Active packaging system prolonging seafood freshness adopted by US home delivery companies | 04-09-2024 |

Aptar–Food Protection, part of AptarGroup, a longstanding AIPIA member offering active material science food safety solutions, has expanded its SeaWell™ active packaging system into the e-commerce category. Already utilized by major retailers across the USA, the novel active packaging solution – designed to help maintain seafood freshness, quality and aesthetics – has now been adopted for direct-to-consumer shipping of various seafood items including filets, whole fish and shellfish such as crab legs, scallops and shrimps.

In response to customer feedback, two leading home delivery companies have now adopted SeaWell™ technology for their seafood-based meal kits to improve consumer experiences with case-to-cook convenience and cleaner handling in the kitchen, says Aptar. In addition to allowing frozen-to-thaw distribution, the SeaWell™ active packaging system’s integrated technology absorbs excess liquids that would otherwise accumulate around seafood. This can cause potential product breakdown which can negatively impact both freshness and appearance, it explains.

SeaWell™ active packaging utilizes food contact-safe absorbent materials embedded into its proprietary Drip-Lock™ technology to trap excess fluids inside pockets or wells, which are a patented design. This separation reduces the rate of seafood microbial growth, chemical degradation and odour accumulation, according to the company.

“The home delivery companies we work with are always listening to the voice of the consumer and making packaging changes to improve user experiences to promote customer loyalty,” said Michael Stephens, CEO, Bama Sea Products. “In particular, shrimps tend to be a prominent cause of customer complaints in the home delivery sector due to leaking, messy handling and cross-contamination with other proteins. We were delighted to be able to work with Aptar to develop an appropriate SeaWell™ packaging solution for this market and bring it to commercialization.”

“The SeaWell™ active packaging system addresses many of the challenges the seafood home delivery market faces, particularly related to keeping products fresh and avoiding messy leaks and spills during transit,” said Neal Watson, VP and general manager for Aptar – Food Protection. “This innovative technology can deliver as much as an extra day of in-home shelf life, improving consumer experiences, driving customer loyalty and securing repeat business.”

AIPIA and AWA Smart Packaging World Congress Amsterdam