for more information about stanelco click on the links.

driver's research page link
http://www.moneyam.com/InvestorsRoom/posts.php?tid=7681#lastread
website link
http://www.stanelco.co.uk/index.htm

Hi Alan,

It appears there are plenty of snippets out there but as you say the silence re solid news is deafening.

Greek.

Even my imaginary friend has adopted the old adage of when there is nowt to say - say nowt.
I have approached Asda asking what exactly they mean by green bin friendly, approached him asking if SEO were still getting the contracts for Asda packaging as he told me they were and approached SEO asking what the hell is going on.
My friend was the only one with the decency to reply and all he could say was he was perplexed by the lengthened timescales because nothing he was aware of had changed.
Alan

Not sure if anyone posted this from the Proseal website:

http://www.prosealuk.com/news_2006_005.php

Trays' success is effectively sealed
RELEASE REF: PRO/2006/005
ISSUE DATE: 3 July 2006

Special contribution for Food Magazine................................
......................
.....The environmental debate also poses a challenge to current heat-sealing technologies. When two different plastics are sealed together (for example polyethylene film onto a polyester tray) the materials need to be laminated first for the sealing to be effective. This makes the materials - notably the skeletal waste - non-recyclable.

Another potential problem for traditional heat sealing methods is that any contamination that gets into the seal can prevent the pack from being closed properly, thus affecting the shelf life of the product and possibly meaning the food is wasted or goes off before its sell-by date. This is a particular problem for products with a high sauce content or where the ingredients include very small items.

Tray sealing manufacturers have therefore been working on the next stage of technology that can address these problems, using Radio Frequency (RF). In our case, we have been working with Stanelco PLC, the RF applications group, in the development of a new RF sealing machine.

Radio Frequency heating works by changing the molecular structure of the materials that are being welded, causing the materials to be heated from the inside out. The technology allows the same material to be used for either a weld seal or a peel seal and with no water-cooling or cooling period required, tool changes can be effected very quickly.

This technology offers an important extension to existing equipment, in particular providing a more effective sealing solution for applications in which the potential for seal contamination is rife and where traditional sealing machines are therefore less effective.

Another benefit of RF heating is that, since it can weld together different materials without the need for lamination, any skeletal waste can be 100% re-used.

As with any emerging technology, RF is still relatively new and further development work will take place in the coming months and years to refine the systems and bring a range of machines to the commercial market. The technology may not be right or appropriate for every application but it will have a valuable role to play alongside traditional heat-sealing systems.

Clearly in an ever developing and increasingly demanding food industry, tray sealing has the flexibility and technology to meet a myriad of requirements. From retailer demands for effective pack presentation and increased product quality to manufacturers' needs for fast, efficient throughput, extended shelf life and reliable seals, tray sealing is proving itself very much a packaging process for today - and tomorrow.

Garyble.

Great find. New to me. Posts and links like that bring me out of my hibernation!

"...further development work will take place in the coming months and years.." sums up where we are.

It took TetraPak nearly 20 years to refine their invention to be the product we now know and the success we recognise. Remember those triangular milk cartons sold in machines in the 60s? They always leaked on the car floor while going home in a haze of exotic smoke and trance from the love in/orgy or whatever you did in those days. I can't exactly remember - proving I was there doing it ;-)

I don't think we will have to wait as long, but remember it takes giant corporations such as CocaCola, McDonalds etc years to change it's products and their design and presentation. Much the same for lesser outfits seeking similar World domination in their respective fields - including food processors and retailers.

As with most emerging, revolutionary new products/processes, I expect no quick "whizz bang" announcements but steady progress.

I believe the coming 12 months will reveal the true future worth of SEO.

And I am highly optimistic.

Sorry if you chaps have seen this before, but too good to leave.
From 'notyetbankrupt' 3i site.

http://www.meatnews.com/mp2/northamerican/index.cfm?artNum=928
We are near the bottom of the page.

