Combining the best elements of the folding carton and the reclosable pouch, package developer and contract packager T.H.E.M. has created a new container that could mean the elimination of the inner liner on food cartons.

            The company, based in Marlton, N.J., has merged a carton with a press-to-close zipper on top that allows for ease of opening (without having to rip apart an inner liner) and seals in the contents. The company designed an airtight seal on the bottom of the package, lessening the need for a liner to maintain freshness, and constructed side flaps for the zippered pouch that tamp it down during shipment and shelf storage. When the flaps are opened, the tear-top zipper appears.

            The unique package meets the emerging need for better cube utilization, allowing more product to be shipped and placed on a store shelf, said T.H.E.M. president Neil Kozarsky. While stand-up pouches have met some needs for lightweight containers in shipping, the rectangular-shaped cartons offer more space efficiency.

            The elimination of the inner liner also means the package can hold a minimum of about 10 percent more content and, in some cases, as much as 40 percent more, Kozarsky said. That would allow carton sizes to be reduced for source reduction.

             While some could question whether taste and odor could be an issue without the liner, Kozarsky pointed out that many dry foods, such as sugar, pancake batter, and flour, use a coated carton instead of a liner. While bag-in-box formats also meet that need, the ZipBox uses a rigid paperboard carton to hold the food items instead of an inner bag.

            The company expects pilot production to begin on the ZipBox in Q110 and is actively discussing the technology with potential product partners. A goal would be to release the ZipBox for commercial applications next year, Kozarsky added.

SUGAR HIGH: CRYSTAL LIGHT CHANGES SHAPE

OF CONTAINER FOR CLEANER DESIGN          

            The cube continues to be the news in some new packaging applications, as both transportation efficiency and shelf demands from retailers drive a new look for some packages.

            A case in point is the recently introduced makeover by Kraft Foods of its Crystal Light canister. The new canisters shift from the squatter, round shaper of the old containers to the taller, oval look of the new packaging. While that change might seem more cosmetic than cost-effective, it in fact allows the company to change the footprint of the canister and ship more containers on a pallet, said Kraft packaging engineer Nicole Tom.

            The shape of the paper-based containers (with a plastic outer wrap) also allows the company to save about 250 tons of material annually in finished case goods by reducing the width significantly. And unlike the old circular containers, the new package leverages graphics by allowing the brand to be printed on both sides.

            The old containers could easily be turned around on a shelf so that the brand information and logo were not showing, added Kraft spokesperson Bridget MacConnell. Enhancing the package’s visibility, the new containers also include a transparent window on the front that allows consumers to view the number of stick packs inside the canister.

            With the new package, the use of stick packs also continues to gain momentum.  While Crystal Light was among the first brands to use stick packs for powdered beverages when they were introduced by the company in 2004, the multi-use canisters now use that format. “Consumers love those sticks, since they’re easy to open and use,” Tom said.

            The canisters, using a wave across the front in various colors to denote the flavor of the packages (red equates to a raspberry flavor, for example), hopes to better capture a growth market for powdered brands in the home, Tom added.