Packaging technology: Bacon

It’s one thing to bring home the bacon. It’s another thing to get it to consumers to bring home.

Like the market for bacon, bacon packaging has evolved and grown, based on new technologies and tastes. That evolution isn’t a revolution, but there have been improvements in materials and equipment that enable processors to get from production to shipments to distributors, foodservice operators and retailers.

Much of the impetus for bacon packaging improvements and additions has come from growing demand and production needs. “That’s been the biggest driver in both foodservice and retail – call it tonnage per square foot,” says Drew Ward, CEO of Souderton, Pennsylvania-based Packaging Progressions Inc. (pacproinc), which provides bacon packaging interleavers, counters and stackers, among other solutions.

“Throughput increase is one of the biggest issues,” agrees Natalie Schmid, product market manager for Multivac’s thermoformer division and an account manager in sales.

In the traditional – and still common – L-board-style of bacon packaging, bacon manufacturers have been looking for a little help to speed the process along. That demand has led pacproinc to introduce a new bacon card flap folder and turner, as part of its bacon systems. “It’s really getting at the requirement for automation in the plant, which is directly labor related and quality related,” Ward says.

The new folder and turner sits between the bacon card dispenser for L-boards and the diverter that diverts portions for rework. “Traditionally, it has been a manual process to turn the card and fold the flap. We’re automating that process in response to processors who want to figure out not just how to automate packaging processing, but hand it off, too. We are seeing end-to-end automation, which has been harder in the past because bacon bellies vary in size and in fat-to-lean content,” Ward explains.

Speed matters

Throughput is also boosted for printed film formats, Schmid notes. She says that Multivac has focused on its unloading system to help processors move things along. “The major difference is the use of more integration, including integration on loading conveyor that helps with labor intensity,” Schmid says. Multivac’s R 595 thermoforming packaging machine – used to package bacon in flexible film – is also designed to minimize footprint, another concern among processors; the company’s R 565 thermoforming packaging machine is geared for large output quantities of skin packaging for bacon.

Greater integration also reduces other issues, like leakage, she adds. “We have a system that slides the product straight into the package,” Schmid notes.

Flexing flexibility

Hand in hand with processor interest in greater throughput is the need for versatility. To that end, Canton, Massachusetts-based Reiser has focused on versatility with its bacon packaging solutions, including its line of high-speed form, fill and seal packaging machinery that can be used with printed and registered top and bottom films, with and without a carry board and EZ Peel films.

“We came up with a flexible design that allows a customer to do an L-board and institutional food products on the same machine at much higher speeds to increase their capability. “We can do single lane applications or double-wide applications on the slicer,” says Reiser packaging specialist Mike McCann. “And there is also a move to more automation to push it even further.”

Adapting applications

In addition to throughput and labor issues, the addition of new types of bacon products impacts bacon packaging technology and applications. At pacproinc, Ward cites different varieties like low-sodium bacon or flavored bacons. “The bacon is blended and gets sliced, and needs to go on a card that shows the exact ingredients. If an operator gets the wrong card, that is an error that will be caught in holding but it still has to get repackaged,” he points out. As a result, pacproinc’s card dispenser features a patented barcode reader to verify that cards match the product being sliced. “It’s an extra quality check. Before they run 1,000 and find out it’s wrong, they can run one and pull it off if it’s for the wrong SKU,” he notes. “It’s things like this that are helping processors with production, that are changing.”

The market for precooked bacon is also affecting packaging. “We saw a slight decline in precooked 10 years ago but now, with new ovens coming out, there is a resurgence of precooked bacon with growth potential,” Ward reports. For its part, pacproinc is launching a precooked bacon autostacker for foodservice applications in January. “It’s to further automate downstream, off the end of the cook line for bacon,” explains Ward, who notes that greater automation means greater efficiencies for labor and time.

The clamor for ease of use, too, has affected package design for bacon. “Processors are using zippers and different recloseable features, as they differentiate themselves from other brands,” reports Alistair Thomson, packaging equipment manager for Multivac.

As consumer demand for bacon remains steady in both retail and foodservice markets, packaging providers say that delivering products to end users will continue to be a focus. “On the foodservice side, we’ve seen a ton of growth,” Ward says, adding that pacproinc offers solutions for both bulk and single-slice lay-flat formats. “Also, with some of the new slicing technology, they can get a fixed weight slice count, which benefits distribution houses.”