Packaging Innovation Case Study: Solving a Complex Food Safety Challenge
When a national prepared foods brand approached Teinnovations with recurring seal failures in their refrigerated product line, the stakes were high. The issue wasn’t just affecting product quality—it was creating food safety risks that could lead to recalls or customer illness. This case study illustrates how a science-driven packaging strategy helped identify the root cause and engineer a system-wide solution.
The Problem: Compromised Seal Integrity
The product in question was a refrigerated, protein-rich ready meal sealed in a semi-rigid tray with film lidding. The client was seeing a high rate of post-production leakers, especially after refrigerated distribution. Quality assurance flagged these as potential points of microbial ingress, prompting an urgent review.
Our Evaluation Process
Teinnovations performed a multi-step assessment that included:
- Seal integrity testing under temperature cycling
- Material compatibility analysis between tray and film
- Food property review (fat content, pH, moisture)
- Tooling and equipment calibration checks
The key insight? The sealing film had a narrow temperature window and was poorly suited to the fat-rich food inside. During sealing, migrating fats were interfering with bond formation—leading to weak seals that failed in transit.
The Solution: Food-First System Redesign
Rather than simply swap materials, we engineered a full solution around the food product’s behavior:
- Replaced the lidding film with a fat-tolerant coextruded film with wider seal temperature range
- Adjusted sealing temperature and dwell time to enhance bond strength
- Updated sealing die and tool alignment to eliminate uneven pressure zones
- Trained plant operators to monitor seal area contamination and adjust for fill variability
The Results
After implementing the changes, the client reported:
- Over 95% reduction in leaker rate
- Improved shelf life consistency and reduced spoilage
- Stronger consumer confidence and fewer quality complaints
- Zero reported seal-related food safety issues post-launch
Why It Worked
This was not a “quick fix”—it was a science-based reengineering of the packaging system, rooted in understanding how the product’s composition impacted every layer of the process. By starting with the food itself, we built a packaging solution that delivered long-term performance and protected consumer safety.
Need to solve a complex packaging issue?
Contact us today and let’s talk about how Teinnovations can apply its deep food science and engineering expertise to improve safety, performance, and peace of mind in your operation.
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