August 2006
Sealstrip Corporation
Customers Contact: Jennifer Conrad, 610-367-6282 ext. 111
Distributors Contact: Barbara Fossum, 610-367-6282 ext. 106

Outraged by Wrap Rage

Sixty-seven thousand is a rather large number; but it seems an almost impossible figure when representing the number of injuries reported each year by consumers who have had the misfortune of wrestling with a hard to open package. If you’re a consumer, and who isn’t, you’ve probably experienced this yourself. You know that new 2 GB memory card you just bought? Only one thing stands between you and the small piece of plastic that promises to hold all of your precious memories, that’s right, the packaging. The container that’s meant to keep your product protected from harm until you take it home; but who will protect you? Or maybe it’s the shrinkwrap on that new DVD that you stood in line to reserve months ago, but how to get it open; a knife perhaps? Maybe scissors will do the trick. Scissors and knives may work out, but for a lot of people, about 67,000 of them to be more accurate, this only ends in frustration and injury. Now, not only do you have a new medical bill to pay, you still haven’t gotten your package open! This surmounting frustration has been the underlying basis for the new-fangled term referred to as wrap rage.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the US Department of Labor, “knives cause 35% of knife laceration and puncture injuries, requiring one or more days away from work in foodservice and drinking operations.” Imagine a 35% decrease in employee time off, and more importantly, in Workers Compensation claims. Sealstrip Corporation’s products can help make it a reality.

Sealstrip Corporation of Boyertown, PA finds these statistics outrageous at best and just plain unacceptable. Having been in the flexible packaging industry for more than 40 years, Sealstrip knows the value of providing safe and convenient packaging for consumers. Sealstrip’s easy open convenience can be found in a variety of places including food and medical packaging.

Because Sealstrip specializes in custom solutions, they can make any flexible package easy to open, that new DVD for example. For shrink wrapped products like DVD’s, CD’s, computer programs, and VHS tapes, Sealstrip’s Shrinktape is most often used. Shrinktape is a narrow width (3.4mm), 2mil, pressure sensitive shrinkable teartape that is applied in line and is ideal for enabling an easy open on shrink wrapped products.

Sealstrip has also developed a specialty pressure sensitive Teartape that maintains the seal integrity, thereby maintaining barrier properties of the original flexible packaging. The advantage to users is the ability to easily open a package in a controlled manner and prevents small torn away pieces of the package from contaminating the preparation area; this easy open system is popular for food or medical applications.

As a direct result of the wrap rage articles in the European press, where shrinkwrapped soft cheese packages were identified by consumers as one of the most difficult packages to open causing product damage, and wrap rage. Sealstrip has helped cheese manufacturers to overcome this growing consumer frustration with their Peelwrap and OpenEasy solutions.

Peelwrap is a wider tape, about 3/4”, giving consumers and industry workers a larger grip area and facilitating an easier opening process. The Peelwrap applicator perforates the packaging film and applies the Peelwrap material over the perforation (completely sealing the package), creating the easy open feature. The applicator utilizes a smooth rotary design providing high speed, efficiency and durability. Providing easy open convenience and product protection, Peelwrap is available for both shrink and non-shrink applications. Some ideal applications include cheeses, medical devices, frozen pizza, food service, multi-packs, printed media, and bakery.

OpenEasy is Sealstrip’s newest innovation and functions very much like Peelwrap. The major difference is that OpenEasy is applied in-line, intermittently, and in register, for a more controlled opening. Another advantage of OpenEasy is when using a barrier film for extended shelf life; OpenEasy will maintain that barrier, thus maintaining the integrity of the product.

Sealstrip is the only easy open materials manufacturer that also designs and builds applicators for retrofit to all the worlds’ packaging machinery. New innovations are constantly being developed and released, so the next time you feel wrap rage coming on, give Sealstrip a call.

