Presto Launches CHILD-GUARD®, First Ever Child-Resistant Slider for Flexible Packaging

11/2/2014

Closure debuts at PACK EXPO and offers cost-saving, sustainability-enhancing alternative to rigid formats

Appleton, WI; November 2, 2014 — Presto Products Company (www.fresh-lock.com) announces the launch of CHILD-GUARD® slider technology at PACK EXPO International 2014 (Booth #S-2837). The closure, an enhanced version of Presto’s market-leading Slide-Rite® slider, represents the first childresistant slider available for application on pouch packaging that meets Title 16 CFR 1700 of the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA) with ASTM D3475 classification from ASTM International (formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials).

CHILD-GUARD offers consumers the child security they desire combined with a minimal learning curve when it comes to operation. The slider opens with an easy “point, press and pull” motion. Users align the slider tongue with the groove, press down lightly on the slider’s top side and pull the slider across the zipper track for a smooth opening experience. Adult consumers, including seniors, will find the zipper simple to open, but it will be extremely challenging for children aged five and under.

“Just three years ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received more than 1.12 million calls involving poison exposure for children under six years-old,” said Brad Hansen, President of Presto Specialty Group, Presto Products Company. “We knew there was a void in the flexible packaging category for a child-resistant zipper and committed ourselves to develop a solution that would satisfy this critical market need.”

The launch of CHILD-GUARD technology allows brand owners to leverage flexible packaging as a format and still meet child-resistant mandates. By choosing flexible packaging, which is lighter-weight and more compact than rigid alternatives, brand owners can achieve both environmental and cost-saving benefits across the supply chain.

CHILD-GUARD is ideal for a number of applications, including home care, chemical, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and any other granules, powders and solid mixes that should not be consumed by children or taken without adult supervision. Until the launch of CHILDGUARD, flexible packaging was not an option for this type of product category where regulations mandate child-resistance for reclosable packaging, limiting manufacturers’ options to rigid formats.

CHILD-GUARD is designed to integrate with popular Slide-Rite application equipment requiring zero or minimal adjustments and enabling brand owners to minimize downtime during the transition. Presto also provides extensive service and support, which includes planning and coordination with machinery and materials suppliers, on-site trouble-shooting and collaborative testing.

For more information about CHILD-GUARD, visit Presto Products Company at PACK EXPO International 2014 (Booth #S-2837; Nov. 2-5; McCormick Place, Chicago, IL) or contact prestofreshlock@reynoldsbrands.com.

About Presto Products Company
Presto Products Company is a market-leading supplier of products ranging from private label food and disposer bags to packaging closures. Presto, a business of Reynolds Packaging Group, operates six manufacturing plants and supports customers in North America, Europe and Asia.

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