Kepak is using modified atmosphere packaging to extend the shelf life of chilled sandwiches and help convenience retailers reduce food-to-go waste. The company, best known for the Rustlers brand, has launched its East St Deli range with packaging designed to preserve freshness for longer than typical pre-packed sandwiches, which often offer only one to two days of shelf life.

The new range targets one of the most persistent challenges in convenience retail: short-dated food waste. Sandwiches are a high-volume food-to-go category, but their limited shelf life can create significant write-offs for stores. Kepak says internal modelling indicates that the additional shelf life delivered by East St Deli could reduce sandwich wastage by up to 50% for retailers.

This matters commercially and environmentally. Food waste directly affects retailer margins, but it also carries a broader sustainability cost because ingredients, packaging, refrigeration, logistics and labour are lost when unsold products are discarded. Kepak points to estimates suggesting that between 10.7 million and 17.8 million sandwiches are thrown away in UK retail each year.

In chilled food-to-go, packaging performance can be the difference between a profitable product and a waste-heavy category.

The longer shelf life is achieved through modified atmosphere packaging, or MAP. This technology adjusts the gas composition inside the pack to help slow deterioration and preserve product quality. For sandwiches and wraps, the objective is to maintain the texture and taste of fresh ingredients without relying on artificial preservatives.

MAP is already widely used across fresh food categories, but its application in premium chilled snacking is becoming increasingly important as retailers seek better waste control. By protecting product integrity for longer, packaging can give stores more flexibility in ordering, merchandising and selling through stock before expiry.

Kepak says East St Deli products are packed in highly recyclable aPET, paper and card materials aligned with WRAP guidance. This is important because extending shelf life must be balanced with packaging recyclability and material responsibility. A pack that reduces food waste but creates unnecessary packaging impact would not fully meet current sustainability expectations.

• Longer shelf life: MAP helps maintain freshness and reduce short-date waste in sandwiches and wraps.
• Retail margin protection: lower wastage can support convenience stores facing pressure in food-to-go.
• Recyclable materials: aPET, paper and card structures support improved packaging responsibility.

The East St Deli range includes five sandwich varieties: Chicken & Stuffing, Chicken & Bacon Mayo, Tuna Mayo, Egg Mayo and Cheese & Onion Mayo. It also includes two wrap options, Sweet Chilli Chicken and Chicken Caesar. The range is positioned as a premium chilled snacking offer at a time when the UK sandwich category is experiencing growth.

Food safety and quality control are central to the launch. Kepak produces the range within BRCGS gold-standard facilities, supporting the food safety standards required for chilled products distributed through convenience retail. For MAP-packed food-to-go products, controlled production conditions, sealing integrity and cold-chain management are essential to performance.

Monisha Singh at Kepak said retailers work hard to manage waste every day and that the company is committed to supporting them. She added that East St Deli shows shelf-life extension does not need to come at the expense of taste or quality, giving retailers a stronger chance to protect margins while encouraging repeat purchase.

The launch follows research commissioned by Kepak with the Association of Convenience Stores, which identified pre-packed sandwiches as the product with the highest wastage in store. This insight shows how packaging innovation can respond directly to operational pain points rather than only to consumer-facing trends.

As reporting requirements tighten, food-to-go waste is likely to face greater scrutiny. Retailers will need to demonstrate progress against sustainability targets while still delivering attractive, fresh and convenient products. Packaging technologies such as MAP can help bridge that gap by improving product life, reducing waste and supporting commercial performance.

Kepak’s East St Deli launch demonstrates how packaging can create measurable value in chilled retail. By combining MAP shelf-life extension with recyclable materials and premium food-to-go branding, the company is addressing waste, quality and margin protection in one packaging-led solution.

Image concept: a chilled convenience store food-to-go display showing East St Deli sandwiches and wraps in MAP packaging, with recyclable aPET, paper and card materials, freshness indicators and reduced food waste messaging.