in a marketplace where sustainability throughout the distribution cycle is more critical than ever.

The Darfresh® skin packaging system is available in two innovative options: Darfresh® on Tray and Darfresh® Rollstock.

Darfresh® on Tray is a case-ready vacuum skin packaging system based on tray sealing technology with pre-made trays. It is a zero-scrap solution developed by Sealed Air and G. Mondini S.p.A. The Darfresh on Tray solutions range offers a wide array of top webs compatible with diverse types of trays, like rigid mono-PP, mono-PET, PP or PET-based trays as well as cardboard support.

The system provides a multitude of benefits including aiding in the reduction of plastic versus conventional tray skin and food waste by extending the shelf life of food products (versus MAP) from processor to retailer and consumer. The top web creates packaging that surrounds the product, preserving colour, flavour and integrity. Its highly formable characteristics act as a second skin, creating a high-quality, premium look that offers today’s consumers the product visibility they desire to verify the freshness themselves while enhancing point-of-sale appeal at the retail case.

Darfresh® on Tray zero scrap packaging systems are suitable for the following applications: fresh red meat, poultry, smoked and processed meat, cheese and ready meals, and lightly marinated food.

Darfresh® Rollstock is a thermoforming vacuum skin packaging based on standard Darfresh® technology. Our unique system utilizes specially formulated materials and dedicated machines - we cooperate with Ulma Packaging to deliver the best solutions to our customers.

Designed to provide a skin-tight effect around your product, our solution ensures evenly distributed pressure through a seamless vacuum process. Not only does this preserve the original shape of your product, but it also creates a complete contour seal, giving your goods unbeatable protection. When it comes to keeping your products protected and presentable, we’ve got you covered—literally!

What problems do they solve?

Consumers and retailers are demanding higher food safety standards, less food waste, and reduced plastic usage from food processors. At the same time, the industry faces increasing pressure to optimize costs and improve profitability.

The shift toward a circular economy is pushing food processors to adopt smarter resource management practices to achieve sustainability goals. Additionally, the rise of the omnichannel business model requires packaging solutions that can meet the diverse demands of physical stores, e-commerce platforms, and long-distance distribution.

What benefits do they bring?

· When Darfresh Rollstock is used

1. Package Optimization

Reduce plastic usage by up to 25% compared to standard market packaging (skin or tray skin) with our innovative thinner top and bottom webs.

2. Enhanced Brand Experience

Expand your business reach by catering to both traditional and e-commerce sales channels, thanks to the exceptional performance of our packaging solutions.

3. Product Integrity

Extend the shelf life of fresh proteins even twice compared to MAP systems.

Ensure secure sealing with no risk of juices leaking from the package.

· When Darfesh on Tray is used

1. Operational Efficiency

Reduce plastic usage and lower material costs with zero skeleton waste, compared to the 30-40% scrap produced by traditional skin pack machines.

Enjoy greater production flexibility with the extended shelf life of your products.

2. Brand Experience

Showcase your products with sleek, glossy, and high-quality packaging that stands out on shelves.

Boost point-of-sale impact by displaying products vertically for better visibility.

Appeal to consumers with a convenient, easy-to-open design.

3. Product Integrity

Preserve product freshness and quality for longer with a high oxygen barrier that prevents visible drip over time.

Ensure food safety by eliminating cross-contamination, thanks to strong and reliable sealing that prevents juices from leaking.

What is the Darfresh webs composition?

Darfresh Rollstock covers a very broad range of top and bottom webs for all main applications. Patented Darfresh easy-open seal technology, reclose available [OL1] [CM2] on TE range of top webs with MEB bottom, print and pigmentation options available upon request.

Darfresh on Tray top webs are compatible with pre-made rigid mono-PP, mono-PET and any PP or PET-based tray or cardboard support with Darfresh or PE sealant liner.

What is the choice of automation solutions?

Darfresh Rollstock bottom and top webs can be used on ULMA TFS R-scrap machine (reduced scrap technology) or any other qualified thermoforming vacuum skin packaging machine.

Darfresh® on Tray can be used on a range of equipment Trave 340, 350, 367, 384, 1000, 1200, 1400, 590XL. The system can be combined with G. Mondini Platformer.

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What Are They?

CRYOVAC® brand shrink bags and automation systems are trusted solutions designed to enhance operational efficiencies across the value chain—from industrial food processors to consumer-level retail units. We play a key role at every stage, ensuring food protection and quality throughout the journey from production to the end consumer.

