The National Restaurant Association Show 2023, held at McCormick Place in Chicago from May 20th to 23rd, 2023, is the premier platform for showcasing foodservice innovation and inspiration worldwide. With over 2000 exhibitors and a substantial number of visitors, this grand event covers a wide range of product categories, offering state-of-the-art solutions for the food and beverage industry.

YUTOECO, a subsidiary brand of the renowned packaging company YUTO, is dedicated to sustainable packaging solutions. At this exhibition, we proudly showcased our latest innovations in catering packaging, encompassing a wide range of sectors, including fresh food, take-out, coffee, baking, and retail. Additionally, we presented eco-friendly outer packaging solutions tailored specifically for food brands, helping them better achieve their sustainability objectives and strengthen their brand identity.

PFAS-free solutions

Molded pulp packaging has emerged as the preferred choice for merchants and consumers due to its environmentally friendly attributes. To enhance the grease resistance of molded fiber packaging, the market has introduced fluorine greaseproof agents, enabling it to achieve excellent greaseproof performance. However, PFAS, known as the "forever chemical" due to its non-degradability, poses risks to human health. According to a consumer report in August 2020, substances containing PFAS can persist in the human body for extended periods. During this exhibition, YUTOECO also showcased several PFAS-free solutions that we currently utilize, including additives in the pulp, and surface treatments (coating, lamination), which can provide customers with diversified PFAS-free alternatives.

Fresh food solutions

In terms of fresh food packaging, achieving high barrier performance is crucial. Traditional plant fiber packaging, unfortunately, struggles to meet this demand. Consequently, plastic trays have been widely used in the market. In an effort to reduce plastic usage, YUTOECO has replaced plastic trays with molded pulp trays as the primary component of fresh food packaging. These trays are enhanced with a thin layer of high-barrier EVOH film, significantly reducing plastic consumption by up to 90%. This innovative approach not only addresses sustainability concerns but also ensures long-lasting freshness for food.  In addition, we have collaborated with our clients to develop recyclable paper-based materials as an alternative to plastic for fresh food packaging. After use, the paper tray can be easily separated from the plastic film, facilitating recycling.

Coffee & Baking solutions

During this exhibition, YUTOECO showcased its cutting-edge eco-friendly solutions for coffee and baking. When it comes to baking products, achieving visibility for the inner food often requires the use of transparent plastic lids. However, YUTOECO has introduced a revolutionary alternative with Its newly developed cellulose film. Made from 100% plant fibers, this film is completely free of fossil-based plastics and can naturally degrade over time while maintaining transparency. Additionally, YUTOECO offers an eco-friendly plant fiber solution as a sustainable substitute for traditional plastic coffee capsules.

In addition to the diverse solutions provided for various applications mentioned above, we can also offer customized services based on customer requirements to fully meet their individualized needs. For outer food packaging, we can create various structural designs and surface treatments, such as box shapes resembling the Earth or rice grains, to better convey our clients' brand and product concepts.

The National Restaurant Association Show 2023 has ended, but YUTOECO's research and innovation in eco-friendly packaging will not stop. In the future, YUTOECO will continue to make breakthroughs and provide a greater variety of advanced eco-friendly packaging solutions for various consumer goods and food & beverage brands. We look forward to seeing you next time!