North American meat company Cargill is using a type of packaging that allows consumers to open their raw meat packets without touching the meat itself.
It will be the first beef producer to offer EZ Peel packaging for ground-beef chubs in retail stores across the US, from January 2017, according to ProFood World.
The technology was developed by flexible and rigid plastic packaging company Bemis.
EZ Peel packaging can be engineered with a custom-peel strength, and can be run like regular film on existing equipment for no machine downtime.
In 2015, Cargill released an innovation study showing that 57 per cent of consumers surveyed wanted ground beef chub packaging that allowed them to open products without touching raw meat.
Additionally, the Flexible Packaging Association’s 2015 Brand Value Study reinforced consumers' desire for added convenience, with 60 per cent of its respondents identifying “easy to open” as a top package attribute.
