DUNCAN, S.C. (April 21, 2003) - Designed for vacuum packaging fresh seafood products, the new Cryovac® HP2700 bag, also known as the Cryovac® 10K OTR bag, is highly permeable and has a guaranteed oxygen transmission rate (OTR) greater than 10,000 cc/m²/24 hours, which complies with the Food and Drug Administration’s permeability rate guidelines for vacuum packaged fresh fish.

Developed by Sealed Air, a worldwide leader in fresh food packaging, the 10K OTR bag will be printed with the "Cryovac® 10K OTR" logo to serve as an alert to inspectors throughout the retail or foodservice distribution system that the package oxygen permeability meets FDA guidelines, which may help the seafood product avoid unnecessary and costly distribution delays.

The Cryovac® 10K OTR bag for fresh fin fish enables the product to be chilled quickly with an ice brine solution after packaging. The faster cooling of the seafood may enable the processor to ship the product at the lowest possible fresh temperature - which equates to reduced quantities of wet ice needed to maintain the temperature. For seafood processors, this could mean reduced package weights and reduced shipping costs.

Designed for easy heat-sealing with commercially available equipment, the bag’s high shrinking material provides a skin-tight, oxygen permeable barrier to preserve freshness. The leak-resistant bags retain any product purge, virtually eliminating the risk of underweight packages. The Cryovac® 10K OTR bag also has superior clarity and can be custom printed on one side with a variety of standard print options.

Available in a variety of sizes, the Cryovac® 10K OTR bag can hold fresh fish in two-, five- or ten-pound packages. This enables seafood retailers to display only the amount of fresh fish needed to fill the retail case, helping to reduce shrink.

The Cryovac® 10K OTR bag is ideal for packaging large fin fish portions such as tuna, loins, mahi sides and sea bass fillets. It also is effective with bulk fillets such as salmon, catfish, cod, flounder and tilapia.

For more information about the Cryovac® 10K OTR bag, e-mail cryovac.mkt@sealedair.com.