SABIC, Mars Petcare and Huhtamaki Extend Collaboration to Wet Pet Food Packaging

SABIC, Mars Petcare and Huhtamaki have now extended their successful collaboration in pet food packaging using certified circular PP from SABIC’s Trucircle portfolio for the production of innovative packaging for the leading cat food Sheba brand. Mars Petcare has adopted a flexible film structure with SABIC PP BCT18F impact copolymer for retort pouches that are used in the packaging of the Sheba wet pet food products. The multi-layer film is manufactured by Huhtamaki, a key global supplier of sustainable packaging solutions to customers around the world.

The new wet pet food retort pouch solution continues the partners’ efforts to support a circular economy by incorporating advanced recycled content in pet food packaging. One of the most critical issues to overcome for the joint development team were the technical challenges involved in receiving approval for the complex new packaging structure. Wet food retort packaging is associated with demanding thermal processing conditions to ensure the highest food quality and help Mars Petcare achieve its purpose of creating a better world for pets. By using material from a recycled source under the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS program, it proves that under even the most challenging of packaging processed, recycled content can be safe and a reality for the future.

Huhtamaki uses the certified circular polymer as a phthalate-free and gel-controlled film layer, which lends the flexible pouches high impact strength and puncture resistance even at low temperatures down to -20°C. For wet food packaging, the pouches must also be capable of withstanding a retort temperature of 135°C for 60 minutes. Even higher thermal resistance of up to 160°C may be needed in freezer-to-oven applications.

SABIC’s certified circular polymers form part of the company’s Trucircle portfolio and services for circular solutions. The offering also includes design for recyclability, mechanically recycled products, certified renewable polymers from bio-based feedstock and closed loop initiatives to recycle plastic back into high quality applications and help prevent valuable used plastics from becoming waste.