Metsä Board Pro FSB EB1 has a bio-based and biodegradable special barrier treatment that is fluorochemicals-free.

Finland-headquartered Metsä Board said there is a clear market need to develop paperboards with bio-based barriers as alternatives to fossil-based barriers.

The new product, which is commercially available with immediate effect, can be used with foods requiring grease resistance up to KIT level 5. Converters can further improve barrier properties by adding varnishing layers.

The latter option offers a notable increase in efficiency, the manufacturer said, as the barrier property improvement can be made by applying only one varnishing layer in comparison to paperboards without this special barrier treatment.

FSB EB1 is available in basis weights of 195-290gsm with all layers hard-sized. The manufacturer said this enables high-quality printing on both sides and is suitable for offset and flexo processes.

Glueable with standard dispersion and hotmelt adhesives, the product is safe for direct food contact and free of optical brighteners (OBA free). It is available with PEFC or FSC certification and is fully recyclable with conventional recycling systems.

Metsä Board vice-president of food service board Mikko Mannola said: “We think that this eco-barrier solution will be especially attractive for the UK customers.

“Public awareness about sustainability topics is on a high level and consumers are actively looking for the respectable packaging solutions.”

While specific pricing was not disclosed, Mannola added: “When looking at the two key advantages – ecology and total cost of processing – the new eco-barrier offers clear benefits.

“Naturally the production cost of eco-barrier board is higher than traditional paperboard because of the special treatment added on the backside of the board.”