Aptar launches advanced active packaging to ensure premium seafood quality for e-shopping

USA – Aptar Food Protection, a division of Aptar Group, has expanded its innovative Sea Well active packaging system into the e-commerce sector.

Already used by major retailers across the U.S., Sea Well is designed to preserve the freshness, quality, and appearance of seafood.

This advanced packaging system is now available for direct-to-consumer shipping, catering to various seafood products such as fillets, whole fish, and shellfish like crab legs, scallops, and shrimp.

“The Sea Well active packaging system addresses many of the challenges the seafood home delivery market faces, particularly related to keeping products fresh and avoiding messy leaks and spills during transit,” said Neal Watson, vice president and general manager for Aptar Food Protection.

“This innovative technology can extend in-home shelf life by as much as an extra day, enhancing consumer experiences, driving customer loyalty, and securing repeat business.”

In response to customer feedback, two home delivery companies have already incorporated Sea Well technology into their seafood meal kits.

This adoption not only improves convenience but also ensures cleaner handling by facilitating frozen-to-thaw distribution, reducing the risk of leaks and spills.

The Sea Well packaging system features integrated technology that absorbs excess liquids, helping to maintain seafood quality and appearance by preventing product breakdown.

It utilizes food contact-safe absorbent materials and proprietary Drip-Lock technology, which captures excess fluids in patented pockets or wells. This design effectively reduces microbial growth, chemical degradation, and unpleasant odors.

“The home delivery companies we work with are always listening to the voice of the consumer and making packaging changes to improve user experiences and promote customer loyalty,” said Michael Stephens, CEO at Bama Sea Products.

“Shrimp, in particular, tends to be a prominent cause of customer complaints in the home delivery sector due to leaking, messy handling, and cross-contamination with other proteins.

“We were delighted to collaborate with Aptar to develop a Sea Well packaging solution tailored for this market and successfully bring it to commercialization.”

In March, Aptar Food Protection also secured a license to manufacture and distribute Halopack’s sustainable food packaging product in North America.

The patented Aptar Halopack solution is designed for both dry and high-moisture foods and is available in a variety of configurations, including skin pack, clamshell, freezable, microwaveable, ovenable, and modified atmosphere packaging.

The duo-tray configuration provides a solution for foods requiring a multi-compartment structure to maintain the integrity of separate ingredients until consumption.

Produced with Forest Stewardship Council-certified recycled cardboard and minimal film, Halopack packaging is designed to be easily recyclable in existing cardboard streams once the film is removed.

This approach allows for up to a 90% reduction in plastic use compared to conventional plastic-based trays, furthering Aptar’s commitment to sustainable packaging solutions.

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