UPM, Ingredion and Paramelt Launch Starch-Based Barrier Paper Packaging Prototype
- On October 21, 2026, UPM, Ingredion and Paramelt showcased their jointly developed starch-based barrier recyclable paper packaging prototype at Pack‑Expo in Chicago.
- The solution uses a plant-based starch barrier layer and a bio-based heat seal coating, has passed first-stage recyclability testing at Western Michigan University, and has completed grease resistance validation for PFAS-free paper-based food packaging.
- The composite structure combines 78 gsm UPM Solide Lucent and 65 gsm Asendo specialty papers with Ingredion’s starch barrier technology and Paramelt’s bio-based heat seal barrier coating to address conventional paper’s oil-resistance gap while retaining recyclability.
- Tetra Pak’s Tetra Recart retort-resistant carton is already commercially available and mass-produced for wet foods, whereas the starch-based solution remains at prototype stage and targets barrier needs for oil-containing foods.
- An Avebe representative noted that fluorine-free barrier materials still face hurdles in grease resistance, processing compatibility, food-contact compliance and cost for large-scale commercialization.
On October 21, 2026, UPM, Ingredion and Paramelt jointly developed a starch-based barrier recyclable paper packaging prototype, which was showcased at the Pack‑Expo international packaging exhibition in Chicago. The solution features a plant-based starch barrier layer and a bio-based heat seal coating, and has passed the first stage of recyclability testing at Western Michigan University in the United States, while also completing grease resistance performance validation, offering a new direction for PFAS-free paper-based food packaging.
This composite packaging structure combines the strengths of all three parties: the substrate uses UPM Solide Lucent 78 gsm and Asendo 65 gsm specialty papers, paired with Ingredion's starch barrier technology and Paramelt's bio-based heat seal barrier coating, aiming to address the oil resistance shortcomings of traditional paper packaging while retaining recyclability.
UPM stated that the expansion of the paper packaging sector cannot be achieved without collaborative innovation across the entire industry chain, and that complementary technologies from multiple parties can continuously broaden the application scenarios of paper-based materials in the global food sector. Ingredion's representative also noted that cross-company cooperation can accelerate the industrialization of renewable fiber packaging.
The industry is generally focused on the development of fluorine-free barrier materials, but Avebe's relevant representative pointed out that grease resistance, processing compatibility, food-contact compliance and cost remain the difficult hurdles that such new materials must overcome for large-scale implementation. It is worth noting that in the same sector there is already the commercially available Tetra Pak Tetra Recart retort-resistant carton; the two form differentiated routes: the latter is a mature, mass-produced retort paper container suitable for wet food products, while this starch-based solution is still at the prototype stage, focusing on the paper packaging barrier requirements of oil-containing foods.
(Source: Web)
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