BAGS-IN-BAG PACKAGING SYSTEM

Abstract

The present invention relates to a bags-in-bag packaging system, wherein the inner bags (2) are made of biodegradable and/or compostable packaging material. Good storage stability and long shelf-life is achieved even if the inner bags (2) enclose an oxidable compound such as vitamin A. The inner bags (2) are preferably single-serve sachets comprising sufficient vitamins and minerals for effectively fight micronutrient deficiency.

Claims

1. Outer bag having a plurality of inner bags sealed therein, wherein said inner bags are made of biodegradable and/or compostable packaging material, and wherein each of said inner bags has at least one oxidable compound sealed therein.

2. Outer bag according to claim 1, wherein said outer bag is made of packaging material having an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of less than 1 cm.sup.3/cm.sup.2 for 24 hours at 23 C. and 50% relative humidity and/or wherein said outer bag is made of packaging material having a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of less than 1 g/m.sup.2 for 24 hours at 38 C. and 90% relative humidity.

3. Outer bag according to claim 1, wherein said outer bag comprises at least 10, preferably at least 50 inner bags and/or wherein the ratio between the weight of the empty outer bag and the total weight of the empty inner bags is less than 2:1 and is preferably from 1:1 to 1:50.

4. Outer bag according to claim 1, wherein the air in said outer bag comprises less than 10 vol.-%, preferably less than 5 vol.-% oxygen gas and/or wherein each of said inner bags comprises less than 10 vol.-%, preferably less than 5 vol.-% oxygen gas.

5. Outer bag according to claim 1, wherein said outer bag is reusable, recyclable, and/or resealable, preferably by using a portable sealing machine.

6. Plurality of bags, wherein each of said bags is made of biodegradable and/or compostable packaging material, and wherein each of said bags has multiple extrudates sealed therein, said extrudates comprising at least one oxidable compound such as vitamin A or an ester of vitamin A.

7. Plurality of bags according to claim 6, wherein 2.7 g of said extrudates have a volume of less than 10 cm.sup.3, preferably of less than 5 cm.sup.3.

8. Plurality of bags according to claim 6, wherein each bag contains at least 80% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) of at least three, preferably at least four and most preferably at least five vitamins, and at least three, preferably at least four and most preferably at least five minerals, wherein said recommended daily intake (RDI) is the RDI for infants, children or adults according to the dietary guidelines by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, said guidelines being in force on Jan. 1, 2018.

9. Outer bag according to claim 1, wherein said inner bags are made of biodegradable and/or compostable packaging material, and wherein each of said bags has multiple extrudates sealed therein, said extrudates comprising at least one oxidable compound such as vitamin A or an ester of vitamin A.

10. Use of biodegradable and/or compostable packaging material for manufacturing a plurality of bags, wherein said plurality of bags is sealed in an outer bag.

11. Use according to claim 10, wherein said biodegradable and/or compostable packaging material comprises modified or unmodified polylactic acid (PLA) such as paper coated with PLA.

12. Use according to claim 10, wherein said plurality of bags are made of biodegradable and/or compostable packaging material, and wherein each of said bags has multiple extrudates sealed therein, said extrudates comprising at least one oxidable compound such as vitamin A or an ester of vitamin A.

13. Method for packaging at least one oxidable compound, said method comprising the steps: filling a plurality of inner bags in an outer bag and optionally purging said outer bag with a protective gas sealing said outer bag wherein said inner bags are made of biodegradable and/or compostable packaging material and wherein each of said inner bags has at least one oxidable compound sealed therein.

14. Method according to claim 13, wherein each of said plurality of inner bags has multiple extrudates sealed therein, said extrudates comprising at least one oxidable compound such as vitamin A or an ester of vitamin A.

Description

[0052] FIG. 1 shows schematically an example of the present invention. Outer bag (1) comprises eight inner bags (2). Each of the inner bags (2) encloses two extrudates (3), each of said extrudates comprising at least one oxidable compound (not shown in FIG. 1). Outer bag (1) encloses inner bags (2) and a protective gas (5) such as nitrogen. This also applies to the plurality of inner bags: each inner bag (2) encloses extrudates (3) and protective gas (4), such as nitrogen. Inner bags (2) are made of biodegradable and/or compostable packaging material. Outer bag (1) may be reusable, recycle or resealable.

OUTER BAG

[0053] Shelf-life of the packaging system of the invention is particularly long if the outer bag is made of packaging material which has a low oxygen transmission rate (OTR) and/or a low water vapor transmission rate (WVTR). In a preferred embodiment, said packaging material has both, a low OTR and a low WVTR. In the most preferred embodiment, the outer bag is made of packaging material having the status total barrier.