July 2006
Sealstrip Corporation
Customers Contact: Jennifer Conrad, 610-367-6282 ext. 111
Distributors Contact: Barbara Fossum, 610-367-6282 ext. 106

Opening Sara Lee’s Desserts is as Easy as Pie

When Sara Lee began Shrink wrapping pies for higher quality distribution they found themselves facing their next hurdle. How do you safely get Shrink-wrap off of a frozen pie without destroying the product? Sara Lee turned to Sealstrip Corporation, the leading provider of easy open solutions for shrink packaging, for some ideas. Having been in the industry for more than 30 years, Sealstrip was up for the challenge of finding an easy open solution that would work for Sara Lee’s frozen pies. We wanted to invest in a system that had, “minimal capital requirements,” -Jeff Burton, Sr. Packaging Engineer, R&D, Sara Lee Foods, and a low per-package cost.

Working together with the Sara Lee packaging engineers, Sealstrip determined that the best way to meet the objective of an easy open feature for the pies, without having to change wrappers or film, was Sealstrip’s Shrinktape system. Shrinktape is a narrow width (3.4mm), 2mil, pressure sensitive tape that is ideal for enabling an easy open on shrink wrapped products. A red tape was thought to be ideal for this application so that consumers could quickly and easily identify the easy open feature. The high-speed rotary Shrinktape applicator was custom built and retrofitted to Sara Lee’s existing SIG Doboy SK shrink wrappers and applies the Shrinktape to the film in-line. The Shrinktape applicator is designed and built by Sealstrip Corporation to provide affordability, ease of operation and change-over flexibility, while meeting the demands of high-speed, high volume production. The, “easy integration and quick start up of the operator-friendly applicators,” – Jeff Burton, was a must for the Sara Lee plant that runs 9 dessert lines, 20 hours a day, 6 days a week.

It’s easy to see why the addition of the Shrinktape easy open feature has been so, “well received by [our] customers,” notes Jeff Burton. The pie should be as easy to open as it is to prepare, consumers shouldn’t have to struggle to get into a dessert that was created to streamline meal preparation time. Sara Lee customers now have a convenient easy to open, easy to prepare dessert from freezer to table.

June 2006
Sealstrip Corporation
Customers Contact: Jennifer Conrad, 610-367-6282 ext. 111
Distributors Contact: Barbara Fossum, 610-367-6282 ext. 106

With Sealstrip, J&J Snackfood’s SuperPretzel is Super Easy to Reseal

J&J Snack Foods, the world’s largest producer of soft pretzels, finds convenience and consumer satisfaction with Sealstrip’s resealable feature for their frozen, microwaveable, “SuperPretzel” soft pretzel products.

Phil Heffelfinger, J&J Snack Foods Director of Engineering notes that Sealstrip provides closures that are, “…user friendly and cost only a fraction of a cent per package.” Heffelfinger also noted “the tape runs through the machines with no problems and it holds up well to freezing”. To build brand awareness on their clear bag, J&J uses Sealstrip’s custom tape, printed with the SuperPretzel logo and bright red and yellow colors. Every time a consumer uses the package they see the SuperPretzel logo.

To open the package the consumer tears away the perforated top, and separates the two sides, allowing full access to the frozen pretzels. The Sealstrip package opens just like a zipper package. The difference to the consumer is in the resealing of the package. With Sealstrip’s unique system, the consumer simply presses the two sides of the package back together, for an easy, secure seal that is reliable time after time. This is a huge ease of use advantage over zippers in which tracks need to be lined up for a tight seal.

One of the three Sealstrip applicators was integrated into J&J Snack Food’s new Rovema VPK model, continuous motion, form/fill/seal bagger machine, running 9 oz. bags of frozen “SuperPretzel Bite Size” products at 55 bags per minute. A second Sealstrip applicator was retrofitted to an older VFFS bagger operated by J&J. As testimony to the Sealstrip applicator’s versatility, when a larger package was needed to package the snack food company’s larger “SuperPretzel” product, a third Sealstrip applicator was custom designed and retrofitted to a new SpeedPack horizontal wrapper from Jongerius Hanco BV, this wrapper uses center-folded film.

Sealstrip is a unique in-line resealable packaging system that can be fitted to new or existing machinery and operates at current line speeds. To create the Sealstrip reseal feature, a slot is cut in the packaging film and the tape is applied over the slot. The Sealstrip applicator utilizes a smooth rotary design providing high speed, efficiency and durability. The applicator does not use heat to apply the pressure sensitive tape, resulting in consistent quality packages at 10ppm or 200ppm.

