Sealed Air (sealedair.com) has announced plans to expand the easy-open and safety-enhancing benefits of its benchmark CryovacGrip & Tear® bag at the retail level. Introduced today at IDDBA’s annual Dairy-Deli-Bake conference, the Cryovac Grip & Tear® Small Tab easy-open vacuum bag provides a new level of convenience for consumers, reducing packaging material by up to 20 percent compared to some easy-open rollstock formats. 

Designed for small portion deli items, including cheeses and smoked and processed meats, the Cryovac Grip & Tear® Small Tab bag features a tab that opens packages in one quick motion once pulled. As a result, consumers no longer have to rely on knives or scissors to force product entry, eliminating a source of both common kitchen injuries and cross-contamination. The smaller easy-open tab at the top also creates a more visually appealing package for smaller products.

“For vacuum sealed cheese and meat products, it has become instinctive for consumers to reach for a knife to open a package,” says John Kelly, director of marketing, dairy for Sealed Air. “Introducing our signature Grip & Tear® packaging technology to a wider array of retail products enables consumers to access and enjoy more of their favorite deli items in a safer, simpler manner.”

“While user safety is the primary goal of the Cryovac Grip & Tear® Small Tab bag, the package also reflects our commitment to deliver superior materials that are efficient and reduce food waste,” says Mike Rosinski, marketing director, smoked and processed meats with Sealed Air. “The Cryovac Grip & Tear® Small Tab bag is both a more sustainable packaging offering in terms of material reduction, and a package that prevents product damage from knife or tool puncturing that can compromise product quality for items such as sausages and hot dogs.”

Beyond its safety, convenience and sustainability advantages, the Cryovac Grip & Tear® Small Tab bag offers superior visual appeal and a refined presentation for enhanced retail merchandising. Each bag employs a skin-tight shrink and transparent gloss to offer consumers a clear look at packaged products. Additionally, the package’s exterior film accommodates 360-degree, distortion-free graphics that expand branding capabilities and ensure clear labeling.

 The Small Tab package is the latest addition to Sealed Air’s Cryovac Grip & Tear® line, which includes a range of easy-open bags that promote safety and convenience for foodservice employees, processors and consumers. In addition to easier product access, Cryovac Grip & Tear® packaging delivers superior shrink and toughness for deli meats and cheeses, fresh red meat and whole chickens without compromising oxygen-barrier properties.