[0054] Packaging material having the status of total barrier is completely impermeable to water and oxygen. An example of such a material is aluminum foil (if free of pinholes). Thus, any material performing as good as or better than pinhole free aluminum foil when applying the Whole bag method for determining oxygen transmission rate can be used (Moyls, A. L., Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, January 2004, 47(1):159-164) is considered as having that status total barrier.

[0055] In one embodiment of the invention, the outer bag of the invention is made of packaging material having an oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of less than 1, preferably less than 0.5 cm.sup.3/cm.sup.2 for 24 hours at 23 C. and 0% relative humidity (RH; dry conditions) and/or having a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of less than 1, preferably less than 0.5 g/m.sup.2 for 24 hours at 38 C. and 90% relative humidity.

[0056] Oxygen permeability testing is preferably made in accordance with ASTM D-3985 e.g. by using MOCON OX-TRAN 2/21 equipment.

[0057] Water vapor transmission rate testing is preferably made in accordance with ASTM F1249 e.g. by using MOCON PERMATRANW 3/33.

[0058] After usage, the outer bag can be disposed. However, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the outer bag is reusable, recyclable, and/or resealable. In the most preferable embodiment, the outer bag is manually resealable or is resealable by using a portable sealing machine.

[0059] Inner Bags

[0060] The present invention also relates to an intermediate product, i.e. to bags made of biodegradable and/or compostable packaging material, wherein each of said bags encloses at least one oxidable compound such as vitamin A or an ester of vitamin A.

[0061] The finished product (i.e. the bags-in-bag packaging system of the invention) comprises a plurality of these bags. Therefore, these bags are also referred to as inner bags.

[0062] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each of said inner bags encloses multiple extrudates. In one embodiment, each of said inner bags encloses more than 200 extrudates, wherein each extrudate has a particle size from 205 m to 1000 m (measured by sieving).

[0063] The composition of each extrudate might be identical. However, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, each of said inner bags encloses different kind of extrudates. One kind of extrudate may comprise fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamin A) whereas another kind of extrudates may comprise water-soluble vitamins. A yet other kind of extrudate may comprise minerals.

[0064] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, each of said inner bags contains the recommended daily intake (RDI) of at least three, preferably at least five vitamins, and/or of at least three, preferably at least five minerals. With such a product, hidden hunger can be treated very effectively.

[0065] In the context of the present invention, the recommended daily intake (RDI) is the RDI for infants, children or adults according to the dietary guidelines by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences. From time to time, said guidelines are being updated. In the context of the present invention, the version which was in force on Jan. 1, 2018 is meant.

[0066] The person skilled in the art understands that a certain deviation from the recommended daily intake (RDI) is acceptable. Thus, the present invention also relates to a plurality of bags, wherein each bag contains at least 80% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) of [0067] at least three, preferably at least four and most preferably at least five vitamins, and [0068] at least three, preferably at least four and most preferably at least five minerals,

[0069] wherein said recommended daily intake (RDI) is the RDI for infants, children or adults according to the dietary guidelines by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, said guidelines being in force on Jan. 1, 2018.

[0070] Presently available products for fighting hidden hunger in sub-Saharan Africa contain vitamin powder. The advantage of using extrudates instead of a powder is a reduction in volume. Conventional powders containing the recommended daily intake (RDI) of A, E, D3, riboflavin, folic acid, C, niacinamide, B12, thiamine vitamins, iron, copper, calcium, zinc and selenium have a volume of up to 10 cm.sup.3.

[0071] In contrast, extrudates containing the recommended daily intake (RDI) of vitamins A, E, D3, riboflavin, folic acid, C, niacinamide, B12, thiamine vitamins, iron, copper, calcium, zinc and selenium have a volume of less than 1 cm.sup.3. This volume reduction allows to reduce the amount of packaging by at least 50% (cf. example). Such extrudates can be manufactured as disclosed in WO 2017/060320.

[0072] Thus, the present invention also relates to a plurality of bags, wherein each of said bags encloses multiple extrudates, and wherein 2.7 g of said extrudates have a volume of less than 10 cm.sup.3, preferably of less than 5 cm.sup.3. Comparable products currently available on the market contain approx. 8 g powder.

[0073] Synergism

[0074] Hidden hunger is fought in the most sustainable manner if extrudates having a small volume are packaged in the bags-in-bag packaging system of the present invention: less packaging waste is produced and what is produced is either biodegradable/compostable or reusable/recyclable.

