Leading flexographic packaging supplier Ultimate Packaging has become the first in the UK to develop the technique of surface printing Dupont OLAFT polyester films for the fresh produce industry.
The lid printing system affords the company’s fresh produce customers several advantages including a 24-48 hour turn around when the need arises. Other printers are only able to offer laminated products, which adds 4-5 days turn around time due to the curing process of adhering two films together, said Ultimate. Also, because only a single web of film is supplied and no adhesive is required the product is recyclable where the correct facilities exist.
This new-found technological advantage gives Ultimate an edge in the prepared fresh produce sector, said Chris Tonge, sales and marketing director. “This new technique means that base labels are not required, as we are able to reverse print nutritional information etc onto the film that can be read once the lid is removed. This gives a significant cost saving on both the label and the labour and also results in a retail product that can easily be recycled to protect our environment,” he explained.
The process was originally developed with the Bakkavor Group and Ultimate is now supplying surface printed Dupont anti-fog film into several of its sites, Yorkshire Fresh Fruit, Hitchen Foods and Tilmanstone Salads. Other notable customers using this unique product include, Mack Multiples, Salads To Go, Wight Salads and Wilsons Country.
Tonge added: “The growth is astonishing in the prepared vegetables, salad and fresh fruit sector. The flexibility that we offer is recognised as exceptional throughout the industry and many of the polyester films are supplied either laser perforated for additional shelf-life or 6mm hole punched to allow finished packs to breathe.”
Ultimate recently produced a range of 14 Tesco prepared fruit designs for Wilsons in Ireland. After just 72 hours of receiving the design files the product was delivered, enabling the retailer to hit a major product launch.
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