As experts in shrink bag solutions, we offer a seamless combination of advanced materials and state-of-the-art equipment to preserve freshness, flavour, and product integrity while optimizing throughput on packaging lines. Our solutions incorporate two automation systems—tubing with Flow-Vac® technology and premade shrink bags—to cater to diverse operational requirements.

Our Unique Approach

We integrate cutting-edge equipment, industry expertise, high-performance materials, and exceptional service to deliver full-line, custom automation solutions tailored to your specific needs. Whether you're optimizing a single packaging line or planning a comprehensive production floor strategy, we have the expertise to support your goals.

Reliability Backed by Innovation

By combining innovation with rigorous real-world testing, we ensure the highest standards of performance and reliability in our packaging solutions. We work closely with customers to test and refine our systems prior to commercialization, ensuring they meet the most demanding operational requirements.

Additionally, we continuously monitor the performance of our materials in real-life environments, guaranteeing consistent quality and optimal efficiency—even when integrated with third-party equipment.

Features and Benefits of CRYOVAC® Brand Shrink Bags:

• A wide range of EVOH high-barrier bags for diverse applications such as presentation, curing, medium and high abuse, and heat treatment.
• Options for recycle-ready, easy-open, cook-in, active barriers, or bone-guard features.
• Sustainability benefits, including recyclable options and reduced material usage.

CRYOVAC® brand shrink bags are trusted globally by leading food companies for packaging fresh red meat, smoked and processed meats, poultry, and cheese.

Challenges Addressed by Shrink Bags and Automation Systems

The food industry is rapidly evolving due to a strong focus on sustainability and the growth of ethical consumerism. Food processors are now tasked with:

• Adopting recyclable materials and reducing plastic usage while maintaining functionality.
• Minimizing food waste by ensuring packaging extends shelf life and maintains product quality.
• Balancing retailer and consumer demands for sustainable and visually appealing packaging.

Shrink bag automation also addresses critical operational challenges, including maintaining production efficiency during periods of uncertainty.

Key Benefits of Shrink Bag Systems

1. Boost Efficiency with Shrink Bags and Automation

Shrink bags and automation streamline operations and increase efficiency by:

• Enhancing packaging speeds and handling higher volumes.
• Reducing manual errors caused by repetitive tasks.
• Supporting multiple bag sizes with seamless transitions and minimal downtime.
• Delivering high throughput, packaging up to 30 products per minute (compared to 16 per minute on typical small protein thermoforming lines).

2. Minimize Environmental Impact

CRYOVAC® shrink bags can reduce plastic usage by up to 50% compared to thermoformable alternatives. Their advanced multi-layer material construction allows for superior performance with less material.

• Recyclable shrinkable polyethylene options tested to meet APR/PRE protocols for flexible films.
• Extended shelf life reduces food waste and aligns with sustainability goals.

3. Enhance Food Safety

High-performance barriers protect food from oxygen exposure and contaminants, extending shelf life and preserving freshness, flavor, and nutritional value. Key features include:

• Exceptional abuse resistance to prevent punctures and contamination.
• Heated seals for leak-proof, hygienic packaging, reducing cross-contamination risks.

4. Elevate Brand Appeal and Drive Sales

• Anti-haze, high-gloss finishes enhance product visibility and shelf appeal.
• Skin-tight, vacuum-sealed packaging minimizes waste and strengthens consumer confidence.
• Advanced technology preserves quality while meeting sustainability expectations.

Automation Solutions and Equipment Compatibility

CRYOVAC® brand shrink bags are designed to run on a variety of heat-sealing equipment, including:

• CRYOVAC® VR and VS vacuum lines.
• ULMA FLOW-VAC® systems.

Our systems offer excellent machinability and are compatible with diverse automation solutions, ensuring seamless integration into existing operations.

What are they?

Recycle-ready* Laminates:

Discover our lightweight 51 µm PE and 52 µm PP laminates with a cutting-edge EVOH barrier—your perfect blend of innovation and practicality. Specifically designed for Horizontal Form-Fill-Seal (HFFS) systems, these materials offer exceptional flexibility to meet your unique packaging requirements.

Not just that—these versatile solutions can also be used for tray lidding and thermoforming, making them an all-in-one answer for a variety of packaging applications.

