Sorbent era and meals packaging

A Q& A with Bob Sabdo, market leader – North America
Food & Beverage Packaging, Multisorb Technologies about sorbent technology
and its benefits.

Food and Beverage Packaging: What is sorbent technology?
 

Bob Sabdo: Sorbent
technology is a form of active packaging, which continuously modifies the
packaging headspace to keep it in a preferred state, maintaining food’s quality
and extending its shelf life.  Sorbent
technology is dynamic – actively removing or emitting a particular substance,
such as moisture, oxygen, or other gases. In comparison, other methods such as
gas flushing are static and do not respond to changes to in the internal packaging
environment.  
 

Oxygen is one of the biggest threats to the longevity of
food products. Oxygen, both in the product packaging and that which ingresses
through permeable packaging over time, 
will  promote the rancidity of
fats, growth of aerobic organisms, loss of nutritive values, and loss of colors
and flavors. The use of an oxygen absorber, such as our FreshPax® packets, FreshCard®, or FreshMax® self-adhesive absorbers
can protect the quality profile of your food products.
 

Our oxygen absorbers contain food grade, inert ingredients
that are sealed inside gas- and moisture-permeable packets, embedded into
permeable card stock, or combined with a polymer to safely remove oxygen from
the product packaging.
 

Unlike oxygen, removing moisture completely might not be the
best solution. For some products like crackers using a desiccant to keep them
crisp is beneficial, but other products, such as cakes or cookies, may require
moisture regulation to maintain product’s texture and mouthfeel.  Moisture regulating sorbent technology
establishes and maintains a desirable equilibrium relative humidity within the
packaging, which matches the water activity of the food product. Moisture that is
released or absorbed from the sorbent keeps the food product at a consistent
moisture level. Controlling moisture limits moisture-mediated degradation and
preserves the appearance and flavor characteristics of the food, extending
shelf life. 
 

For products, such as nutritional supplements, where strong odors
can impact consumer acceptance, our sorbents can be formulated absorb odors as
well as remove oxygen and/ or regulate moisture.
 

Sorbent technology is only useful when it fits the needs of
our customers. We have listened to the brand owners, who want to have format
choices it terms of implementing sorbent technology, and have provided an expansive
line of Drop-In, Fit-In, and Built-In technologies. 
 

A Drop-In solution
consists of an optimized sorbent in the form of a packet that is dropped
directly into the food package. Fit-In sorbent solutions are custom
manufactured to a particular shape and size to fit into a device or packaging.
This could take the form of a support card or a self-adhesive sorbent that
attaches securely to the inside of the packaging. And finally, built-In sorbent
solutions integrate sorbent technology into a molded part or packaging film. The
format options we provide give our customers a higher level of flexibility than
they will find anywhere else. 

FBP: What are the
benefits to using it?
 

Sabdo: There are
many benefits to using sorbent technology: retention of color and flavor,
extended shelf life, extended distribution potential, sustainability, which all
contribute to the protection of brand integrity.
 

Color is one of the most important factors that influence
consumer’s buying decisions. Color degradation in cured meat products, for
example, is caused by photoxidation. This light activated free radical reaction
can be slowed considerably by removing the oxygen before the product is placed
in a lighted retail display case. FreshMax has been shown to reduce oxygen in packaged sliced ham to
approximately 0.1% in 36–48 hours and to less 0.01% shortly thereafter. Under retail lighted display conditions, use
of our oxygen absorber can increase shelf life up to 21 day. When you compare
that to the typical two to three days shelf life expected for deli meats in
traditional packaging, the benefit is clear.
 

Additionally,
flavors are protected. Oxygen permeating through a packaging that does not
contain a sorbent will be metabolized by aerobic spoilage organisms, leading to
the development of off-flavors
within the first week or so after packaging. The use of our sorbent technology
will protect the flavor of your food.
 

Another benefit is that the extended shelf-life achieved
with sorbent technology allows manufacturers and processors to expand their
distribution reach. Long distribution changes pose a challenge because packages
may be stored and shipped in climates with varying temperatures and humidity
levels. As temperatures fluctuate, so do the humidity levels within the
packaging, damaging the product’s integrity. Sorbent technology allows the
moisture to remain stable, regardless of the external environment. The extended
shelf life allows the product more time in the distribution chain when
necessary.
 

