Vacuum Packaging Saves Energy and Space

A key factor in achieving this balance is the choice of appropriate packaging. In this regard, vacuum packaging offers significant advantages. Companies in the bakery and food industries face the challenge of producing high-quality, additive-free foods with maximum freshness, while also ensuring sustainable and economical production processes.

With the upcoming enforcement of the new European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), increasing attention is being paid to sustainability — including in the packaging of bread, rolls, and other baked goods. Vacuum film and vacuum pouches are at the core of modern packaging solutions, enabling extended shelf life, product protection, and resource optimization.

Schubert Group

The Schubert Group, for example, has decades of experience in food packaging. The family-owned company, based in Crailsheim, relies on a combination of simplified mechanical systems, intelligent control technology, and modularity in its digital, robotic packaging machines. Through its Schubert Consulting division and the newly established Packaging Competence Center (PCC), the company applies an interdisciplinary approach to sustainability. Experts discuss materials and technologies — including their automation — in the context of regulatory requirements and market dynamics.

Schubert’s Packaging Competence Center identifies key opportunities for optimizing sustainable packaging in baked goods primarily in the choice of material — with a priority on mono-material films due to their improved recyclability. At the same time, the goal is to achieve maximum efficiency in die-cutting with robotic technology. The thickness and properties of the material should, as far as possible, be compatible with existing machines.

For example, in the production of multi-pack vacuum packaging for muffins, Schubert’s experts propose a new tray design. Instead of standard trays with a separate base, the 3D mono-film is cut so that the cup openings for the muffins fold downward and serve as a stable base. This reduces the need for additional layers and leads to 40% less material usage. Moreover, the lighter vacuum packaging reduces the carbon footprint during transportation.

As part of its sustainable solutions, Schubert also presents Dotlock technology — an alternative to traditional gluing in food packaging. Instead of adhesive, a mechanical method similar to metal clinching is used, where pin-like elements join the cardboard through stable mechanical locking. The result is a fully recyclable vacuum package, also applicable in hybrid formats with mono-film.

MULTIVAC

Another leading company, MULTIVAC, based in Germany, offers the innovative Cooling@Packaging system. It combines cooling and vacuum packaging processes in a single machine. In this process, baked goods removed from the oven at around 95°C are placed directly into pre-formed vacuum pouches. A vacuum is applied in the chambers, during which the moisture from the product evaporates, and the released energy cools the product down to about 30°C within seconds.

This process not only shortens the cooling time but also eliminates the need for long cooling tunnels and additional equipment. In this way, energy and space are saved, while ensuring a high standard of hygiene and quality. The packages are sealed in the final vacuum chamber at a pressure of around 20 mbar, ensuring the tightness and durability of the vacuum packs.

Cooling@Packaging is suitable for industrial production lines and works with standard materials such as PA/PE vacuum film. The system received an award from the German Packaging Institute and is about to be launched on the market. According to MULTIVAC, the principle can be adapted to other food products as well, which further expands the technology's potential applications.

Conclusion

With innovative approaches and modern technologies based on vacuum packaging, companies in the food sector have a real opportunity to meet sustainability, cost-efficiency, and product quality requirements. Vacuum film and vacuum pouches not only protect food but also offer solutions for a cleaner and more efficient packaging future.