Quresh Sachee, vice president of global sales & marketing at Aplix, told ConfectioneryNews at Pack Expo in Las Vegas this week that his firm’s Easy-Lock pouch reclosing technology had many benefits over zip locks for confectioners.
“Confectioners have products which have crumbs that can get caught in the zipper tract.
“When particulates get caught in the tract, some of the other zip closure systems have a hard time of resealing. Ours does not have that problem.”
LDPE bags
Aplix has manufactured Easy-Lock 970 designed for smaller bags since Interpack in 2011, but launched Easy-Lock 971 for heavier bags at Pack Expo this week. Easy-Lock is made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE).
“Most of the bags we are finding in the marketplace are made of LDPE, so it provides a good seal for the confectionery companies,” said Sachee.
Growth of resealables
There is one unnamed confectioner using the system in Europe and Sachee claimed a few large confectioners were looking at the technology in the US with products due on the shelf in the next year.
“We see use of resealable systems on the increase. When I go to the store, every few months I’m seeing more and more packages with resealable systems.”
For people with reduced dexterity and kids
Sachee said that Leatherhead Food research in the UK held a focus group for one of Aplix’s customers and found that 80% of consumers in the focus group preferred the Aplix technology over zip closure systems.
“It’s mainly because the whole family can use it, including children and people with reduced dexterity.
“There are several resealable systems in the marketplace today, however one of the things we are finding is that people with reduced dexterity have a hard time opening and closing bags.”
Velcro similarities
Easy-Lock is fairly similar to Velcro and Velcro Industries also produces a reclosing system for flexible bags.
“We have certain advantages over them. We can provide our product in a form that is matted. It’s very important for machines to have matted tape," said Sachee.
He said that some competitors had similar products, but they had to run on two separate rolls where the matting has to occur before it enters the form fill and seal machine.
Price and features
Sachee said Easy-Lock could run through most packaging machines, but some minor adjustments may be required.
He said that Easy-Lock would not prolong the shelf-life of confectionery as the packs have a hermetic seal before opening.
He added that the price for Easy-Lock was similar to zip-locks and said products would take no longer to bag than a zip-lock system.
Graphics cannot currently be printed over Easy-Lock from the inside of the pack, but Aplix is exploring ways to accommodate this capability.