Barrier Materials Provide the Cradle for Baby Food Innovation

RPC Cobelplast produces bespoke barrier sheet for form-fill-seal applications that is flexible enough to enable a wide range of design options to be thermoformed, including ergonomic cup shapes that allow parents to feed their child directly from the pack.

18/07/09 Advances in aseptic form-fill-seal (FFS) technology have already led leading baby food brands to replace traditional glass pack formats with cost-effective, versatile alternatives. Plastics packaging has many valuable assets, as it is user-friendly, microwaveable for convenient reheating and shatterproof for consumer safety.

In addition, plastics’ light weight ensures reduced strain on the supply chain, while the production and recycling of plastics consumes less energy and produces fewer emissions than comparable methods for glass.

It is crucial that the material used in aseptic baby food can provide sufficient protection against oxygen and moisture ingress over the required time period. RPC Cobelplast’s expertise in co-extruded PP/EVOH/PP sheets provides the right combination: EVOH offers a highly effective oxygen barrier, while PP delivers excellent moisture protection. The combination of these materials ensures an extended ambient shelf life of up to 12 months.

RPC Cobelplast produces bespoke barrier sheet for form-fill-seal applications that is flexible enough to enable a wide range of design options to be thermoformed, including ergonomic cup shapes that allow parents to feed their child directly from the pack. Materials can be specified either in transparent versions – ideal to see product contents – or in different colours for branding purposes.

Recloseable lids – which can be supplied by sister site RPC Bramlage – provide the finishing touch for a complete packaging solution.