Sealed Air's CRYOVAC brand is entering the back-of-house condiment workflow with ZeroPrep, a pre-filled flexible pouch designed to replace the squeeze bottles and rigid containers that have long demanded manual filling, cleaning, and sanitizing labor every shift. The pouches feature a one-handed squeeze-dispensing spout that reseals between uses to prevent drips, and each unit is hermetically sealed until first opening — reducing cross-contamination risk associated with transferring product into secondary containers.
The Packaging System
ZeroPrep pouches are produced on a new CRYOVAC brand vertical form-fill-seal (VFFS) machine that combines two specialized CRYOVAC films to create the pouch's patented shape, easy-open seal, semi-rigid spout, and hermetic closure. The VFFS system outputs package sizes ranging from 8 to 16 fluid ounces at speeds up to 80 packs per minute — a throughput figure relevant to foodservice distributors and contract packers evaluating the equipment for high-volume condiment lines. Food processors and commissary operators filling sauce or dressing SKUs at scale will find the machine's flexibility across pack sizes a key spec consideration.
For operators on the receiving end, the value proposition centers on labor and yield. Sealed Air claims product yield up to 97%, a meaningful number for high-cost specialty sauces or premium condiments where squeeze-bottle waste adds up across hundreds of daily covers. The ready-to-use format also removes the tool-free opening step and streamlines cold-storage organization — one-handed operation means line staff can dispense without setting down other items.
Back-of-House Implications
"ZeroPrep reflects this ongoing commitment by removing the tedious task of squeeze bottle prep and cleaning, helping restaurants improve efficiency and the employee experience while supporting food safety," said Joe Lambert, Sealed Air's North America vice president of food. The food-safety angle carries weight: hermetic sealing until first use limits airborne and contact contamination during a task — condiment transfer — that often happens in rushed, high-traffic prep windows.
For prep-and-storage specifiers and ghost kitchen operators managing lean staffing models, eliminating a daily squeeze-bottle sanitation cycle can represent real labor savings, particularly in high-turnover environments where training time on proper bottle-cleaning procedures is a recurring cost. Commissary kitchens supplying multiple locations with house-made sauces could also use the VFFS system to standardize portion sizes and extend shelf life across their distribution network.
The broader shift toward pre-portioned, food-safe dispensing formats aligns with ongoing operator pressure to reduce prep complexity without sacrificing menu customization — a trend also visible in the growing adoption of portion-controlled packaging across cold-chain distribution. ZeroPrep positions CRYOVAC alongside other back-of-house convenience formats as operators continue to scrutinize every labor touchpoint in kitchen operations.
Sealed Air will exhibit the ZeroPrep pouch and VFFS system at PACK EXPO International 2026, running October 18–21 at McCormick Place in Chicago, booth S-2844. Additional information is available at sealedair.com/zeroprep.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
