PVDC-free oxygen barrier packaging
Open-and-close packaging is popular with customers who want their food to last longer. Often, it’s made with clear films containing PVDC, which serves as an excellent oxygen barrier. However, it also makes packaging difficult to recycle, leading Avery Dennison to develop a solution that offers the best of both worlds.
Our new PVDC-free labels minimize oxygen exposure and prolong the lifespan of packaged foods. At the same time, they make recycling easier and reduce plastic packaging in landfills.
Additionally, this new food labeling product will help us stay current with a changing industry. According to a report from the Ellen Arthur Foundation, roughly 60% of retailers, brands and packaging producers have eliminated – or plan to remove – PVDC materials from their portfolios by 2025.
Extending the shelf life of popular foods
Despite the trend of removing PVDC from food packaging barriers, the demand for innovative solutions to preserve freshness isn’t going away. Oxygen exposure is the biggest challenge for extending shelf life, as it can cause discoloration and encourage bacteria growth that leads to rancidity.
Standard polypropylene labels have poor oxygen barrier properties. However, our PVDC-free OXYB reclosure label excels at stopping air from entering packaging (oxygen transmission rate (OTR) = 8 cc/m2/24 hours at 23°C, 0% RH (ASTM F1927)), significantly prolonging freshness.
For high humidity food products, we recommend performing a shelf life analysis to ensure that the packaging barrier meets your needs.
Since the new label construction (which includes the face and adhesive) is approved for direct contact with dry, moist and fatty foods, everything from basil to ham will stay tasty for longer.
