Anchor Packaging has announced the launch of a new series of tamper-evident food containers. This series was jointly developed over a period of two years based on consumer feedback. The innovative design, SAFE PINCH, not only prevents leakage but also eliminates the sharp edges found on many existing tamper-evident containers. Moreover, it does not leave users with plastic strips or pieces that need to be disposed of. 
     Consumer-Involved Product Development

   Anchor Packaging has launched a new series of tamper-evident food containers that were developed in collaboration with actual consumers. This breakthrough design, SAFE PINCHTM, not only prevents leaks but also eliminates the sharp edges found on many existing tamper-evident containers and does not leave plastic strips or pieces for users to dispose of.

    Consumer feedback and design discussions were coordinated by Metaphase, a world leader in product and packaging research, ergonomics, and design.

    Jeffrey Wolff, President of Anchor Packaging, said, "Through these discussions held by Metaphase, we discovered that the vast majority of consumers prefer a simple, intuitive, one-step opening design. As the population ages, a larger, easy-to-grab pull tab feature is also considered essential. These two design elements are at the core of the SAFE PINCH™ product line."

    The intuitive "PINCH" function is prominently marked on the container's hinge, clearly communicating how to open the SAFE PINCH™ packaging. When squeezed, a distinct snapping sound can be heard and felt, letting consumers know it has been opened properly. After the hinge is opened, a wide separation zone is visible, making it easy for store staff or consumers to identify tampered products. The easy-to-open and easy-to-reseal features are just a few of the many characteristics that consumers love about the SAFE PINCH™ design compared to existing containers. 
     Not only tamper-proof
   SAFE PINCHT™ containers are suitable for displaying various dry foods such as nuts, snacks, candies, and baked goods at ambient temperatures. These packages are also suitable for refrigerating fresh foods such as salads, cut fruits, and sandwiches. With a large transparent window and minimal reinforcing ribs, they offer maximum visibility of the food. Their excellent stackable design enables prominent product display. They are easy to close and have a leak-proof design that works well in both manual and automatic applications, making this product line particularly suitable for local convenience stores and food processors. SAFE PINCH™ packaging, made from FDA-approved recycled PETE, is reusable and recyclable. These highly transparent hinged packages are now available as part of a wide range of portable packaging. Among the various shapes and sizes planned for release this year, the latest style measures 7” x 6” and comes in 20, 24, and 32-ounce sizes. Anchor Packaging continues to invest in new tooling and the latest equipment to meet the growing demand for tamper-proof and other cost-effective packaging.
    Anchor's unique product line also includes stock and custom rigid packaging, as well as a variety of shrink wrap packaging. Extensive testing was conducted to determine the thermoforming performance of PLA and compare it with other polymers such as polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), and amorphous polyethylene terephthalate (A-PET).      Properties examined included material performance, thermoforming capability, sheet transportability, puncture behavior, stackability, winding performance, stack disassembly performance of finished products, and the behavior of PLA in processing machinery. To study these characteristics, numerous experiments were carried out on various thermoforming production lines.
    The sheets were produced from Cargill Dow's NatureWorks PLA granules 2002D, with a small amount of blue masterbatch and anti-sticking agent added. An extruder equipped with a two-stage multi-functional PS/PET screw (90mm in diameter) was used. The sheet width ranged from 500 to 735mm, and the sheet thickness ranged from 0.5 to 1.2mm.