Saran (plastic)

Saran
Product typePlastic wrap
OwnerS. C. Johnson & Son
CountryUnited States
Introduced1949; 75 years ago (1949)
Previous ownersDow Chemical Company

Saran is a trade name used by S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. for a polyethylene food wrap. The Saran trade name was first owned by Dow Chemical for polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), along with other monomers. The formulation was changed to the less effective polyethylene in 2004 due to the chlorine content of PVDC.[1][2]

Since its accidental discovery in 1933, polyvinylidene chloride has been used for a number of commercial and industrial products.

When formed into a thin plastic film, the principal advantages of polyvinylidene chloride, when compared to other plastics, are its ability to adhere to itself and its very low permeability to water vapor, flavor and aroma molecules, and oxygen. This oxygen barrier prevents food spoilage, while the film barrier to flavor and aroma molecules helps food retain its flavor and aroma.

  1. ^ "CEO explains why SC Johnson hobbled Saran Wrap". 25 April 2015.
  2. ^ Johnson, Fisk (April 2015). "SC Johnson's CEO on Doing the Right Thing, Even when It Hurts Business". Harvard Business Review.