Chip Bolton

I recently spoke with a veteran packaging executive whose experiences span enough years that his notions on trays are well informed by practical knowledge and businesslike candor.

Vacuum packaging is a vintage format that has aged well over the decades.

Without dwelling much on the past, it progressed from shrink bags to case-ready and vacuum skin to flex/flex and other formats all the while delivering extended freshness life for an expanding lineup of protein applications. Today it continues that winning streak. 

The advancements in weighing and labeling technologies haven’t been all that phenomenal in the recent past, according to one processor. 

Every meat packaging format has its place, at least for today. By tomorrow the market landscape may have shifted once again, reordering the field. This isn’t news; it’s the nature of a responsive and vibrant retail marketplace. 

A host of retailers and processors see innovation as the prevailing driver of packaging format changes in the future, says one veteran industry source.

Many an athlete has been saddled with the worrisome praise of having potential. It’s as though the experts are hedging their bets just in case there’s a star in the making, but they’re also telling us expectations aren’t that high.

Form-fill-seal has moved steadily over the years to become a major packaging force for retail proteins. “It’s only rivaled by shrink bags,” declares one packaging veteran. “Certainly in North America it’s dominant largely on the flexible side.”

Resealable packaging has become a reasonably common feature available to shoppers, especially among ready-to-eat meats. As with next-day delivery, we love the convenience. Use what you want, reseal the package and put it in the fridge. But, is that all? Is there more to resealability than cursory convenience?