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Toward a strictly regulated future?

Recently, Kemira asked a group of industry experts to engage in scenario work to investigate the possible futures of food packaging. One of the four scenarios identified paints a picture of a strictly regulated market. What kind of challenges and opportunities would this mean for the fiber-based packaging value chain if it became a reality?

Packaging on-the-go

When food-related goods and services are only a few clicks away from consumers, what is required from food packaging? Quite a lot, and chemistry plays an important role in enabling the functionalities required of fiber-based packaging. An expert panel investigated some possible future scenarios for food packaging, and discovered a future where convenience is king.

Renewable sizing chemistry - FAQ

Sunflower oil instead of fossil-based olefins – Kemira innovation in internal sizing chemistry helps paper and board producers increase the share of renewable raw materials in their production. Here are the most frequently asked questions about our novel renewable sizing chemistry, the sunflower ASA, and answers to them.

Hygiene and product safety

Hygiene is the top priority for food service board suppliers. At the same time, paper machines are known to be prone to problems related to uncontrolled microbiological (MB) growth. The combination of potential troublesome MB growth and the need for a very high level of hygiene makes MB control a subject no paperboard producer can ignore.

Biofilm or slime growth on board machine surfaces can have drastic negative effects on both machine runnability and end-product quality. Uncontrolled bacterial growth causes unstable wet-end chemistry, taste or odor issues, spoilage of papermaking additives, and harmful bacterial sporulation. For example, a two-day outbreak of bacterial spores on a board machine can lead to the loss of thousands of tons of finished food packaging board, at a cost approaching millions of euros. With Kemira’s chemistry and application expertise, you can cure and protect your board machine from troubles caused by microbes.

Liquid resistance, printability and convertibility

Fiber based food packaging materials are more sustainable than plastic, but they set high demands for qualities such as hydrophobation and liquid resistance. Liquid resistance is one of the most important packaging board characteristics that is needed for all take-away food packages such as noodle cups, coffee mugs or hamburger boxes. Thanks to liquid resistance, consumers are able to keep their fingers clean and liquids and grease inside the food packages.

In addition, board should be easily printed on and converted into highly appealing packages with brilliant color reproduction. High-quality packages should not only protect the enclosed products, but also help promote brands in highly competitive markets – where every little detail counts. All this requires expertise in chemistry.

Kemira is a world-leader in sizing chemistries that provide liquid resistance to your packaging board. We also have a broad expertise in applications and analysis methods for improved printability and convertibility.

Liquid resistance, printability and convertibility

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Lightweighting and strength

Today’s consumers do a lot of shopping online which has driven changes in packaging materials. Product packages have to look appealing, be strong enough to survive being shipped around the world, and still look good when they are finally delivered. At the same time, consumers are expecting more sustainable packaging materials. Lighter weight packaging is one way to improve sustainability: lighter packages mean lighter load and reduced fuel consumption as well as reduced transportation costs.

Kemira chemistries enable reducing basis weights in board-making with no decrease in strength, stiffness or performance. We offer a portfolio of strength chemistries that enable the lightweighting of your sheet while increasing the strength and quality of your finished products. We can also improve your machine runnability and reduce sheet breaks and downtime. Overall profitability can be improved through fiber savings, lower energy consumption in the drying phase, less tonnage to transport, and reduced volume of the finished products.