ULMA Packaging develops packaging solution for whole chicken

The poultry sector sees an increase in the demand for more sustainable packaging and safer products, which is currently the norm in all sectors; this is specifically what Tight-Chicken offers, ULMA Packaging's latest innovative development, which ensures that chickens arrive at stores perfectly packaged.

According to the company, Tight-Chicken ensures that the bag fits the product like a second skin, eliminating the risk of leaks and ensuring that the product arrives at stores according to the applicable hygiene regulations. Thanks to this innovative solution, developed using vertical wrapper machines, ULMA Packaging offers a system based on the Tight-Bag concept to its customers in the poultry sector; this system extracts air with no need for perforating the packaging, reducing the amount of plastic used, cutting the cost of labor and achieving a safer and more appealing product, it said.

Appealing product with an impeccable finish

Tight-Chicken claims to offer very appealing packaging with an impeccable finish. It is a leak-proof solution that guarantees compliance with the applicable hygiene regulations for fresh, frozen, or marinated chickens and chickens injected with sauce.

Optimization of the packaging process

With regards to processing the products, ULMA Packaging's Tight-Chicken packaging solution offers clear advantages. It reduces the packaging surface area and the number of staff required and reduces the time and cost of freezing products. The product can be loaded automatically or semi-automatically.

No unpleasant smells or contaminating liquids

In addition, ULMA's packaging system guarantees compliance with the hygiene regulations and the optimum conditions, from the distribution chain to the store and until it arrives at consumers' homes. All with no unpleasant smells and with no contaminating liquid leaks, it claimed.

More sustainable packaging that maintains the product's weight

In addition to cutting the cost of labor, packaging chickens with Tight-Chicken allows the company to do away with metal clips and reduce the amount of plastic used compared to traditional packaging solutions. ULMA's innovative solution guarantees that the product's weight remains unchanged, ensuring that its sale price remains the same and that it does not need to be packaged again at the point of sale.

Production of up to 35 packages in a minute

The Tight-Chicken packaging solution is based on Tight-Bag technology. It is available on ULMA's VTI 400, VTI 500, and VTI 600 vertical wrappers. Products can be packaged in hot air and water shrink-wrapping tunnels or simply a hot air shrink-wrapping tunnel. Polyolefin shrink wrap is used as the packaging material, and up to 35 packages can be produced in one minute.

Semi-automatic or automatic packaging process

According to the company, the packaging process can be synchronized with the chicken conveyor belt, using a fully automatic system or a semi-automatic system with manual loading.

Pillow pack and pillow pack+Tight-Bag

Tight-Chicken is ULMA Packaging's latest development for the poultry sector, but it's not the only one. The pillow pack presentation in vertical wrappers for whole chickens is another packaging option, similar to what the company currently offers with its horizontal wrappers. It is suitable for fresh and frozen products and is offered as a laminated film or LDPE, with or without gas, as in the Tight-Chicken solution. The production rate is up to 40 packages in a minute.

The pillow pack+Tight-Bag solution ensures a tight fit of the product's packaging since the air is extracted from the inside of the package. The two other options are suitable for fresh and frozen products, and the same types of film can be used.

A poultry product's success depends on its quality, and a very appealing presentation and perfect preservation are a must when the product arrives at stores. ULMA offers a huge range of flexible packaging solutions for chicken, turkey, and any poultry or poultry products, such as eggs, pâtés, cold cuts, cured duck breast, chicken hamburgers or skewers, among other products.

ULMA's full range of solutions for the poultry sector caters to all needs, from handling and loading the product, packing in boxes and final palletizing, and, obviously, packaging, with the option of choosing from stretch film, flow pack, thermoforming, traysealing and vertical.