MonoSol develops film pouch that releases F&B ingredients when exposed to water
The Vivos film can be used for a variety of ingredients including food colors, spices, flavors, sweeteners, enzymes and oils.
Food processors in Latin America
Dorota Bartosik, senior marketing manager, new business development, Monosol, told BakeryandSnacks the film is transparent, tasteless and odorless.
“By using pre-measured quantities of ingredients in food-grade film pouches, food and beverage manufacturers can improve their mixing and product consistency,” she said.
Dicoisa is a supplier of color additives based in Mexico City. It will use the MonoSol Vivos films to package and deliver food colors to processors in Latin America.
Bartosik added that portion-control pouches enable manufacturers to get the exact measurements they need per batch, which is convenient and improves turn-around time.
She said the technology also prevents cross contamination by eliminating dust in a manufacturing environment.
IFT 2016
MonoSol will be demonstrating the food-grade water-soluble films at IFT 2016, at McCormick Place South, in Chicago, US, from July 17-19.
It is not the first time Monosol has been in the news for its technology, BAS reported on its edible food packaging for oatmeal that dissolves in water in 2012.
The technology could also be used for cereals, instant teas/coffees, soups, gravies and sauces, hot chocolate, pre-portioned spice packs and dry ingredients, work-out proteins and supplements.
Monosol, which is part of Kuraray Group’s water-soluble (WS) Film Division, is known for its laundry and automatic dishwasher detergents but is now expanding in other industries such as food ingredients.
The company opened a $95m production plant (DuneLand) in Portage, Indiana, US, this year to expand its manufacturing capacity by 15% to meet what it claims is ‘increasing global demand for water-soluble films and unit-dose packaging’.
“Our DuneLand Facility features the latest technology to produce the next generation of water-soluble films and deliver the best quality and performance,” said Paul Bening, president/CEO, MonoSol.
DuneLand will start up one manufacturing line this year, with full-capacity production expected in 2017. A second manufacturing line will be added to DuneLand by 2020.
“Before selecting the DuneLand site, we researched locations around the world. It became evident that none could match Northwest Indiana given our confidence in the workforce, the abundant natural resources, our established relationships with service providers and the support we received from the State of Indiana and the City of Portage,” added Bening.