Nice find Patsear but it looks as though the author is getting his information from old news releases(the article is dated 20/1 /07),or are the retrofits of 100 machines still on the cards once the trials are finished succesfully whenever that might be?Having heard nothing to the contrary I am going to assume yes,but it's all taking so bloody long!Might try to contact him on Monday if I have time to see if he knows anything we don't and find out where he researched the article.Maestro where's this imminent news then?

Mad Pad

Sorry, but I'm in the dark as much as you, but reading it is helping me get over my hangover.[A little excitement].
Yeah I know, a lonely, desperate poor man, who gets excited by snippets of news about SEO.
BUT, always thinking of positive times ahead.

This does appear to be a re-relase of an article written in 10/05 and I can't understand why the page is dated 1/07 ?

Bottom line Tony is that they only have 12 months, if they cant crack it in that time then they are doomed.

Patisear & MP,

I'd bet the date is simply a "current date" stamp.

Tony,

Nice to see an OEM seriously commenting on GS and its development etc, though I am concerned about the time it has taken.

quote tonyrelaxes : "I can't exactly remember - proving I was there doing it ;-)"
excellent tony !

I hope this is not another false dawn but it appears we are in bed with Sainsburys at last GM or no GM!See post 79194 on dark side and follow link to Sainsburys website.

The article on the dark side is from the Sainsbury archive material which you access by clicking on their web site.

I checked it out and it appears to be old news - archive - and not current.

Sorry.

To clarify:

In the archive section it is under:

Sainsburys develop edible packaging

This is not new news and as we have not heard anything since it would appear it was not taken any further - but I hope I am wrong because it sounds great to me!!

Pinn ,then they should at least date it and not refer to a "recent example".Oct 2005 is not recent to me .Oh well back to bed.

GOING STRATOSPHERIC TOMORO....THIS IS VERY RECENT NEWS

Sainsbury's Develops Edible PackagingSainsbury's is always looking at new ways of packaging foods to provide better, more environmentally friendly alternatives for its customers.
A recent example is our work with technology specialist Stanelco Plc and the development of an edible starch packaging, made solely from natural and biodegradable substances, that is set not only to minimise packaging but also provides Sainsbury's customers with 100% product and no wastage.
This innovation will mean that the potato starch packaging becomes an ingredient along with its contents, be it a dried soup or a three-course meal. In fact the ability to flavour the starch with herbs or spices is a new means by which to enhance product flavour as well as package it. The applications for easily prepared, convenient food are endless but fundamentally this is an environmental milestone in an area renowned for its wastefulness.
The search for an alternative to gelatine capsules, following the BSE scare, brought starch into the frame as a viable alternative for an edible packaging that would be safe and easy to absorb. The success of starch in this instance highlighted the greater possibilities for food packaging in general.
Edible packaging is a great alternative for people who don't want the hassle of preparing a snack or meal, or for those who simply don't have the time. It's also good for those who want a convenient way of taking food to work or, for example, on a camping trip, as it requires little preparation. But its most important feature is that it has none of the problems associated with conventional packaging no more one-use wrappers that sit in landfills for years before they start to perish.

Maestro,

Calm down - this IS OLD NEWS NOT NEW-DO YOU UNDERSTAND?

It would be great if it had been news and IF IT HAD then the price would have started going up on friday - but it did not.

So, back to reality.

NO I don't understand...this is the first time i have seen it so it must be very recent news...mms obviously caught napping

OK:

Go to the Sainsbury web-site and look for Sainsbury Edible packaging under ARCHIVE!

You will then see that this is OLD news and not NEW.

I wish I was wrong - sorry.

It is old news, but more recent news includes (a few months ago) Andy Bond of Asda inviting Sainsburys to work with Asda on environmental initiatives and (last week or so) Asda and Sainsburys investigating sharing supply chain logistics, starting with joint warehousing and possibly delivery.
They are working closely.
Alan