With its ease of use and low per package cost, Sealstrip is an excellent alternative to zipper and other closures in both cost and customer satisfaction.

June 2006
Sealstrip Corporation
Customers Contact: Jennifer Conrad, 610-367-6282 ext. 111
Distributors Contact: Barbara Fossum, 610-367-6282 ext. 106

The Doughboy™ Goes Resealable

The Pillsbury Company, Minneapolis, MN, has been incorporating Sealstrip Corporation’s reseal technology with their frozen waffle package with much success and high consumer satisfaction. This unique recloseable package utilizes a pressure sensitive tape feature that preserves freshness and flavor, prevents spillage, and is easier for consumers of all ages to use than zipper. To open the package, the consumer tears a perforation along the top of the package, and pulls open the resealable flaps. Once the package is open, resealing is even easier because there are no tracks to line up.

The Sealstrip applicators at the Pillsbury facility in Allentown, PA, are free-standing and cantilevered above Doboy Microtronic wrappers. The applicator slits the packaging film and forms a slot. Over this slot, the applicator automatically applies the spool wound, proprietary, Sealtape. The applicator then folds the film, sealing the exposed Sealstrip tape to the inside of the film, forming the easy open and resealable feature. This operation proceeds in the direction of the film flow, diverting the film from the film unwind area into the Sealstrip applicator and back into the wrapper before traveling through the former. These functions are performed at speeds of up to 100 feet per minute.

Sealstrip is an ideal pressure sensitive resealable material. It is FDA compliant, moisture resistant, and freezer safe. The Sealstrip applicator is designed to interface with existing packaging equipment, and can be used with a wide variety of films and gauges. Long length rolls are provided for hours of continuous production.

Pillsbury proves to have a competitive advantage and encourages brand loyalty by keeping up with the expectations of busy, on-the-go consumers. By adding the Sealstrip feature, Pillsbury provides convenience and value with their easy open and reclose packages.

May 2006
Sealstrip Corporation
Customers Contact: Jennifer Conrad, 610-367-6282 ext. 111
Distributors Contact: Barbara Fossum, 610-367-6282 ext. 106

Canadian Market to be first success for Sealstrip’s new Peel&Seal

Leading Canadian food manufacturers, Carriere Foods, and Michel St. Arneault Inc. have chosen Sealstrip Corporation’s new, consumer-friendly, recloseable feature Peel&Seal for their retail frozen vegetable and potato packages.

Peel&Seal, is a patent pending resealable feature for flexible packaging and is an economical alternative to zippers. Peel&Seal pressure sensitive tape is applied to the outside of the package. In usage the consumer rolls down the bag and uses the Peel&Seal tape to reseal the bag.

Carriere, to enhance brand awareness and increase market share, planned to relaunch their Artic Gardens product in a block bottom stand up bag with a recloseable feature. The Arctic Gardens line includes six varieties of frozen mixed vegetables in 750g packages. One of the project requirements was to make the new packages on their existing Sandi-Acre and Hayssen VFFS baggers, with minimal capital investment. The Artic Gardens product line is produced in two of their Canadian facilities, Strathroy, Ontario and Bedford, Quebec.

Gille Tanguay, President of Starflex Packaging Inc., Montreal, Carriere’s packaging film supplier, was consulted regarding reclosable features for this new package style. Starflex provides Carriere with a printed OPP/CoEx lamination.

After considering several recloseable packaging options, Nick Joly, Brand Manager, Carriere Foods Inc. noted that Carriere chose the Peel&Seal reclosable feature because it provided “an overall lower per package cost then other reclosable packaging options, was easy to integrate and operate, and is easy for consumers to use.” Since the incorporation of Peel&Seal to their product, Carriere has received positive feedback from consumers and retailers alike.

Joly, notes that the addition of Peel&Seal has been one of the key factors triggering an, “…increase in sales.”

