Bemis Company Inc., has received two DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation at a ceremony held in Wilmington, Delaware, May 15, 2014.

Now in its 26th year, the DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation is an international, independently judged competition that honors innovations in packaging design, materials, technology, processes and service across the entire packaging value chain.

Receiving silver awards are the Hillshire Brands Heat Fresh package from Curwood (now Bemis North America); and a standup foodservice pouch for Fujini brand vegetables from Bemis Latin America.

“We are honored to receive these prestigious DuPont awards,” says William Jackson, vice president and chief technology officer of Bemis Company. “These recognitions reflect our persistent focus on innovation, our technological expertise in material science, and our collaborative relationships with innovative customers like Hillshire and Fujini.”

The Hillshire Brands Heat Fresh package is designed to significantly improve convenience and the consumer experience for microwavable sandwiches. The proprietary flexible structure seeks to solve frozen sandwiches’ biggest challenge: keeping the bread soft and appealing while evenly heating the rest of the products. Until now, heat-and-eat sandwiches required the consumer to remove the sandwich from the package, wrap it in a paper towel, lower the power setting, heat it, turn it and heat it again. Heat Fresh packaging is designed to allow even heating in one step. The package combines proprietary films and unique features to control moisture, heat and pressure during microwaving, according to the company. The packaging innovation can be integrated into a wide range of heat-and-eat products.

The Fugini retort standup pouch for vegetables uses Bemis’ barrier films in South America to help provide a light, strong and flexible replacement for the former metal can packaging format. The light, strong pouch weighs 70 percent less than bulkier metal cans, costs 50 percent less and achieves high line speeds to reduce production costs. The pouches are also easier to store, open and handle for foodservice staff; and are easily recycled, according to the company. The sustainable format reportedly reduces logistics costs up to 98 percent over cans.