Four Awards for Huhtamaki at IFCA Awards

The IFCA innovation award for Huhtamaki was for a biodegradable barrier PE pouch for dry pet food. As per Huhtamaki India on their website, "This is a PE based biodegradable stand up pouch for dry pet food packaging. This pack is capable of degrading naturally in open-air or a standard terrestrial environment without generation of micro plastics."

This means it requires no specific condition to degrade; just moisture, oxygen and sunlight. This pack also offers time-controlled pack degradation and desired shelf life for dry pet food. 

It adds more convenience with a press-to-close zipper that helps in maintaining freshness between usage events. The zipper is made with the same biodegradable technology as that of the pouch to offer a total biodegradable packaging solution. This mono-material biodegradable PE pouch serves as an efficient and sustainable alternative to existing PET/PE solutions, helping brands and consumers extend more care by reducing pack waste everywhere, naturally.

The second IFCA innovation award was for a paper-based soap wrapper. As per a Huhtamaki India briefing, "These soap wrappers were launched with an objective to eliminate usage of conventional PET based wrapper and go plastic free with paper-based soap wrappers. It offers our brand partners the choice of switching from conventional and non-recyclable Pet/Paper/Hotmelt to a PET-free recyclable monolayer structure."

PE pouches for dry Pet food and insulator pouch for online food deliveries

This solution offers easy recovery of paper for repulping during recycling, when compared with laminated soap wrappers (PET-based) where paper is sandwiched. Our offering is designed with FSC certified paper and has a repulpability index of 80%, boosting recyclability and waste reduction.

Meanwhile the IFCA Innovations and Creativity Awards were for an insulator pouch for online food deliveries and soft thermoformable lidding for wine/juice cups. As per a Huhtamaki India briefing, "This pack is a multipurpose reusable insulator thermal bag for delivering warm and cold foods. Made with high-performance thermal insulation it maintains the food temperature and quality."

The insulator pouch consists of foam and nylon PE to provide excellent cushioning for shock and vibration protection during transit and is moisture-resistant/waterproof with appropriate sealing ensuring hot food deliveries reach customers piping hot.

It is specially designed to minimise the heat escaping from packs and prevents cold ambient temperatures from entering from the surrounding environment, maintaining consistent food quality at every time of delivery. This tamper evident pouch enables extended duration shipments and provides high-performance protection for temperature-sensitive foods.

Paper based soap wrappers and soft thermoformable lidding for wine/juice cups   

The fourth IFCA award for Huhtamaki is for a soft thermoformable lidding for wine/juice cups. As per a Huhtamaki India briefing, "This product is a ready to serve, pre-filled communion cup with both, wafer and juice. This product contains a double peelable lid. There is an unleavened wafer under the top lid and the second lid reveals the grape juice."

This development uses two lidding films, foil based primary lidding for juice in the cup and PET-based lidding for wafer over the cup. This lidding material imparts smooth peelability of the lid for accessing the grape juice. The lidding materials also offer required barrier and suitability for soft thermoforming. This provides easy access to the elements without spillage.

This kind of packaging is a preferred option for serving single dose communion or wine cups and is the most sanitary way to distribute the elements for communion.