Dupont honours packaging stars

DuPont has honoured twenty-one international packaging innovations in both food and non-food sectors at the Sixteenth DuPont Awards held earlier this month.

The ceremony was carried out that the Kimmel Centre, Philadelphia, US, with the seven member judging panel selected a broad spectrum on winners from across the globe based on criteria such as market impact and innovation.

The awards, which did not have to contain contain a DuPont product, were topped by the Diamond Award winner, recognised as being the most significant innovation amongst all the winners.

The Diamond award went to Fall River's Pre-Cooked Wild Rice in a Stand-Up Retort Pouch, which was developed by CLP Industries of the US. Presented in a non-foil stand-up retort pouch, it contains wild rice which is ready to eat quickly and easily. From the shelf to the microwave and to the dinner table in two minutes, this package was judged to provide consumers with the flavour, taste, aroma and appearance they desire together with the convenience today's busy families demand.

The pouch combines silicon oxide-coated PETG with biax nylon, PET and polypropylene to provide the barrier for an 18-month shelf-stable life. Reverse printed in eight colours, the package can be designed to include a window and has applications for any number of convenience foods.

Gold Winners included Fuji Tokushu Shigyo of Japan for its gravure printed film combining aqueous ink with solventless laminating. The Gravure printed flexible food packaging was judged to spearhead the use of aqueous ink and solventless laminating. In addition, a newly established overprinting technology based on a unique plate making method has been developed. A polarised resin such as DuPont Nucrel resin facilitates the bonding of the aqueous inks to the film's surface. This technical innovation combines new plastic film manufacturing technology, reduces organic solvents and produces a glossy printed package. The environmentally-friendly printing / laminating combination is said to eliminats the need for solvent recovery, disposal and possible solvent retention odours.

Another Gold Award went to ASAP of the US for its microwave popcorn bags vent Into serving bowls. ASAP popcorn is billed as the most significant advancement in the microwave popcorn category in more than 20 years. The judges deemed that its bold, colourful graphics transformed microwave popcorn packages into appealing shapes for consumers. The panel also indicated its appreciation of the shaped and folded bag with stand-up gusset which uses an oil resistant paper laminated to a metallised, sealable PET. The outside of the bags are printed with six-colour graphics with an over varnish. A special venting system allows for steam to escape and provides easy opening. A partially demetallised web inside the bag provides a focus pattern for popping kernels.

Gold Awards in the food category also went to the Tetra Pak's plastic aseptic filling of HDPE bottles for Berry Drinks in the US and Simple Steps heat and serve tray package for Smithfield Entrées, also from the US.

Silver food category winners included Foster Farms Fresh & Easy Individually Vacuum Sealed Fresh Chicken packaging, created by Cryovac and Multivac in the US, as well as Heinz Easy Squeeze Ketchup, Turns Things Upside-Down, created by Owens-Illinois Plastics Group, again in the US.

For the complete list of winners, please see the Dupont website.​