Flexible is the future of packaging. Internationally, annual growth in pouches is 15-20% as this market is driven by convenience, single serve and refills.  The trend toward flexible packaging includes the move towards single-portion packs and refill pouches, which are both affordable and convenient. Easy storage, re-sealbility and easy opening are added key convenience drivers. The choices in flexible packaging are endless. A wide range of films and filling machines, caps and closures offer more opportunity for differentiation. Previously, food and beverage manufacturers were limited to labeling food cans and glass containers or designing bold graphics for liquid cartons and yoghurt tubs. Now, brands come to life through a multi-faceted experience that involves shape, size and colour, while having the flexibility to incorporate value-added features (such as being microwaveable and/or re-sealable). These developments are aligned with modern lifestyle trends to eat on-the-go and control portions.

The first seven-layer co-ex film extruder in sub-Saharan Africa

With global markets demanding specialty films and an increased shelf-life for products, there has been a trend towards packaging companies converting from three-layer extruders to produce stronger and more functional film. While trends are towards high barrier films, five-layer machines cannot do laminates and high barrier films at the same time. To resolve this problem, Nampak Flexible recently invested in a Windmöller & Hölscher co-ex film extruder - the first seven-layer co-ex in sub-Saharan Africa and the most advanced machine of its kind in Africa. Untill recently all seven-layer packaging for meat and cheese had to be imported. This co-ex manufactures to world-class standards on high barrier films, that are more environmentally friendly, and produces at a rate of 550kgs per hour with an exceptionally high precision of gauge control. The combination and use of various substrates prevents any ingress of moisture and oxygen, which can increase the shelf life of the product from 2-3 days to up to 6 weeks, depending on several variables. This is hugely beneficial in African countries where refrigeration is an issue.

Hermetically sealed bags for perishables

Challenges regarding shelf-life where perishables, are concerned are handled with hermetically sealed bags made from a laminate of nylon and white opaque LDPE that can better protect brands. Nestle launched the Vitagen dog food 6 kg and 8kg bag range, produced by Nampak Flexible, that include narrow gussets for semi-automatic filling processes, as well as punch hole handles for ease of carrying.  Since the hermetic seal means that the bags are totally airtight, they contain a Flexis Air Valve that prevents them from bursting during transport and handling. Applied inline on the bagging machine, the valve includes a membrane, baffle film and permanent adhesive to release any air pressure and protect against moisture. The Vitagen bags are flexo printed in eight colours.

Quad-seal bags for on-shelf attraction

Other flexible packaging formats include the quad-seal bag format (QSB) that is designed to offer better functionality and dynamic, eye-catching packaging for products in-store. These QSB’s allow products to stand up on shelf for excellent point-of-sale appeal. Additionally, four surface areas offer a larger communication surface, with the square shape of the bag providing excellent space utilization for retailers. The re-sealable QSB has a high barrier structure that gives both contamination and moulding protection to high moisture foodstuffs. The pack has enhanced high colour, metalized laminate on-pack branding. Additionally, the flat and self-standing pouches come with punched handles - for carrying heavier bags - and punched holes for pegboard merchandising. As special features (such as carry handles, easy-opening devices, re-sealability and an array of specialised valves and dispensing mechanisms) come to the fore, they are changing the packaging playing field forever.

Spouted pouches

A great example of this is Dairybelle’s new 125g and 200g spouted re-sealable yoghurt pouch, manufactured by Nampak Flexible, with tamper evident screw caps with ridges to ensure tight closure. The pack provides a convenient, no spill, no mess, spouted pouch for consumers’ on-the-go. The pouch has 12 mic PET + 90 mic white opaque LDPE laminate and is flexo reverse printed in 8 colours. The reverse print on the white LDPE provides a crisp high definition gloss luxurious finish. It is the only yoghurt in a stand-up spouted pouch, making it stand out on shelf. The pouch weighs approximately 50% less than the closest alternative and is easily handled throughout the supply chain. The spouted pouch can be enjoyed anytime without the use of a spoon and allows the consumer to squeeze every last bit of content out of the pack with no wasting the last remaining product. The 8.6 mm orifice tamper evident screw cap promotes safety and is easy to open and easy to close making the pack convenient with no need to find a bin right away as you can close spout and wait to discard.

Stand-up pouches for all types of food and drinks

Stand-up liquid pouches are also suitable for cocktails and wine, they are available in high barrier clear or metallic, and can be flexo or gravure printed in up to eight colours. As well as the positive attitude towards the stand-up liquid pouch there is a high level of interest in bag-in-box packaging for cocktails, cultivar wines, mixers and even beers. Bag-in-box wine is a value-for-money offering. It is user-friendly, easy to store, does not break and has a long shelf-life, especially when compared to other wine packaging formats, like glass and PET and has a shelf-life that is closer to nine months.

Stand up pouches can also be used for dry food stuffs. Bakers Tennis biscuits are renowned for extending biscuit consumption into the dessert and baking category. Historically, consumers would purchase whole Tennis biscuits and laboriously crush them into crumbs for use in baking and desserts. Snackworks responded to consumers needs for a more convenient alternative and was able to offer convenience and value-for-money to their consumers by providing a pouch with a zipper for ready-made tennis biscuit crumbs.

The uncoated PE + white LLDPE pouch is flexo printed by Nampak Flexible and converted into a pouch on the Karville machine, then delivered flat to the customer to fill and seal. The high gloss pack is achieved through reverse printing which allows the pack to maintain the high gloss finish and offer scuff resistance. Laminated pouches also provide the rigidity that is required for stand up packs where the contents provide no top load strength. Hand packs are easy to hold and the desired amount of product can be poured out of the pouch and what is not required can be re-sealed. Biscuits are known to lose freshness and crunchiness once opened due to moisture and oxygen ingress. This pouch includes a zipper, which ensures the product remains fresher for up to 6 months.

Ease of opening

Easy opening goes to the root of packaging functionality and is an enhanced product feature that allows for the opening of packaging without any tools. Flexible packaging film structures vary dependent on the product requirements and the complexity of these structures often makes ease of opening a challenge. This problem has been resolved by Nampak Flexible with the purchase recently of a new patented micro laser perforation system. This system can puncture up to 1.000.000 holes/second with a hole diameter from 50µm ->–300µm. The laser technology ensures a non-contact processing tool with minimum thermal influence on the film. There is also constant depth of laser on the scribing/scoring line and scoring may be set to however many layers are required e.g. two layers for a four layer laminate, without damaging the barrier of the packaging structure, while ensuring ease of opening by hand.

The convenience of re-sealability

Other convenience factors include re-sealability. With the merger between Kraft Foods and Cadbury in 2010, Kraft Foods patented VAFP technology became available to Cadbury brands enabling the introduction of the first re-closeable chocolate packaging. After undergoing a stringent pre audit to determine their capability in terms of delivering the necessary levels of functionality and security in line with international standards, Nampak Flexible was selected as a strategic partner resulting in the delivery the world's fastest VAFP converter approval and implementation. The cold seal application along the fin of the tablet allows the pack to be reclosed through out. The off-set fin also ensures the consumer knows where and how to open and re-seal, without tearing the material.

Meeting required health and other standards

The Nampak Flexible Durban and Cape Town plants are ISO 9001, 14001 and OHSAS 18001 accredited. They also have American Institute of Bakers (AIB) accreditation and are HACCP compliant (incorporating the Occupational Health and Safety and Waste Management programmes). They are also BRC (British Retail Consortium) accredited – the role of BRC accreditation in export markets is vital for potential and existing customers who export to the United Kingdom and Europe.