Sustainability is an
important, but sometimes overlooked, benefit. Food losses from spoilage or the
product going out-of-date at retail and consumer levels are staggering. The use
of sorbent technology can assist manufacturers and processors reach
sustainability goals through the reduction of food loss, reduction of
packaging, elimination of environmentally unsound materials, and improvement of
supply chain management.
 

Protecting your products means
protecting brand integrity. Consumers expect products that taste, look, smell,
and feel freshly made. The use of sorbent technology can ensure that products
maintain the level of freshness with which they were packaged. 
 

FBP: How does it
impact the food and beverage industry?
 

Sabdo: In
addition to the benefits I mentioned, which in themselves have an impact on the
industry, longer shelf-life leads to less waste and greater salability. If a
customer is satisfied with a product, they are more likely to be a repeat
customer. Ultimately, this translates to money saved by the processor or
manufacturer and increased sales for the brand owner.
 

Using sorbent technology opens up new opportunities in the
industry. For example, extended shelf life allows niche markets, such as small
gourmet cookie manufacturers, to extend their distribution. Another example is
seen with whole muscle meat processors. They are able to see up to 21 days of
shelf life prior to it being placed on the retail shelf; this can allow them to
create savings by having a centrally located processing facility, eliminating
the need for facilities in multiple geographic locations.
 
 

FBP: How has this
technology evolved?
 

Sabdo: There is
science behind sorbent selection. Buying an off-the-shelf packet and dropping
into your food packaging is most likely going to provide unfavorable results.  Many sorbent manufacturers still take this
approach. Food technology is changing, packaging methods are changing, and so
sorbent technology and the approach to it must evolve as well.
 

We take a consultative approach. Using our Calculations through Operations ® program, we work directly
with our customers to understand their product and their specific needs. For a
sorbent to be sized correctly many factors must be reviewed, such as the
product’s ingredients, the product’s water activity, the packaging
configuration, the packaging material’s water vapor and/ or oxygen transmission
rates, the packaging headspace, environmental conditions at packaging, desired
shelf life, and distribution and storage conditions.  All of these factors are unique for each
product and are used to calculate the precise formula for the product.
 

The operations portion of Calculations through Operations refers to our sorbent systems. Systems
are available for our entire line of strip and card format sorbents. We are the
only sorbent supplier to provide strip format sorbents that run exclusively
with our own custom built dispensers. This tightly integrated system provides
proven reliability.
 

As I mentioned earlier, we listened to what the industry was
requiring and our sorbent technology has evolved to offer manufacturers, processors,
and brand owners flexibility through a choice of format options. The Drop-in,
Fit-In, and Built-in options we offer are a direct result of the industry
evolving and having new and unique needs.
 

Our R&D group developed the world’s first self-adhesive
oxygen absorber. FreshMax is ideal for high-value foods where oxygen absorption
requirements are at levels below 50cc. Their flat, flexible format, with an
ultra-thin, low-profile design, makes them seemingly invisible.
 

We have also developed a low
profile card with built-in oxygen absorbing functionality that irreversibly
removes nearly all oxygen from the product packaging. Freshcard’s value
lies in its multifunctional capabilities. It can be printed in up to four
colors, making it perfect for advertising or providing mandatory information –
great for cross marketing products, providing nutrition information, offering
coupons, or directing traffic to your website using a QR code. With FreshCard
you will have greater consumer acceptance over more traditional formats because
consumers will view it as product packaging and not as an oxygen absorber.
 

For invisible protection, we have developed technologies
that integrate sorbent material into a polymer substrate to create a
thermoformed packaging component or thin film or film layer. Essentially the
packaging becomes the sorbent providing barrier protection for the food
product.
 

Our R&D team follows industry trends closely and will continue
to listen to the market so that we can identify its needs and provide
innovative solutions.

Photo used by
permission of Multisorb Technologies, Inc., together with its subsidiaries and
affiliates, Copyright 2004-2011.