Food safety and security is a major concern for any packager, retailer or consumer. Much like parents checking their children’s Halloween candy, everyone along the food and beverage supply chain wants to ensure the safety of their products. To make that process simpler, companies continue to develop newer, more effective methods to prevent tampering and signal consumers when packages have been compromised.

Flexible packaging may provide lighter, more sustainable options, but it also require extra vigilance to ensure packages are not punctured or compromised during packaging, transport, retail and home storage. Smurfit Kappa (smurfitkappa.com) has launched a new type of seal for it’s bag-in-box wine bags. The new system, called “Safe Curve,” adds two seals in each corner of the bag for a total of eight supplementary radial seals in addition to the existing seals.

“We have developed these new seals in order to improve the filling process with severe constraints,” says Cedrine Lallement, R&D Manager at Smurfit Kappa.

The Safe Curve design creates a rounder shape which strengthens the package and offers more protection when the bag is dropped into the box after filling. The shape also reduces other risks such as abrasion in less than optimal filling conditions or ears gluing and folding on box flaps.

As brands seek unique packages to set themselves apart on shelf, tamper evident packaging has to become more versatile. These packages also have to meet consumer demands for reclosability and easy openabability. Displaying this month at interpack, RPC Bebo Plastik’s (rpc-group.com) new Bebo Swing design offers easy-opening and reclosing in a tamper evident package for spreads like cheese, margarine and butter. The versatile new package offers product protection through edge perforation that is integrated into the thermoforming process. The tub can be tailor made in a variety of shapes and sizes. Bebo Swing can be made in monolayer or multilayer PP.

These new package designs allow companies to maintain food safety and brand integrity while still providing innovative package design that catches the attention of consumers.