In 2017, the edible oil sector exceeded the USD 20 billion mark with an increase of 25%, and marked as the largest packaged food segment by accounting more than 30% share of the USD 65 billion packaged foods market in India.
The packaged segment of edible oils grew by 2.5 times the rate of overall edible oil consumption in India, due to the shifting preference of Indian consumers from traditional “loose oil” to packaged oils. This trend came into a picture because of the healthy lifestyle practices and growing awareness of food safety among the consumers.
The organized brands owners were able to penetrate the rural markets with refillable pouch packaging and smaller SKUs, due to the usage of coextruded flexible pouches in edible oil packaging. This made possible for producers to pass on price reductions to consumers in comparison to the traditional oil packaging of tin cans.
Particularly these pouches are a 5-7 layer coextruded film that combines tie-layer, PE, nylon or EVOH. The presence of Nylon in the structure offers puncture resistance and moderate oxygen barrier. However, nylon or EVOH’s inclusion in the structure prevents it from easily being recycled.
Michelman, a global developer of water-based coating solutions, has unveiled a new recyclable water-based coating solution, in order to replace nylon or EVOH in edible oil packaging. The new coating solution offers oxygen barrier for freshness that prevents the oil from going rancid and also extends the shelf life of the oil.
The solution can be optimized to match or surpass oxygen barrier values to avoid rancidity and extend product shelf life. It has become a mono-material structure without the presence of nylon/EVOH that can be recycled easily. It is also compliant with the upcoming Plastic Waste Management Rules.
Meanwhile, Michelman is collaborating with and supporting leading Indian brands in edible oil by hosting trials and tests at its newly opened state-of-the-art packaging incubator, Michelman Innovation Centre for Coatings (MICC).
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