Finland's Ahlstrom Corp. has commissioned a second online siliconizer for genuine vegetable-parchment substrates at its plant in Saint-Séverin, France. The roughly US$1.2 million investment will increase Ahlstrom's production capacity of siliconized parchment for the baking industry by 6,000 metric tons.

With this second online siliconizer, the proprietary machine reportedly becomes the longest parchment-production line in the world (left). The Saint Séverin plant now runs three parchmentizers: two online size presses for siliconizing and one machine equipped with silicone coating. Ahlstrom siliconized parchment is a cellulose-based paper with natural grease-barrier properties. It resists temperatures up to 450 deg F, is safe for direct food contact, reuseable and biodegradable.

Ahlstrom vegetable parchment, which is produced at its Bousbecque and Saint-Séverin plants, also has applications for fat wrapping, graphic arts, furniture laminates, textile tubes and other industrial uses.