Innovative ready-to-use packaging allows cheeses to ripen naturally to the perfect flavor

23-Oct-12

DSM’s revolutionary cheese-ripening solution, Pack-Age™ has been awarded Bronze in one of the world’s most competitive packaging innovation contests, ‘De Gouden Noot’. Pack-Age is made from Akulon polyamide 6 which delivers properties critical to the effective ripening and preservation of cheeses. Pack-Age is an innovative ready-to-use packaging solution that allows hard to semi-hard cheeses to be ripened naturally to the perfect flavor. Pack-Age is made from Akulon polyamide 6 which produces a film with high mechanical strength and provides an excellent barrier against oxygen, moisture and CO2. Thanks to these properties, Pack-Age delivers just enough moisture to the cheese, resulting in a naturally ripened cheese with a mature taste and firm texture. Pack-Age also protects against mold growth on the surface, resulting in a higher productivity and lower food waste. Onno Omta, president of the judging panel commented: “Pack-Age is an important illustration of the added value packaging offers, particularly in a conventional sector such as the cheese industry. This innovative film improves the ripening of cheese, increases the shelf life, and reduces the product losses associated with the application and then removal of the crust. Compared with coated cheeses, the breathable film results in higher value and quality of the cheese and delivers a higher yield with the use of less material. Pack-Age also offers improved sustainability benefits - less cheese is lost and less production time is needed due to the crust removal process being eliminated, and the value of the cheese is increased by the improved maturation.” Corstiaan Hooft, Global New Business Development Manager and project manager Pack-Age added: “We are honored to win this prize, which showcases our innovation potential when we combine our life and material sciences expertise. Together with our DSM colleagues from the Engineering Plastics and the Innovation Center, we have developed the polymers and the concept needed for the patented packaging. We have also drawn on the additional knowledge and sound experience of Südpack in co-extrusion, who have helped successfully manufacture Pack-Age”. ‘De Gouden Noot’ is a contest organized by the Netherlands Packaging Centre (NVC) to encourage innovations in packaging and packaged products.