Supermarket Perimeter - September 2019 - 68

PACKAGING

by Ryan Atkinson

ITS IMPORTANCE CAN SOMETIMES SEEM OVERSTATED,
but tamper-evident packaging
continues to be a vital piece of
the packaging puzzle for retailers
and producers alike.
"Tamper evidence has risen
in importance over the last
few years as consumers have
placed greater emphasis on food
safety security," says Karen Reed,
marketing and communications
director for Yakima, Washingtonbased Kwik Lok.
Shelton, Connecticut-based
Inline Plastics recently performed
an online study among 2,000 US
consumers aged 18 and older.
More than two-thirds of respondents said tamper evidence
and tamper resistance were
important characteristics when it

considering a purchase of fresh
foods in simple clear plastic
containers.
"Today, we continue to lead
the industry with innovative
applications and a wide variety
of tamper-evident packaging
options that provide retailers
with right-sized containers that
enhance merchandising, while
attracting customers with the
safety and conﬁdences that
tamper evidence provides," says
Cindy Blish, marketing manager
for Inline.
Inline's key differentiator when
it comes to tamper-evident,
Blish says, is its history-making
technology.
In 2005, with its Safe-T-Fresh
line, it was the ﬁrst company to
introduce a tamper-evident and

Inline data shows that more than two-thirds of shoppers are concerned
about tamper-evident packaging.
68 - SEPTEMBER 2019

tamper-resistant package to the
retail market.

Facing challenges
Tamper-evident packaging presents its own unique challenges to
packaging suppliers.
Kwik Lok recently teamed
with Pittsburgh-based Matthews
Marking Systems to provide
tamper evidence with its 909A
closing system. The companies
developed a new Laser Stitch
Technology. The laser stitch
indicates whether a bag has
been opened.
"There were a couple of primary challenges," Reed says. "First
was creating the most consistent
laser stitch possible in settings
that can vary. The second was
creating a laser stitch that maintained bag integrity upon opening. Both were solved over the
course of several years through
research, collaboration with
supplier partners like Matthews,
and trial and error in both our lab
and test sites."
The end result is a 909A system that works on high-speed
lines of up to 55 bags per minute
and requires minimal modiﬁcations to existing lines while only
taking 10 inches of space. The
909A synchronizes with conveyors, requires no compressed air
and may be operated on a bypass
mode to allow the line to run
without the laser when needed.
The laser stitch from the 909A
allows the consumer - and retailers, for that matter - to clearly
see if the bag has been opened.
"First, and most important to

www.supermarketperimeter.com

Tamper
evidence
has risen in
importance
over the last
few years as
consumers
have placed
greater
emphasis on
food safety
security."
Karen Reed, Kwik Lok
"There are a couple of areas
where the 909A shines bright
and a big one is that the laser
stitching is easy to open while
maintaining the integrity of the
bag," Reed says. "This feature
allows the bag to be closed again
and again with a Kwik Lok."

Packaging breads
When it comes to packaging
breads- whether that be in

INLINE PLASTICS; KWIK LOK; BURFORD CORP.

TAMPER EVIDENCE
STILL KEY

the consumer, the laser stitching
provides very clear evidence that
the bag has not been tampered
with," Reed says. "We believe
consumers will reward companies that provide that extra
measure of safety. The 909A
does this while still allowing most
bakery lines to maintain their line
speeds." And then, after the bag
has been opened by the consumer, it can be resealed with the
company's eponymous Kwik Lok
closing device.

http://www.supermarketperimeter.com

Supermarket Perimeter - September 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Supermarket Perimeter - September 2019