Austria-based company Borouge has developed a new multimodal polypropylene (PP) film material that is suitable for microwaving food as the material is temperature resistant, provides good venting and has good seal-peel properties, according to FoodProductionDaily.com.
The company, a joint venture between Borealis and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), said it has supplied its multimodal Borclear and Steripeel PP materials to provide the “performance layers” for an innovative microwaveable pouch made by TPN FlexPak of Thailand. Multimodal polymers include more than one molecular weight fraction.
The packaging, known as the M-Vent Pouch, has a novel sealing feature that allows it to “breathe out” while its contents cook in a microwave oven, said the Austria-based company. The feature allows for “the safe and reliable release of steam from inside the pouch without requiring partial opening or puncturing before placing in the microwave," it said.
In developing the product, the Thai company said that it was looking for a film with special property combinations beyond those of the capabilities of a single film material. Preservation of food flavour and odours, as well as suitable peel and seal characteristics to enable the self venting process and allow easy opening were vital, said the company. Also important was both high and low temperature performance, as the pouch had to be capable of accepting both hot-fill up to 100°C and frozen storage down to -20°C, as well as transition from freezer to microwave oven temperatures. -- Source: FoodProductionDaily.com