The new Artic Gardens package has been nominated and selected as a finalist in the Canadian Grand Prix New Products Award for innovation and excellence in food packaging.

Michel St. Arneualt, is a family-owned business located in Saint-Hubert, Quebec known for its high-quality products made with Quebec grown potatoes.

Michel St. Arneualt has added the Peel&Seal system to their new 2.7KG/5lb. Natural Delight™, Oven Roasted Potato Wedges, the product is packaged on 2 Hayssen Ultima VFFS baggers.

Pierre Pepin, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Michel St. Arneualt Inc., states, “Retailers and consumers prefer reseal features on larger packages, Peel&Seal has provided us with a competitve advantage and reduced retail market entry barriers. The consumer’s response has been very positive to Peel&Seal. They appreciate the ease of use and the packages compact storage size in their home freezer. Our operations group is pleased with the simplicity and operational efficiency of the system. Peel&Seal is a low risk way to enhance our 5 Pound Natural Delight, Oven Roasted Potato Wedges.”

Sealstrip’s Peel&Seal resealable system provides refrigerated and frozen food packagers with a resealable feature that is easy for consumers to use and easy to integrate into production.

The consumer opens the package by cutting away the top of the bag, or pinching and pulling the bag sides to peel open the seal. The Peel&Seal feature allows the package to open the full width for convenient access and to easily pour out the product into a tray or pan. To reclose, the consumer peels back the dry edge of the tape, rolls down the bag, and uses the tape to seal down the rolled bag. One end of the tape always remains anchored to the package. As the product is used, the package becomes smaller, providing consumers with the additional benefit of compact storage, while continuing to promote the Brand message.

The Peel&Seal System includes a small applicator and the Peel&Seal material is supplied in long length rolls. The Peel&Seal applicator is retrofitted by Sealstrip to the existing vertical bagger or flow wrapper, and operates at current line speeds while applying the Peel&Seal material continuously in the film flow direction. The Peel&Seal applicator utilizes a smooth rotary unwind that provides efficiency and durability. The applicator does not use heat to apply the material, resulting in consistent quality packages at any speed. Peel&Seal is applied near the center of the package, end seal to end seal, parallel to the linear side of the package.

“By keeping their brand name in front of the consumer for the life of the product, Sealstrip customers have experienced increased brand loyalty and higher sales,” Heather Chandler, Sealstrip EVP

Sealstrip’s innovative easy open and resealable systems for flexible packaging have been embraced by global brand leaders in diverse industries as an efficient way to meet consumer expectations for packaging convenience. Clients with long-term, continuous, trouble-free production are a testament to the reliability and durability of Sealstrip’s systems.

April 2006
Sealstrip Corporation
Customers Contact: Jennifer Conrad, 610-367-6282 ext. 111
Distributors Contact: Barbara Fossum, 610-367-6282 ext. 106

Sealstrip’s Peelwrap Part of the Shrink-wrapped Potato Craze

Farm Fresh Direct is providing their customers with the latest in consumer convenience packaging by incorporating Sealstrip’s easy open Peelwrap with their individually shrink-wrapped potatoes. Farm Fresh Direct Marketing Manager, Tim Wall, states, “The Peelwrap has increased the confidence our consumers have in the Express Bake brand as the leading innovator for microwave ready produce.”

Peelwrap is a pressure sensitive tape made exclusively by Sealstrip Corporation. The pressure sensitive tape has a dry edge that the consumer uses as a convenient grip area to pull down and easily open a package that would otherwise be difficult to penetrate.

“Peelwrap has made opening our Express Bake line very quick and convenient. This has added safety in opening the wrap, as the PotatOH!s are very hot coming out of the microwave. The Express Bake PotatOH! and Sweet PotatOH! lines are the best selling microwave-ready potatoes in the nation, garnering roughly 70% of the nation-wide market share for this category.” Tim Wall – Marketing Manager, Farm Fresh Direct

Because the product is extremely hot after baking in the microwave, the new shrink-wrapped potatoes become near impossible to open. Peelwrap gives the consumer a safe and convenient way to open the package. With its ¼” grip area, the Peelwrap sticks off of the potato enough for the consumer to grip the tape, pull down, and open the package without additional mess or injury.

