Borouge showcases its innovative plastics solutions for advanced food packaging at Gulfood 2013

The event provides Borouge with an opportunity to reinforce its leadership in the food value chain for providing innovative polyolefin plastics solutions for advanced packaging industry due to its major contribution to improving food safe harvest, storage, transport and freshness, addressing the needs of brand owners who continuously seek high quality packaging materials that ensure premium protection of their food and prolong its shelf life.

Borouge is a leader in providing the food value chain with a portfolio of plastics packaging solutions produced with injection, blown and thermo moulding, meeting the international standards of quality and durability for all food and beverage packaging applications.

"Participating for the first time at Gulfood 2013 is in line with Borouge's commitment to promote its innovative plastics solutions for advanced packaging," said Hussain Sultan Lootah Senior Vice President Middle East Africa at Borouge.

"The event creates a significant platform for the participants to be introduced to the latest products and technologies used in food packaging industry and have the chance to exchange knowledge and experiences with key players in the local, regional and global food manufacturing and packaging companies," he added.

"Our innovative solutions for food advanced packaging are recognised with its durability, high impact and capability to protect and ensure the validity and shelf life of the packed food without compromising its taste, odour or freshness. Borouge also provides innovative plastics solutions for rigid plastic applications such as healthcare, boxes, trays, pallets, bottles and caps and closures," he concluded.

Lootah pointed out, "Borouge's innovative solutions contribute to food preservation from the stage of harvest till it reaches consumers. Borouge provides farmers with high value greenhouse film sheets with good optical properties, high tear strength and higher cost saving to grow better quality crops. The Company also provides high performance Borstar enhanced polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) plastics solutions as sustainable alternatives to glass, metal and paper to the entire food value chain processing and packaging industry. Borouge's solutions enable packaging suppliers to better manage storage logistics, facilitate transportation and minimise breakage and spillage of food, resulting in reducing food waste and ensuring a better protection."

"Borouge keeps up with the food packaging trends and through collaboration with the brand owners and retailers, we thrive to provide innovative packaging solutions that help them improve the quality of their products and its packaging designs, and at the same time reinforce the reputation of their brands," added Lootah.

Borouge utilises proprietary technologies for a variety of high-performance flexible packaging applications, especially in co-extruded structures such as lamination, exclusive carrier bags, high-strength packaging, frozen and snack food packaging, shrink films and greenhouse films. One of the most significant and award-winning packaging solutions from Borouge is RG468MO, a PP random copolymer that is developed with the Borealis Nucleation Technology (BNT).

This high-flow resin boosts 20% productivity gain for the rigid packaging converting industry and achieves shorter cycle times and higher mechanical performance. It also ensures clear transparency and pleasing visual aesthetics required in the packaging value chain. RG468MO imparts no taste or odour, and complies with all food contact regulations.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 50% of all food in the less developed countries is wasted between harvest and home, while in the 'packaging-oriented' societies, the rate if much lower. For example, a cucumber packed with a shrink wrap helps extend its shelf life from 2 to 10 days.

Key exhibitors at the Gulfood 2013 exhibition come from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, South Africa, Russia, Switzerland, France, Vietnam, New Zealand and the US. Other countries are participating for the first time such as Ecuador, Oman, Lithuania and the UAE, in addition to a large number of exhibitors from Europe and South America.

Visitors to the Gulfood exhibition could learn from regional and international food industry leaders, experts and analysts about the latest trends and issues affecting the sector. This year's event will host a workshop on franchising in addition to a group of industry related sessions about financing, legal procedures and purchasing strategies. The 'Global Food Leaders Summit' will be held aside the Gulfood 2013 exhibition, in addition to the 'Food Processing and Packaging Forum', an award ceremony and competitions of cooking and baking.

Borouge was established in 1998 as a joint venture between the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Austria based Borealis, a leading provider of chemical and innovative plastics solutions. Borouge is a groundbreaking international partnership at the forefront of the next generation of plastics innovation.