New bone-in bag technology offers touch puncture resistance, clear product viewing.

By Jeremy Russell
Meat Retailer, December, 2003

Vector Packaging's Vector 80 high-abuse plastic shrink bag is suited for vacuum-packed, bone-in, case-ready meat and poultry cuts, but the company has also been emphasizing the bag's ability to be custom-printed.

"We've been able to help make a better looking retail package because of our high clarity and print," says David McCaffrey, Vector Vice President and General Manager. "Print is an area that is getting more and more play...It's possible to print on a patch bag, but not many people have done it because it's not very attractive.

"Our technology involves using high-barrier nylon, whereas the patch technology tends to use primarily polyethylene with a high-barrier layer. Our package allows high clarity with a lighter gauge without losing puncture resistance. We've done this product for three years now, and it's grown substantially every year," he says, adding that it especially benefits retailers with branded case-ready programs.

"The retailers that have done the best job of getting more [bone-in] branded product in the case are Wal-Mart and Kroger," McCaffrey says. "It helps their overall distribution network, and it allows them to do more product in central processing."