Meat Packaging Applications
The packaging of meat requires maximum shelf life, sanitary design and the best possible productivity and efficiency for your operation. We have options for meat of any kind: fresh, cold or frozen. Hamburgers. Cured, smoked or salted meat. Quartered, minced or sliced. They can be packaged on thermoformers, tray sealers, flow wrappers, vertical baggers, or stretch machines. Add our wide variety of automation options to create any packaging setup, up to a fully integrated line. Meat packaging covers an incredible gamut of options and solutions, and we can help with them all. Any product. Any cut. Any style.
Contact Our Sales Team
Modified Atmosphere
The goal of modified atmosphere packaging, or MAP, is to extend the shelf life of products. MAP lowers or eliminates oxygen inside the packaging, because oxygen speeds up the process of spoilage. Oxygen encourages the growth of bacteria, produces lipid oxidation reactions, and causes high respiration rates, which then causes spoilage. The air in the package is replaced by gas mixtures that help extend the product’s shelf life. Some common gases used are carbon dioxide, oxygen and nitrogen. Nitrogen is used to prevent oxidation and helps prevent packages from collapsing. MAP uses gas flushing. It happens by passing a stream of gas – the air becomes diluted, then the pack is sealed.
Vacuum
The vacuum packaging method removes air and its contaminants prior to sealing. The process creates a cavity by heating and forming the film into a desired shape, introducing your products to the packaging either manually or by automation, extracting all air and any particulates, then sealing occurs. There are several benefits of using vacuum packaging: longer shelf life, increased product protection, flavor preservation, and mold and bacteria prevention. It’s also cost effective and can be used with rigid or flexible packaging.
Vacuum Skin (VSP)
In skin packaging, a top film forms over the entire product’s surface as well as any exposed material surface. This process involves lining the backing material, often corrugated cardboard or paperboard, with an adhesive material. Heat sealing permits the film to form a seal around the product while a vacuum is used to eliminate the atmosphere which would accelerate product spoilage. Industries and products such as seafood, fresh meats, poultry, cheese and ready meals could benefit from skin packaging. Some benefits of skin packing include an extended shelf life, flavor retention, product clarity, vertical display and options for flexible or rigid support. It’s often used in retail so consumers can see a product without having to open it. Skin packaging can be done on a thermoformer or a traysealer.
Flow Vac
Flow Vac technology optimizes plastic film use vs. traditionally oversized vacuum bags. Products get indexed on the infeed conveyor and the bag is adapted to each product’s length to minimize waste. The unique feeding line is designed to prevent seal contamination, transferring products automatically from the conveyor to the film.
Film loading is simplified on flow vac machines, and our new FV 55 SD is a fully sanitary design machine with full wash down capability. Flow Vac machines are available with Allen Bradley® controls from Rockwell Automation.
Stretch Seal
Produced on a tray sealer, stretch seal requires the film to be heat sealed to the flange, or top edge of the tray, rather than wrapping around the entire tray. This sealing technology prevents leakage and reduces costs on materials. Stretch Seal is ideal for poultry products because of its leak-proof capabilities as well as the extremely clear presentation. It also eliminates the need for shrink tunnels which are used by some equipment to heat & shrink the film to form around the product.
Darfresh® on Tray
Cryovac Darfresh technology is similar to skin packaging, but offers an additional layer of support with a second tight and form fitting skin that seals to the edge of the product. Compared to normal skin packing technology, Darfresh offers zero film scrap and up to 38% less top film usage. Also, 20-30% more trays per minute can be produced than traditional technology. The Darfresh packaging method is used in both tray sealing and thermoforming, and is useful for products that contain liquids. The process features easy-open film, offers clear visibility for the product, superior oxygen barriers, and contributes to an extended shelf life.
Meat Packaging Machines
Tray Sealing
Tray sealing machines heat seal a plastic film to the tray's flange. It can be used with MAP technology to extend shelf life.
Tray Sealing
Learn MoreThermoforming
Thermoforming creates a horizontal form, fill, and seal from roll stock, with the ability to do MAP, vacuum and skin applications.
Thermoforming
Learn MoreFlow Wrapping
Flow Wrapping is ideal for both food and non-food products, offering resealable options as well as MAP to prolong shelf life.
Flow Wrapping
Learn MoreVertical Bagging
Vertical bagging machines use a single film coil to create a package with three weldings, ideal for loose or granulated products.
Vertical Bagging
Learn MoreStretch Wrapping
Stretch wrappers can load two film widths with ZERO changeover and have pre-stretch capability to assure tight, high quality packages.
Stretch Wrapping
Learn MoreFull-Line Automation
Primary packaging, secondary packaging, palletizing, stretch wrapping, robotics and centralized line control.
Product to Pallet Automation
Learn MoreMultihead Weighing, Loading, and Batching
Regardless of your product's shape, size, or complexity, there's a weighing solution that fits your needs.
Multihead Weighing, Loading, and Batching
Learn MoreMultihead Weighing, Loading, and Batching
Regardless of your product's shape, size, or complexity, there's a weighing solution that fits your needs.
Multihead Weighing, Loading, and Batching
Learn MoreCase-ready Packaging
Using modified atmosphere, skin packaging, master bag flow wrapping and other techniques, meat can be packaged at a central location and distributed to retail stores, ready to place on the shelves. The pre-packaged cuts offer convenience, and cost and labor savings for retailers. Learn more >
Master Bag
Case-ready meat needs to arrive with the best possible shelf-life intact. PVC over-wrapped trays provide that “butcher shop” look, but since PVC is a breathable film, shelf life is not maintained on its own. Our master bag machines are ideal for your case ready application. The systems can group trays and automatically load them into a Modified Atmosphere pack with maximum product shelf life until they are put out for purchase. Labor costs are cut, with the capability of increasing the throughput of packages per minute.
Meat Packaging Videos
Steak packaged on G. Mondini tray sealing machine using SlimFresh skin packaging technology with a paperboard backer
Roast packaged on G. Mondini Trave tray sealing machine using skin packaging technology, super protruding above the tray
Brick of meat packaged on G. Mondini tray sealing machine using modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) technology
Various products packaged on the ULMA TFS 200 MSV all in one thermoforming machine using MAP, skin and vacuum technology
Various products packaged on ULMA TFS thermoforming machines using Reduced Scrap technology
Hot dogs packaged on ULMA TFS thermoforming machines
Hamburgers in tray packaged on ULMA flow pack machine
Sliced salami packaged on ULMA flow wrapping machine
Cuts of meat packaged on ULMA flow wrapping machines using Flow Vac packaging technology
