Cellophane vs. plastic film: how to tell the difference

With our natural product cellophane, we are talking about a biodegradable paper film that is not easy to distinguish from a "conventional" plastic film due to its transparency. Nevertheless, the two types of film are very different in terms of freshness protection and sustainability: on the one hand we have cellophane, which is garden-compostable and breathable, and on the other hand we have a non-ecological and non-breathable plastic product, which is nevertheless very often used to wrap or cover fresh meat or cheese products for price reasons.

If you would now like to know whether your fresh food counter uses sustainable wrapping film in the form of cellophane or polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene plastic film (OPP), you can check this yourself:

Appearance

As plastic is made from fossil raw materials such as crude oil, a stack of OPP (plastic) cuttings, for example, also has a slightly bluish tint. Cellophane, on the other hand, is made from renewable raw materials and is derived from wood - which is why a stack of compostable cellophane cuttings has a golden tint and a higher quality appearance.

Haptics

Cellophane has a characteristic "cellophane feel" - this is characterized by the fact that it is particularly strong (plastic can be stretched, a "paper" cannot). However, cellophane is still soft and silky to the touch (plastic, on the other hand, crackles).

Burn test

However, the safest method is to light the film on fire (if this is safely possible) - as cellophane is ultimately a wood product, it has a red-orange flame when it burns like paper and it also smells of burnt wood or paper. Plastic, on the other hand, burns bluish and simply melts away and the smell is not only unpleasant, depending on its origin, but can even be toxic.

With these options, you can easily check for yourself whether you can get our beautiful cellophane film from your trusted butcher, baker or supermarket.

Why should you, as the end customer, pay attention to whether you are really getting cellophane for wrapping at the fresh food counter?

Experience has shown that cellophane keeps fresh food fresh for much longer. This is mainly due to the fact that condensation usually forms in the cooling area and this can escape with cellophane due to the defined water vapor permeability. If, for example, your fresh sausage or exquisite cheese is covered with our cellophane film, the food remains relatively dry (even in the fridge). As a result, the moisture does not directly damage the fresh food, for example visibly through the classic tarnishing of the surfaces, which in extreme cases can lead to mold growth. This therefore not only has an impact on the appearance of your food, but also directly on its shelf life. If we consider that spoiled food has a considerable impact on the CO2 balance, an enormous effect can be achieved here with a minimal percentage investment in a higher-quality film.

What's more, cellophane is also a truly sustainable product. Even if a sheet of cellophane ends up in the environment, it will naturally decompose within a few weeks as it is a biological product and will not cause pollution of our environment after hundreds of years like plastic. For this reason, we like to advertise cellophane as a plus for aroma and the environment.

Cellophane