RAP UK

Following a tradition of innovative and ecologically sound inventions, RAP chose IFE to announce a major new development, Softpack™. Softpack™ is a new food packaging system, based upon an innovative flow wrap packaging system, that will revolutionise the “food to go” marketplace.

Softpack™ is a combination of paper and film materials with apertures and special tooling to create form as it goes down a flow wrap line. All of the Softpack™ products are available in fully compostable materials, which are both recyclable and from sustainable sources. Softpack™ is primarily aimed at the food to go market, such as baguettes, tortillas, bloomers and speciality breads. Being predominantly paper, Softpack™ provides a greater surface area for graphics and messages, which clearly differentiates it from the traditional film flow packs with labels applied.

To facilitate the anticipated demand for this product in the UK, RAP has been in close development with Paragon Labels with a view to creating a UK manufacturing facility which will complement RAP’s recently extended facility in Donegal, Ireland. This will create a dual supply system. Paragon Labels is the largest self-adhesive label manufacturer in the UK and the only self-adhesive label manufacturer approved by all major retailers.

RAP has also been in development with Ilapak who have engineered the running of Softpack™ down flow wrap machines. Much of this highly successful work has taken place at Ilapak’s extensive R&D facility in Switzerland.

Softpack™ was launched at Pro2Pac at the International Food Exhibition (IFE) at Excel on 18th March 2007. A demonstration of the entire flow line process was available for viewing throughout the exhibition.

Graham Williams, Chief Executive of RAP, said “Softpack™ represents a significant achievement in product innovation. With governments, food producers and retailers embracing the whole issue of packaging waste and the critical importance of recycling and compostability, we believe Softpack™ will prove an irresistible proposition to our entire customer base. Moreover, its applications extend well beyond the food on the go marketplace”.

Julian Money, Managing Director and Founder of RAP, added: “The Softpack™ proposition will overwhelm our customers. It’s ”green” credentials will help them to meet some part of their packaging waste targets and the greater surface area it offers for graphics and messages will enable them to market their products to far greater effect”.

Tony Lennon, Chief Executive of Paragon Labels, commented “As the fastest growing label company in Europe, we strive constantly to embrace the leading innovations in fresh food packaging. Our successful development work with RAP is testament to our success. Softpack™ is without doubt one of the most exciting products to enter the food to go marketplace in many years”.

Tony MacDonald, Sales Engineer of Ilapak, added: “We are delighted to have been able to engineer a solution to the Softpack™ challenge. This will revolutionise the packaging process for this product range and transform the production and packaging process.