Barrier Display Films:

Our ultra-thin, shrinkable coextruded PE-based films (ranging from 20 to 35 microns) are designed to revolutionise your packaging process. Perfect for overwrapping, these versatile films allow you to skip trays or accommodate a wide variety of tray shapes and types with ease. Packed with features like a high EVOH barrier and anti-fog properties, this material is ideal for MAP (Modified Atmosphere Packaging) shrink applications, ensuring your products look their best while staying fresh.

A Smarter Cheese Packaging Solution

For the cheese market, we proudly introduce the CRYOVAC® AutoWrap Lite—a game-changing, total system solution. By combining a continuous vacuum system with recycle-ready barrier shrink film, AutoWrap Lite offers significant benefits:

· Extended shelf life for cheese compared to traditional packaging methods

· Reduced plastic usage, meeting sustainability goals

· Enhanced operational efficiency, keeping production seamless

· Premium pack appearance, showcasing your product beautifully

Here's what makes CRYOVAC® films and laminates amazing:

Exceptional Versatility and Efficiency: Say goodbye to the hassle of molds and reduce machine downtime with longer reel lengths. Whether you require an anti-fog or standard finish, we have the perfect solution for your needs.

Superior Barrier Protection: Our high-barrier packaging ensures your products stay fresher for longer, preserving quality and extending shelf life.

Tailored Customization: Personalize your packaging with plain or trap-printed designs for HFFS, perfectly suited to your brand’s identity.

This is packaging reimagined—smart, innovative, and designed to align seamlessly with your brand’s goals.

What problems do they solve and what benefits do they bring?

Processors and retailers are looking for packaging systems that hit their sustainability goals and save them money.

CRYOVAC® HFFS trayless solution slashes plastic usage by 65–75% compared to THF and tray lidding systems. That’s a win for you and the planet.

Our HFFS laminates are thoughtfully designed with the environment in mind, crafted to be recyclable within the PP and PE stream according to the solution chosen. They fully comply with On-Pack Recycling Label (OPRL) guidelines and meet CEFLEX standards, keeping you aligned with the latest sustainability requirements. Certified as recycle-ready by Cyclos*, CRYOVAC® empowers you to make a responsible choice for a greener future.*, CRYOVAC® empowers you to make a responsible choice for a greener future.

CRYOVAC’s BDF solutions reduce plastic usage, using at least 60% less plastic compared to standard laminates on the market and giving the possibility to use non-plastic trays. Its high-barrier material helps to extend shelf life and reduce overall food waste. In addition, longer rolls do not require frequent changeovers, which will improve your production speed.

Processors and retailers are increasingly seeking packaging solutions that balance sustainability goals with cost savings.

The CRYOVAC® HFFS trayless solution offers a significant leap forward, reducing plastic usage by 65–75% compared to traditional THF and tray lidding systems. It’s a win for both your business and the planet.

Designed with the environment in mind, our HFFS laminates are recyclable* within PP and PE streams, depending on the chosen solution. They fully comply with On-Pack Recycling Label (OPRL) guidelines and meet CEFLEX standards, ensuring alignment with the latest sustainability requirements. Certified as recycle-ready* by Cyclos, CRYOVAC® films and laminates enable you to make environmentally responsible choices for a greener future.

Additionally, CRYOVAC® BDF solutions cut plastic usage by at least 60% compared to standard laminates on the market, and they can accommodate non-plastic trays. The high-barrier materials extend shelf life, reducing food waste while maintaining product freshness. Longer rolls also minimize changeovers, boosting production efficiency.

With CRYOVAC®Brand Food Packaging, you can achieve your sustainability targets without compromising performance or cost-effectiveness.

Part of the current BDF offer is classified as recycle-ready*, by Cyclos – HTP – institute contributing to a sustainable future with shrinkable materials that are ready to go into the PE recycling stream.

* The degree of recyclability depends on the specific product configuration or components intended for recycling and the scope and availability of appropriate local recycling facilities.

Protect Your Products and Extend Shelf Life

Reduce food waste with innovative packaging designed for maximum freshness. CRYOVAC® laminates & BDF provides exceptional oxygen and moisture barriers, keeping proteins fresher for longer and minimizing spoilage. Not only does this help you save money, but it also supports a more sustainable and efficient supply chain.

Aesthetic Excellence

In the highly competitive retail landscape, presentation is key. CRYOVAC® BDF and laminates ensure your products remain visually appealing on the shelf, offering consumers a clear, unobstructed view of the quality inside.

What is the choice of automation solutions?

Materials have been successfully tested on a wide range of high speed HFFS systems with both configurations for Shrinkable and Non-Shrinkable Materials.