Sealed Air, Clemson University Forge New Ties

CLEMSON, S.C.—Sealed Air and Clemson University collaborated to create the Cryovac® Flavour Mark^™ Retort Laboratory, a teaching, research and service facility in the university’s packaging science department in the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences.

The Sealed Air-Clemson University project exemplifies public-private collaboration between a leading research university and an industry leader. It will benefit Clemson students, facilitate state-of-the-art research and foster economic growth in the state, regional and global economies.

Clemson students will use the Cryovac Flavour Mark Retort Laboratory as a hands-on classroom to study food packaging—specifically shelf-stable retort packaging—and will benefit from Cryovac brand equipment donated by Sealed Air. When not in use by students, the facility will be available on a lease arrangement or fee-for-service basis to allow food processors to create and test a limited number of sample products for market distribution.

“Clemson University students will be responsible for developing the food packaging of tomorrow, so it is important that we help provide them with a hands-on experience,” said Jean-Marie Demeautis, president of Sealed Air’s Cryovac Food Solutions. “This relationship will not only be a boon for the students who study in the Cryovac Flavour Mark Retort Laboratory, it will also be a great benefit to the future of our business.”

Clemson’s packaging science curriculum blends science and technology, design, marketing and business principles. Coupled with the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, the university offers a full-range of kitchens, food testing rooms and professional packaging laboratories, including a state-of-the-art package testing facility.

“There are only a handful of institutions nationwide that focus on the science of food packaging, and Clemson University is one of them,” said Dr. Scott Whiteside, an associate professor and associate director of Clemson’s Center for Flexible Packaging. “Given that food packaging, a $200 billion-plus industry in the United States, is an ever-changing industry, it is important that students learn in a real-world environment. So, working with a company like Sealed Air guarantees our students that opportunity.”

Cryovac brand shelf-stable technology provides a durable, flexible pouch option for processors and foodservice operators seeking greater flavor and texture in retorted products. The Flavour Mark pouch can hold any amount from 16 to 128 ounces and offers nearly 100 percent product yield for foods such as chili with meat, stews, soups, vegetables, and sauces.

Cryovac Flavour Mark pouches are made with a high-performance, multi-layer film for products that require thermal processing (250 degrees Fahrenheit) after packaging to achieve shelf stability. The film also provides secure, high-integrity seals to survive the rigors of rough handling during distribution.

The Cryovac Flavour Mark Retort Laboratory at Clemson University follows the September opening of Sealed Air’s Packforum® Americas, a facility that is also dedicated to research and knowledge. The 28,000-square-foot Packforum Americas is a permanent customer forum in Atlanta that brings the food processing, supermarket and foodservice industries together to experience the full global range of Cryovac food packaging systems, programs, and services.