Example 1 (Bags-in-Bag Packaging System)

[0075] Oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of several 3D samples (i.e. bags) were evaluated by the Standard Test Method ASTM D3985 at 23 C. and 0% RH (dry conditions). The 3D samples were mounted on a sample holder specific for 3D samples. After a conditioning step of 24 hours, the measurement phase took place at a carrier gas flux of 70 mL/min (low conditioning).

[0076] As a result of this evaluation, an outer bag having an oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR) of less than 0.5 cm.sup.3/cm.sup.2 was chosen (supplier A. Hatzopoulos, S. A. Greece).

[0077] In a second step, compositions comprising oxidable vitamin A were packed in various biodegradable and/or compostable bags (commercially available). Experiments showed that none of the tested packaging material allows to manufacture a product with sufficient shelf-life. After 6 months storage under controlled conditions, less than 50% of the original amount of vitamin A was recoverable when using commercially available biodegradable and/or compostable bags (no MAP). Using a Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP; e.g. nitrogen gas) improved per se stability, but not to a sufficient degree.

[0078] To improve stability, the oxidable compounds are packed in biodegradable and/or compostable bags (preferably MAP). Multiple of said biodegradable and/or compostable bags are then packed into an outer bag having an oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR) of less than 0.5 cm.sup.3/cm.sup.2 (preferably also MAP).

Example 2 (Optimization of Inner Bag)

[0079] The volume of daily portion of commercially available MixMe (supplier: DSM

[0080] Nutritional Products) has been measured. MixMe is a conventional micronutrient powder (i.e. no extrudates).

[0081] As a comparison, the volume of daily portion of an improved version of MixMe has been measured. Said daily portion comprises the same amount of micronutrients as in the daily portion of commercially available MixMe. Such extrudates can be manufactured as disclosed in WO 2017/060320.

[0082] Because the improved version of MixMe is made of extrudates instead of powders, a significant volume reduction could be achieved. Said volume reduction allowed to reduce the amount of packaging. Details are given in below table:

TABLE-US-00001 Volume of a daily Volume of a daily portion MixMe portion improved (powder) MixMe (extrudates) 1.3 cm.sup.3 0.22 cm.sup.3 given surface-to-volume ratio.sup.1) = 25 cm.sup.1 Packaging material in Packaging material in cm.sup.2 for daily cm.sup.2 for daily portion MixMe portion improved MixMe 25 cm.sup.1 .Math. 25 cm.sup.1 .Math. 1.32 cm.sup.3 = 33 cm.sup.2 0.22 cm.sup.3 = 5.5 cm.sup.2 .sup.1)The surface-to-volume ratio depends on the shape of the packaging (cube, sphere, cone etc.) A lower surface-to-volume ratio means that packaging is more efficient: it takes less packaging material to hold just as much stuff.

[0083] Thus, the measured volume reduction of 6 times led up to 83% less packaging.

Example 3 (Optimization of Bags-in-Bag Packaging System)

[0084] The inner bags of the invention's bags-in-bag packaging system are made of biodegradable packaging material whereas the outer bag's packaging material typically contains an aluminum layer to reach the status total barrier. Littering of biodegradable packaging material is doing less damage than littering of aluminum. Aluminum is not degrading over time.

[0085] Thus, to get a sustainable packaging system, the ratio between the weight of the empty outer bag and the total weight of the empty inner bags should be as small as possible.

[0086] To improve sustainability, the following optimization has been considered:

TABLE-US-00002 Weight of the 12 g Weight of 1 empty 0.3 g outer empty bag inner bag Weight of 10 empty 3 g inner bags Weight of 100 empty 30 g inner bags Impact of littering Packaging 1 outer 12 g non- ratio between 12 g:0.3 g = high system 1 bag biodegradable the weight of the 40:1 packaging material empty outer bag 1 inner 0.3 g biodegradable and the total bag packaging material weight of the empty inner bags Packaging 1 outer 12 g non- ratio between 12 g:3 g = medium system 2 bag biodegradable the weight of the 4:1 packaging material empty outer bag 10 inner 3 g biodegradable and the total bags packaging material weight of the empty inner bags Packaging 1 outer 12 g non- ratio between 12 g:30 g = low system 3 bag biodegradable the weight of the 0.4:1 packaging material empty outer bag 100 inner 30 g biodegradable and the total bags packaging material weight of the empty inner bags

[0087] Example 3 shows that harmful littering can be reduced when more inner (biodegradable) bags are put into the outer (non-biodegradable) bag.

[0088] To do so, the inner bags must be small. Smaller bags are achievable when the composition to be packaged requires less volume. Less volume can be achieved by manufacturing extrudates instead of powders (cf. example 2).