FDBusiness.com

UK-based product and process development firm Sirane’s smell-absorbing technology could help office egg-eaters be better tolerated by their colleagues.

Like certain packaged meats, eggs become odorous under confinement, producing a characteristic smell when released from their packaging. Sirane’s vac-packed lamb odour absorption patch has now prompted the creation of a one-off snack egg product, free of the kind of smells that could damage office friendships.

The Original Egg Company’s Snack Egg production comprises of an entire hard-boiled egg aimed at fast-paced office workers. Launched in August 2013, the Snack Egg is now being stocked by Waitrose and other retail agreements are also in prospect.

Thanks to a tailored, state-of-the-art packing machine, these eggs get packaged just minutes after they’ve been cooked, maximising their shelf residency as much as possible.

ODOUR ABSORBENT PACKAGING

Sirane’s odour absorbent packaging was recently put through its paces in trials carried out by a leading UK supermarket. Vacuum-packed meat products equipped with the technology were returned nine per cent less often by consumers, the study results showed.

“Although vacuum packaging is an effective way to provide shelf life at low cost, the odour released from the pack when it is opened has proven to be a major obstacle to its acceptance in the market”, explained the managing director of Sirane, Simon Balderson.

He continued: “The odour, known as ‘confinement odour’, is sometimes compared to that of sour milk or cheese. On occasions, particularly for meat with higher pH, the odour can be sulphurous. Although the odour does not indicate that the meat is unsuitable for consumption, consumers are understandably alarmed and often return the product to the retailer.

“Packaged eggs suffer exactly same the same problem – confinement odour. It’s great that in solving a problem within the lamb trade we’ve also managed to help out those people who want to open up eggs for lunch without upsetting colleagues.”