Clear Lam with Apio, Inc. Wins PMA Packaging Impact Award

The Produce Marketing Association (PMA) has given Clear Lam Packaging, Inc. and Apio, Inc. their industry’s highest honor, recognizing the companies as 2010 Impact Award winners for their design and production of a New Pink Platter to Benefit the Fight Against Breast Cancer. The award was announced Oct. 16 at this year’s Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition in Orlando, FL. Submissions were judged holistically, earning points for excellence in four areas: marketing, food safety, supply chain efficiency/functionality and sustainability. The combined point totals from each of these areas determined the 25 finalists and six packaging winners.

       Apio donated $25,000 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation in the month of October. “We are proud to support Apio in their efforts to deliver a new Pink Veggie Platter to highlight the important cause of Breast Cancer Research while promoting a healthy diet low in fat and sodium. It was an honor to work with Apio and receive this recognition from our industry peers and the Produce Marketing Association,” said James Sanfilippo, president and CEO of Clear Lam Packaging, Inc. “Because of the cause marketing element, this packaging needed to stand out with consumers and we’re pleased we were able to help achieve that while providing added value to retailers.”

       The new packaging will be used for a variety of fresh cut vegetables and features a novel divider to separate the individual components. The platter is compartmentalized through removable dividers and the lid provides versatility in product quantity and placement. Hermetic sealing and modified atmosphere were used in the manufacturing process to extend shelf life from 16 to 18 days. In addition, a film seal prevents contamination, provides atmosphere control and offers a tamper-resistant solution to retailers. The package includes recycled plastic. Because of its design flexibility, the packaging can be used for meats, cheeses and a variety of other snacking items in addition to fresh cut vegetables and fruits.

Founded in 1969, Clear Lam Packaging, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of rigid and flexible packaging materials for thousands of food, personal health care and other consumer products. With seven manufacturing facilities (four in the U.S. and three in China), Clear Lam employs 720 people. Vertically integrated from design to manufacturing, Clear Lam has the largest thermoforming platforms in the world. Clear Lam is committed to following manufacturing procedures that meet the highest safety standards. The company is pursuing the Safe Quality Foods (SQF^®) certification as part of the Global Food Safety Initiative. Clear Lam has achieved a Superior rating from AIB International^® for seven consecutive years.
       Clear Lam is committed to developing environmentally friendly packaging technologies and has three product lines within its Project EarthClear™ program: packaging made from Renewable Raw Materials, packaging made from Recycled Content and Lightweighting materials. Clear Lam is one of the world’s largest extruders and thermoformers of plant-based Ingeo™ PLA.

Source: http://www.clearlam.com