Metsä Board, a major supplier of lightweight folding boxboards, foodservice boards and white kraftliners, will present its range of premium fresh fiber paperboard solutions at PACK EXPO International 2026. The event runs October 18–21 in Chicago, Illinois. At booth W-45036, visitors can review packaging materials developed for retail, pharmaceutical and healthcare, food, and foodservice applications. The portfolio is designed to deliver structural strength, attractive print results and dependable converting performance across demanding packaging formats.
Among the products on display will be MetsäBoard Natural FSB Cup and MetsäBoard Pro FSB Cup. The uncoated, hard-sized Natural FSB Cup board offers a natural appearance and tactile experience while helping limit moisture migration through package edges. Its forming properties make it suitable for hot and cold beverage cups, ice cream packaging, bowls and trays.
MetsäBoard Pro FSB Cup features a top-coated, hard-sized surface that supports strong print quality and consistent performance on press. The board helps converters achieve precise color reproduction for branded foodservice packaging and can be formed into cups, containers, bowls and trays. These capabilities respond to important food and beverage industry trends, including the need for packaging that combines consumer appeal, operational efficiency and reliable performance.
The company will also present a selection of white kraftliners for retail packaging: MetsäBoard Classic WKL, MetsäBoard Natural WKL Bright, MetsäBoard Prime WKL and MetsäBoard Pro WKL.
MetsäBoard Classic WKL is a coated white-top kraftliner engineered for both in-line and conventional flexographic post-printing. Its rapid ink-drying characteristics can help manufacturers increase line efficiency and throughput. MetsäBoard Natural WKL Bright is a fully bleached, uncoated kraftliner with a matte, tactile surface. Its high whiteness and pronounced print contrast make it appropriate for premium retail packaging and lightweight microflute structures.
With a double-coated white-top surface, MetsäBoard Prime WKL provides smoothness, strong gloss and high color density. These attributes support detailed graphics, accurate image reproduction and premium point-of-sale displays. MetsäBoard Pro WKL combines a double-coated white-top finish with high strength, helping packaging producers deliver vivid brand colors, clear halftone images, efficient converting and durable corrugated boxes for demanding applications.
At booth W-45036, Metsä Board will display joint samples that combine its lightweight paperboards with advanced printing technologies from HEIDELBERG. The exhibit will also include coffee cups produced with Metsä Board paperboard and MetPack’s biodegradable barrier coating. Such solutions reflect ongoing food manufacturing trends and developments in food processing technology, where packaging suppliers and equipment manufacturers increasingly collaborate to improve functionality and resource efficiency.
Metsä Board’s fresh fiber paperboards and white kraftliners are designed to provide material purity, consistent quality and strong shelf presentation. In pharmaceutical and healthcare packaging, the purity of fresh fibers can support applications where odor and taint neutrality are essential. The boards also enable sharp details and accurate color reproduction, capabilities that support both regulatory communication and effective food and drink marketing.
As food distribution trends evolve and brands respond to changing food and drink consumer trends, packaging must perform throughout handling, transport and retail display. Metsä Board’s portfolio addresses these requirements while supporting broader food and drink industry innovation. The materials also contribute to discussions surrounding food and drink sustainability, food and drink packaging and the evolving expectations shaped by food and drink regulations.
Metsä Board Sustainability Manager Nathan Pajka will deliver “The Future is Fiber: Driving Sustainability and Brand Value in Modern Packaging” on Monday, October 19, at 12:00 p.m. at Sustainability Central, booth W-52060. The presentation will examine the commercial and market factors encouraging companies to replace plastic and plastic-coated packaging with fiber-based alternatives, along with the potential sustainability and brand benefits of that transition.
Additional details are available on Metsä Board’s exhibitor page.
