Yes, certainly we can help your bakery with PEAL Allergen Labelling requirements.

Along with your team, we collaborate to ensure your product packaging fully complies with the FSANZ Food Standards Code. 

At UPAC, we pride ourselves on providing innovative packaging solutions tailored to the unique needs of bakeries.

With the new PEAL (Plain English Allergen Labelling) requirements now in effect, we’re committed to helping bakeries navigate these changes seamlessly.

• Allergen information must be declared in a specific format and location on food labels.
• Simple, plain English terms in bold font must be used.

These key changes to Food labelling are designed to help people find allergen information on food labels quickly and easily, ensuring they can make safe food choices.

UPAC stands out with over 50 years of expertise in the custom plastic bag industry, characterised by:

1. An unwavering commitment to customer-centric care and communication,

2. Going the extra mile to understand our customers’ needs

3. Helping you to save time and resources in today’s fast-paced world.

Some plastic bags are printed using food-safe, solvent-based inks, particularly in a Lithographic print process application.

These are harmless but may have a slight solvent smell when new. However, if plastic bags emit a strong odour, it’s important to report this to your supplier.

You can request an investigation into the age, material or packaging hygiene of your custom-printed plastic bags.

A bottom gusset in an ice bag helps create a more stable and straight stack of packaged ice, and it also allows for better visibility of branding to customers in retail freezers.

To determine if a plastic bag is food-safe, you can look for the following indicators:

1. Material Type: Verify the type of plastic. Food-safe plastics often include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Avoid plastics that may contain harmful chemicals such as BPA or phthalates unless they are specifically labelled as BPA-free or phthalate-free.
2. Manufacturer’s Information: Check the manufacturer’s information for any claims about food safety. Reputable brands will clearly state if their products are safe for food contact.
3. Certifications: Look for certifications from reputable organizations, such as NSF International, and HACCAP which test and certify food contact materials and storage facilities.
4. Smell and Taste: If a plastic bag has a strong chemical smell or imparts a taste to the food, it might not be food-safe.
5. Food-Safe Symbol: Look for the food-safe symbol, which often looks like a wine glass and fork. This symbol indicates that the plastic is safe for food contact.
6. Purpose Labeling: Bags specifically labelled for food storage, such as sandwich bags, bakery bags, or Ice bags, are designed to be food safe.

By checking for these indicators, you can determine if a plastic bag is safe for food storage.

Yes, they can.

UPAC offers the DURAPLAS GREEN range of plastic bags, made with up to 75% recycled content in the resins. Many bags for food and high-demand applications are constructed from virgin polyethylenes and do not contain any recycled materials.

By utilising the latest plastic bag manufacturing technology, the DURAPLAS GREEN range includes recycled material while remaining food-safe, ensuring a sustainable plastic bag solution for food packaging.

Polyethylene resins are used to produce ice bags because they are durable, flexible, and water-resistant.

To enhance the properties of ice bags, manufacturers add various additives such as colourants, UV stabilizers, antioxidants, slip agents, antistatic agents, impact modifiers, fillers, and slip resistance agents.

These additives are carefully chosen and combined based on the intended use of the ice bags. This careful selection process results in strong, flexible, and environmentally-friendly ice bags.

1. Check Bag Quality: Verify the quality of the bags themselves. Ensure they are made from strong materials suitable for your application. Consider using bags with tear stoppers—small slits built into the bags during manufacture—to reinforce weak points.
2. Adjust Machine Settings: Optimize the machine settings for speed and tension. Excessive speed or tension during the loading process can cause bags to tear. Adjusting these settings can help minimize stress on the bags.
3. Inspect Equipment Regularly: Regularly inspect the wicketing machine and related equipment for wear and tear. Worn parts or misalignment can contribute to bag tearing. Keeping equipment in good condition ensures smooth operation.
4. Consider Bag Design: Evaluate if the current bag design meets your needs. Sometimes, improving the plastic strength or thickness, or modifying the bag design slightly, can enhance durability and prevent splitting.
5. Expert Assistance: Our team of bread bag specialists is available to help you resolve any issues with bag splitting. We can provide advice on optimising bag materials, machine settings, and loading techniques to ensure reliable performance.

By implementing these strategies, including the use of tear stoppers and adjusting machine settings, you can significantly reduce the risk of wicketed bread bags splitting open during loading.