Innovations in food packaging were rewarded with a night of celebration at the Starpack Awards 2006, alongside the rest of the UK packaging industry.
Packaging society IOP honoured some of the UK’s leading companies at the Grosvenor House hotel in London on July 5.
Excelsior Technologies’ Zip ‘n’ Steam took the Gold Star for Best Flexible Plastic Innovation. The re-usable and re-sealable pouches include a number of patented innovations, such as an inbuilt pressure valve and a re-sealable zip that holds an overpressure of 0.4 bar. The bags, which are cool to touch at the top after cooking, give the consumer control over portion size and ingredients, and can be used for fresh, chilled or frozen foods.
The company also won a Bronze Star for Best Consumer Convenience Packaging and a Bronze Award for Best Consumer Pack.
Nampak Cartons won Gold Stars for Best in Creative Cardboard Packaging - Food, and the Pro Carton Award Packaging - Food, with a cartonboard sandwich pack featuring a PLA window.
The packaging, used by Marks & Spencer, incorporates a zip at the rear of the pack that allows it to open out onto a plate. The NatureWorks PLA window means consumers can see exactly what they are buying, and allay any environmental concerns. The pack can also be opened in the conventional way.
Nampak Cartons also won the Silver Star for Best Packaging Innovation Leading to a Significant Reduction in Household waste, and the Bronze Star for Best Consumer Pack - Food.
The 47th Starpack Awards recognised excellence with 15 Gold Stars, a Supreme Gold and the Technical Innovation Award. A total of 27 Silver Stars, 34 Bronze Stars and nine sponsor awards were also given. The winners were picked from 867 individual category entries.
Heather Kendle, packaging board chair at IOP: the Packaging Society, said: “Consumer concerns about convenience and sustainable packaging, and retailer demands for a more pro-active stance on packaging issues have been answered by many of this year’s innovative entries.
“For the first time this year, only a single Gold as been awarded in each category, ensuring that the quest for excellence is undiluted.
“Although this has made the judging process harder, it provides a benchmark by which companies can assess their performance against the packaging elite.”
