Advanta launches new packaging solution for poultry

Global packaging supplier, Advanta, has launched a unique skin pack aluminium poultry tray and film combination to tackle food wastage associated with the US poultry industry, which is the world’s largest producer of poultry meat.

The new packaging solution was officially launched on 10 June at the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association (IDDBA) 2018, in New Orleans, following a completion of a successful trial

Aimed at poultry processors, the packaging combines the convenience of chicken-shaped aluminium foil tray, and shelf-life extension to minimize the potential for food waste.

According to Advanta, skin pack is an excellent alternative to standard modified atmosphere packaging (MAP).

Advanta’s export sales manager Miguel Campos said:  “The poultry is vacuum packed in the foil tray, eliminating oxygen and therefore increasing the shelf-life of refrigerated poultry – sometimes by up to 300%.

“Retailers and manufacturers are increasingly opting for this type of packaging because longer shelf-life products result in reduced supply chain waste.”

As well as increased shelf life, increased demand for convenience has left a gap in the market for this kind of packaging. This is reflected by an increase of pre-marinated, ready-to-cook chicken products, which consumers can put straight in the oven without the mess or fuss.

Advanta’s new packaging solution allows customers to peel back the plastic film surrounding the poultry, revealing the whole chicken in a foil tray, ready to cook.

Campos continued: “Both consumer demand for convenience and retailers’ requirements for longer shelf-lives have refocused the priorities of poultry food packaging.

“As consumption of poultry products continues to grow, new concepts are required to ensure packaging is fit for purpose.

According to Compos, ‘packaging will always have a significant impact on whether the customer make the purchase’ regardless of the quality or taste of a product.

He added: “Today’s consumers don’t want to touch the chicken before it is cooked. With Advanta’s new project, they don’t have this problem. A tray that allows poultry to be cooked directly in the packaging it comes in makes cooking a fuss-free process —it’s all about convenience.”

The new skin pack aluminium tray can withstand temperatures ranging from -40°C to 400°C, remaining shatterproof while frozen and rigid while in the oven. The tray is also 100% recyclable, providing a more environmentally friendly option as opposed to plastic tray alternatives.