Octal announces ground breaking date packaging pilot project to bolster Middle East agricultural industry at Gulfood 2012

For the second consecutive year, OCTAL will showcase its pioneering clear rigid packaging solutions for the food processing industry at Gulfood 2012 in Dubai. Gulfood is the region’s premier tradeshow for the US$ 300 billion food processing industry and an important launch pad for OCTAL’s innovative clear rigid packaging solutions. This year, OCTAL will exhibit its ground breaking pilot project for date packaging which is envisioned to transform traditional date retailing methods. 

OCTAL’s focus on PET responds to converging global trends of consumer lifestyles that increasingly demand convenience packaging and of growing needs for environmentally friendly products and improved economics throughout the packaging value chain. PET is unique in that it possesses an attractive combination of mechanical and optical properties that make it the preferred material for liquids, food, and consumer product packaging. In date packaging, OCTAL’s DPET PE Laminate Sheet with its improved barrier properties works effectively to preserve contents from deterioration while providing excellent packaging appeal especially for detailed printing designs in both Vacuum and MAP applications. 

“By understanding technological gaps and considering the evolution of preferences as a variable driving change, we have developed a superior method for revolutionizing the performance advantages of PET to lead wholesale conversion of global product lines to PET packaging and introduce next-generation applications. PET provides the necessary rigidity and clarity and at the same time offers an environmentally conscious, re-usable and visually attractive packaging solution,” said Maurice Abou Zeid, Business Manager - MENA at OCTAL. “The date packaging pilot project that is currently underway is a clear reflection of our commitment to support the agricultural industry in the Middle East. Date packaging is a 200,000 ton market in the GCC alone and through our innovations in material science we are unlocking potential and opening up a myriad of value-rich propositions for producers, retailers, consumers and the environment.” 

OCTAL is firmly positioning Oman on the world map as a leading food packaging supplier with an outward-oriented strategic vision. Its products are suited for packaging baked goods, fresh produce, meat, cheese and yogurt all of which demand superior optical qualities together with strength, flexibility and the ability to maintain form.   

The company’s unique-to-the-world technology is setting the global standard in the manufacturing of uniform high-quality packaging products. It is this technology which is the driving force behind the company and which enables OCTAL to maintain its forefront position in the world market. OCTAL’s PET resin and DPET sheet are acclaimed by international experts to have the lowest carbon footprint in the world which has attracted significant interest from food merchandizers in Asia, the United States and Europe. 

Having secured a strong foothold in international markets as a trusted and knowledgeable supplier of high-quality PET resin and DPET sheet, OCTAL remains committed to its strategic growth targets. The expansion to its existing manufacturing facilities in Salalah is scheduled for completion by May 2012 which will become the largest single-site manufacturer in the world  barring China. OCTAL’s thermoforming subsidiary, CrystalPack, is also progressing on track and stands ready to meet the Middle East’s packaging needs.