Anti-Infestation Coating Repels Insects from Folding Cartons
By Bill Noone
Tenneco Packaging has developed a natural barrier coating for folding cartons that guards against insect infestation. Effective at repelling insects and reducing the presence of infestation waste products and larval skin casings in packaged food products, RepelKote anti-infestation coating is said to be the first natural insect repellent coating to protect folding carton packaged products.
RepelKote is well suited for the pet food industry, where a retail trend has been for merchandisers such as Wal-Mart to put pressure on suppliers to ensure protection against infestation at the store level. AlfaPet Inc., St. Louis, MO, a manufacturer of a variety of pet food products, is the first commercial user of RepelKote. It is using anti-infestation treated folding cartons to market two of its grain-based pet foods, AlfaPet's Hamster Food (18 oz.) and Gourmet Small Animal Treat (14 oz.). Beginning in January 1999, the company will package 14 of its products, or about 80% of its line, including parakeet seed and gerbil food, in RepelKote coated cartons.
"We never had a problem with our product," insists AlfaPet's president, Marty Johns, "but industry has mandated that infestation be minimized at the store level. RepelKote eliminates the fear of a buyer that our product has any infestation problem. Insects cannot get into the barrier box."
Cost-Effective Packaging Alternative
When the need arose to alleviate the concerns of mass merchandisers regarding infestation, AlfaPet searched for an alternative to traditional folding cartons without having to drastically change its packaging operations. "We had always been using boxes and weren't looking to change that," says Johns. He notes that the company considered a bag-in-box option, however this wasn't as cost-effective as what he calls the "barrier box." AlfaPet also steered away from a barrier bag because of its long-standing preference for a box.
"Using the RepelKote cartons is the most economical way of eliminating the fears of infestation among merchandisers," claims Johns. He says that using the coated cartons provides a 3% to 5% savings over bag-in-box packaging. "Going to bag-in-box would have required additional capitalization as well as extra steps in the packaging process." Johns estimates that AlfaPet would have needed to outlay up to $1 million in new equipment to accommodate bag-in-box. Instead, the company simply receives the carton flats already coated from Tenneco Packaging and runs them on its existing Sasib Clybourn cartoning equipment.
Another plus for RepelKote coated cartons that attracted AlfaPet is their higher level of protection vs. bags due to their ability to address boring and seam penetrating insects. The RepelKote coated cartons also allow a window for product visibility and serve as a safer alternative than fumigants or pesticides.
Food Flavoring Additive the Secret
The active ingredient in RepelKote, methyl salicylate, is a widely used food flavoring additive, derived from plants and consumed in many everyday products, including gum, mints, candy, beverages, baked goods, mouthwash and toothpaste. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) earlier this year registered methyl salicylate for use in packaging materials for the express purpose of controlling insects that prey on stored food, animal feed and textiles.
The pesticide is a much more environmentally friendly and safer option than insecticide and fumigant alternatives, which can be toxic and may deplete the ozone layer. Moreover, the ingredient is added to the coating process off-line, inexpensively, and does not come in contact with the packaged product. Applied on the outside of the carton, RepelKote coating has no odor and is undetectable to humans.
EPA registered the first two packaging products to contain methyl salicylate — the RepelKote products from Tenneco — in May of this year. The products were the first to undergo a new, streamlined registration process whereby the "inert" (or non-pesticidal) ingredients in the packaging did not require "tolerances" (residue limits set by EPA) since these ingredients were already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for food packaging.
Proven Effective Against Infestation
RepelKote treated cartons meet requirements for direct food contact and have been proven effective against infestation through independent laboratory studies. Figure 1 shows the results of a university/government study, depicting accelerated laboratory invasion testing results. Infestation is eliminated in RepelKote coated folding carton packaged products.
Click here to see Figure 1.
In Figure 2, the results of a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture test show RepelKote's effectiveness in accelerated warehouse simulation testing. Again, infestation is eliminated.
Click here to see Figure 2.
According to the USDA, more than a quarter of all food produced in the United States is wasted — some 100 billion pounds annually — due to a variety of factors including insect infestation. Infestation in packaged goods usually occurs after a product has left the manufacturer during warehousing, transportation, retail or consumer storage. Yet producers typically are blamed for package infestation.
In addition to dry pet foods, products well suited for RepelKote treated cartons include bake mixes, dry cereals, pasta, rice, flour and textiles.
For more information: Tenneco Packaging, Folding Carton Group, 3W-730, 1900 W. Field Court, Lake Forest, IL, Tel: 800-655-3262. Sasib Packaging North America, Clybourn, Tel: 630-983-7630.