Multivac enhances tray labelling options

Multivac is offering two new sustainable labelling solutions for fresh produce trays, Top Wrap and Top Close, to complement its Full Wrap concept.

”A new trend is evident, particularly with natural products such as fruit and vegetables,” the group outlined. ”Packaging and labelling has to be very sustainable nowadays – and also especially secure. Rethinking is the new creed.”

While Top Wrap involves applying a label to the top and both sides of the tray, Top Close seals the tray closed just with a label from above.

According to Multivac, both concepts are an ideal choice for fresh products, which do not have to be packed under modified atmosphere or airtight in a vacuum.

This means that a label can be used to simply seal the tray closed and label it attractively at the same time.

Both solutions have one thing in common, the group said, in that they provide a strong purchasing incentive thanks to their ”attractive label and recyclable pack”.

”The self-adhesive labels on a backing material not only offer a large area for customer information and marketing purposes, they also open up a wide range of possibilities for product presentation in terms of material thickness and label shape,” Multivac stated.

”It is possible for example to have cut-outs in the label, as well as adhesive-free zones, so that contact with the product is prevented. Perforations serve as opening aids and make the handling of the packs easy for the consumer.”

The Top Wrap label makes sure that the content can not fall out of the tray or be removed by the customer.

In contrast to Full Wrap labelling, the label is only applied to the top and two sides, and not around the complete pack. This saves material and resources, and the label achieves its purpose in equal measure.

“Thanks to a combination of cardboard trays and standard self-adhesive labels made of paper or renewable materials, this produces a pack that can be sorted perfectly into its separate components for recycling,” explained Michael Reffke, product manager for labelling technology at Multivac.

In addition to this, it is also possible with Top Wrap to use film labels made of polypropylene. Polypropylene labels offer the benefit of providing an optimum view of the product thanks to the transparent window on the top of the tray.

“The proportion of plastic in such a pack is under 10 per cent depending on the label material used,” Reffke continued. ”The label can also be easily removed, making it simple for the consumer to separate the materials into the different recycling channels.”

With Top Close, plastic or cardboard trays with a wide flange, or even round trays, can be sealed closed on the top and labelled at the same time.

The label only adheres to the flanges of the tray, and thanks to an adhesive-free zone or retention of the backing material in the middle of the label, the product does not come into contact with the adhesive.

Multivac added that transparent labels allowed for an optimum view of the product, while ventilation holes ensure that there is air circulation. The label can also be printed on the labeller itself with a best-before date for example, and it is even possible to in-spect the print on the label.

”With an output of up to 200 products per minute, a labeller with Top Close has a particularly high output,” Multivac added. ”The trays are automatically labelled on the run, and they are either fed in manually or transferred automatically from an upstream module.

”When compared with time-consuming, manual packaging solutions, this provides tangible cost savings and a very efficient process.”