DuPont’s Surlyn sealant layer is used by Dutch company A van den Broek BV to ensure its Hibassk high-barrier film can preserve vacuum skin packed meat for a longer time and that the typical odor associated with conventional nylon-polyethylene film packaging is prevented from forming.
As said, the Hibassk high-barrier skin film has low oxygen permeability of just 2cm³/m²/day, therefore supporting a long storage life of the packed meat. In addition, vacuum skin packaging typically involves less under-pressure and a shorter vacuum application cycle than conventional vacuum packaging. The meat pores are therefore not sealed off quite as tightly, so that some, albeit restricted, interaction with the environment can still take place. The good meat adhesion of Surlyn, however, means only very little meat juice will be released, despite the meat’s more open pores.
This effect is supplemented by the very good secondary sealing properties of Surlyn, which make for a firm adhesion of film surfaces in contact with, but not directly heat-sealed onto each other. As a result, adhesion of the film to the meat product can prevent the release of meat juice on the long term, thus substantially diminishing this potential source of disagreeable odor.
Further benefits of the Surlyn sealant layer, according to DuPont, include its good sealing efficiency through contaminations such as grease and meat juice. Its high puncture resistance is of particular importance when it comes to packaging meat with sharp bones, as well as its crystal-clear transparency which enhances the product’s retail shelf appeal.
Joost van den Broek, CEO, comments, “Multiple trials carried out in close cooperation with DuPont have shown that the combination of a nylon substrate, a highly efficient EVOH barrier film and a sealant layer made of the highly saturated Surlyn acid copolymer used for Hibassk provides just the right stability, barrier effect and meat adhesion which is needed to efficiently avoid discoloration and the formation of undesired odors.”
Source: http://www.adsalecprj.com/Publicity/MarketNews/lang-eng/article-67004652/Article.aspx
