Pliant Corp. Develops a Category-Defying Bread Bag Prototype

An international bread bakery had a pretty specific idea of what they wanted to achieve with a new shiny bread bag with a specific silver effect. This square-bottomed, colorful, and shiny bread bag would break out of the category's tired conventions and make an immediate impact on grocers' shelves.

The technology behind this silver metallic bread bag prototype is now available commercially in the U.S.

The baker knew their unique request would require great technical know-how, so they sought out Pliant Corporation, a Schaumburg, IL, company that is a leader in film technology and innovations. Packaging bread is a challenge because bread must be in thin film with good clarity and print properties that also has the right "slip" properties, and metallizing this film created even greater challenges.

Paul Georgelos, technical director at Pliant, explains: "This has required a range of specialized technologies to overcome the issues involved with the process, including metallization, film formulation, package performance, ink color, ink adherence, and the unique heat sealing of the bags." Pliant worked closely with their client to refine the colors exactly the way they wanted. The chemistry of the inks interacting with the film is an art learned only with trial and error, but an art that Pliant's metallizer partner had considerable experience with. "You have to grasp the technical aspects of the ink, so that it bonds properly, and is a color match," says Georgelos. "In addition, it's difficult to get a uniform layer of aluminum on a thin film because there are also variations in the film."

Considerable R&D effort went into getting the proper optical density and the right kind of brilliance and reflectivity to get that silver to look just right. The new film actually ended up being stiffer and stronger, and the properties of the base film allow it to run on a faster production line. Few bread manufacturers have ever dared to go against the prevailing wisdom when it comes to bread bags. This wisdom generally favors mostly clear bags, avoids metallic accents of any kind, and avoids any angles or sharp corners. The new film bag breaks all those rules for bakeries hoping to get a jump on the competition.