Most meat sold in supermarkets is packaged in an open container or tray, overwrapped with a transparent film, weighed, and the weight printed on a label that is attached to the overwrap, in advance. Some fruits and vegetables are similarly packaged and weighed. The package is then placed in a refrigerator, showcase or on a shelf of a supermarket, where a customer may select the merchandise which he/she wishes to purchase.
Single roll wrapping machines for overwrapping food packages with plastic film are well known and are used in supermarket chains. A disadvantage of the present single roll wrapping machine is that they do not provide any space for a weighing device (e.g. a load cell or scale), which is a necessary adjunct of every food overwrapping operation. Another disadvantage of such machines is that it is difficult to transport the film from the roll to the wrapping location.