Peelwrap is 100% guaranteed to make your package easy to open. Providing easy open convenience and product protection, Peelwrap is available for both shrink and non-shrink applications. Some ideal applications include medical devices, frozen pizza, food service, multi-packs, printed media, and bakery products.

August 2004
Sealstrip Corporation
Customers Contact: Jamie Hartman, 610-367-6282 ext. 111
Distributors Contact: Barbara Fossum, 610-367-6282 ext. 106

Sealstrip Announces a New Standard for Shrinktape

Sealstrip Corporation announces, effective immediately, a new standard material width of 3.4mm for the Shrinktape easy open, tamper evident system for shrink packaging. The standard color is red, with custom colors and prints available. Sealstrip is excited to offer this wider Shrinktape as our standard product, because it is easier for the consumer to use, and Making Packaging Easier is what we're all about.

Consumers say the 3.4mm Shrinktape has a larger pull-tab that is easier to use than tab created with a narrower tape, and the wider tape removes more of the packaging film with one motion. The 3.4mm tape is also more eye-catching, yet does not interfere with package graphics.

Shrinktape is applied in the machine direction by an applicator mounted on new or existing shrink machinery. The Shrinktape applicator applies the Shrinktape to the packaging film and forms the tab that is pulled to open the package. Applicators are available for retrofit to inverting L-sealers and continuous motion and form-fill-seal wrappers.

Popular applications include printed forms, bakery, medical devices, collectibles and business to business products.

For more information, please contact Sealstrip at 610-367-6282.

April 28, 2004
Sealstrip Corporation
Contact: Jo Anne Forman, 610-367-6282

Build Your Brand With Sealstrip Consumer Convenient Features

Sealstrip Corporation provides flexible packagers with a variety of resealable, consumer convenient, brand-building features that are ideal for unique customer requirements. Sealstrip is an in-line, resealable packaging system that adds resealability, tamper evidence and easy open features to a package by using pressure sensitive tape as an economical and more functional alternative to plastic zipper track bags. Consumers love the Sealstrip bag because the package simply presses back together to reseal.

Currently featured on packages containing disposable razors, trayed cookies, fresh tortillas, frozen waffles, frozen garlic bread and frozen pretzels, Sealstrip is also ideal for candy, pasta, office supplies, pharmaceuticals and more.

The Sealstrip applicator automatically converts the film, applying the Sealtape in the film-flow direction, to create the Sealstrip feature. The applicator is designed to interface with existing packaging equipment, and can be used with a wide variety of films and gauges, with no reduction in line speeds.

Sealstrip is an ideal pressure sensitive resealable material. It is FDA compliant, moisture resistant and freezer safe. Long length rolls of Sealtape are provided for hours of continuous production.

For more information, please contact Sealstrip at 610-367-6282.

February 2004
Sealstrip Corporation
Customers Contact: Jamie Hartman, 610-367-6282 ext. 111
Distributors Contact: Barbara Fossum, 610-367-6282 ext. 106

Custom Teartape Provide Medical Coding Answer

Sealstrip Corporation manufacturers and sells Teartape that can be customized for many diverse applications. Currently, a major international manufacturer of medical devices uses a Teartape provided by Sealstrip as a coding method for medication-filled syringes. The Teartape, which is provided in a custom 6.6mm width in several colors, performs double duty as an easy identifier of the medications in the syringes, while also allowing the medical personnel handing them to quickly and easily remove the syringe from the packaging film.

Teartape is a self-wound pressure sensitive tape that is FDA compliant. Teartape can be used alone or in conjunction with a reclosable zipper to provide easy opening. Our customized barrier Teartape is manufactured to be compatible with the seal layer of your packaging film..

Sealstrip designs and manufacturers a complete line of applicating equipment to apply the Teartape to the film. The applicator can be used on low to high speed flexible film overwrapping equipment and flow wrappers, retrofitting in the film unwind area of your wrapper and applying the Teartape in continuous motion.

For more information, please contact Sealstrip at 610-367-6282.

