Tomorrow is another tray

Collaboration between equipment manufacturer Proseal and packaging designer Rapid Action Packaging (RAP) has led to the world's first hermetically sealed sandwich box. A new machine that makes food trays will be launched this month at packaging show, Pro2Pac, said RAP owner, Julian Money.

The machine can produce cardboard trays that can be used in MAP and RAP has already been in discussion with a major UK ready meal manufacturer about using it, according to Money.

The lined cardboard coating bridges the gaps between folds and seals, creating an airtight container to rival that of plastic sealed film packages, said Steve Malone, md of Proseal.

As cardboard meets sustainability criteria, it has the potential to become an alternative to plastic for any food normally found in a sealed tray with a sleeve, Money said.

The technology was originally used in sandwich packets and was more suited to the continental and American markets, Money added. The largest sandwich maker in France, a big manufacturer in Italy and half a dozen manufacturers in the US have all taken up the technology since its launch last year, he said.

The MAP sandwiches can last for up to 13 days and are ideal for service stations, Malone said.