January 2004
Sealstrip Corporation
Customers Contact: Jamie Hartman, 610-367-6282 ext. 111
Distributors Contact: Barbara Fossum, 610-367-6282 ext. 106

Cheese Packs Debut in Europe with Sealstrip Easy Open Feature

Sealstrip Corporation's easy open feature, Peelwrap, recently debuted in Europe on the block cheese packages of several major European cheese manufacturers. These new packages emphasize the trend in Europe toward providing consumers with more convenient packaging. Sealstrip Corporation is the exlusive manufacturer of Peelwrap, a pressure sensitive tape that is ideal for the easy opening of shrink-wrapped packages.

Peelwrap is unique because the 3/4" wide, pressure sensitive tape has a 1/4" wide dry grip area which runs the entire length of the package, in the direction of the film flow. This large area for opening is especially important when the product inside can be damaged by packaging that is difficult to open, for medical professionals with gloved hands, the senior population, and when urgency requires the easy and fast opening of a shrink-wrapped package. Peelwrap is FDA compliant and can be printed with custom graphics and instructions.

Installed in-line with the wrapper, the Peelwrap applicator is mounted in the film unwind area and is easily retrofitted to any wrapper, including straight and inverting L-sealers, and flow wrappers. A motorized film assist and brake controlled unwind ensures smooth and consistent delivery of the composite to the wrapper.

Typical applications for Peelwrap include convenience foods such as fresh and frozen pizza, food service, medical devices, multi packs, printed media and bakery.

For more information, please contact Sealstrip at 610-367-6282.

August 1, 2003
Contact: Jo Anne Forman, President

SEALSTRIP CORPORATION WILL EXHIBIT AT PACK EXPO INTERNATIONAL 2004, BOOTH S-670

(Boyertown, PA) - Sealstrip Corporation will be exhibiting easy open and resealable flexible packaging technology at Pack Expo International 2004, McCormick Place, Chicago, IL USA, November 7-11, 2004.

If you are looking to enhance your package with a great value-added feature your customers will love, consider a pressure sensitive, easy open and/or resealable option from Sealstrip.

Drop by our booth and let our packaging professionals introduce you to these truly convenient options:

• Shrinktape (Easy Open)
• Teartape (Easy Open)
• Peelwrap (Easy Open)
• Sealstrip (Resealable)
• Seal & Save (Resealable)

We will have machinery running in several booths. Stay tuned for more details to come in 2004.

Pack Expo International 2004 is sponsored and produced by Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI).

May 2003 - Packaging Digest

Razor Packs seal with zeal:

The 10-count film pouches of Gillette’s disposable razors in the Good News!, Custom Plus and Daisy Plus for Women lines feature the Sealstrip reclosure system that offers tamper-evidence, opening ease and recloseability to keep the razors in place.

Designed to give consumers a convenient, economical and functional pack, the rackable pouches incorporate a p-s tape reclosure that secures and protects the razors throughout their life-span.

To open the pack, the user pulls open the resealable flaps. Once open the package is easy to close by pressig the flaps back together.

The teartape and sealtape components are made of what Sealstrip describes as a thermoplastic substrate, coated with an FDA-compliant, p-s adhesive that resists moisture, an essential objective where shaving is concerned.

January 2003 - Flexible Packaging

Razor Package Incorporates Recloseable Feature:

The new resealable Gillette package, introduced on all disposable razor packages and designed by Sealstrip Corp., utilizes a pressure-sensitive tape reclosable feature. The recloseable feature creates an easy-to-open, easy-to-reclose package that provides product containment and protectionand is said to be easier for consumers to use.

To open the package, the consumer pulls a built-in teartape along the length of the package and pulls open the resealable flaps. Once the package is open, resealing is even easier because there are no tracks to line up, just press it back together.

The teartape and sealtape are comprised of a thermoplastic substrate coated with an FDA-compliant, pressure-sensitive adhesive that is resistant to moisture. The total packaging material cost for the Sealstrip tape and teartape is significantly less than once cent per package.

January 2003

Sealstrip Corporation earned "SUPERIOR" rating in the American Instiute for Baking Program! For the year 2003!