Packaging
  • THE U.S. GETS GLASS JARS FOR YOGURT (posted November 20, 2012)
  • The U.S. yogurt industry can now show off its goods with clear glass jars.
  • Verallia North America is introducing a line of 4- and 6-ounce capacity single-serve yogurt glass jars.
  • They incorporate a proprietary sealing primer that enables commercial yogurt producers to utilize traditional foil heat-seal lids and induction heat-sealing equipment to meet current FDA requirements for proper packaging closure.
  • The new yogurt packaging is an innovative and eco-conscious alternative to standard plastic containers.
  • It has the potential to significantly impact the way the industry develops, packages and markets yogurt because the new glass containers could profoundly change consumer perception of this fast-growing food category.
  • Glass is ideal for yogurt producers that want to differentiate their products in a competitive marketplace through original packaging design, increase margins by introducing new premium products, appeal to environmentally conscious consumers and respond to growing market trends for products that are holistically natural, organic and healthy.
  • “We have utilized significant resources to bring a line of single-serve glass yogurt containers to the U.S. market,” says Phil McPherson, senior vice president & general manager-food, beverage & spirits business sector for Verallia North America. “Yogurt is a booming food category, especially premium spoonable varieties such as Greek, pro/pre biotic and dessert yogurts. Fast-growing consumer demand is prompting more food manufacturers to enter and expand investments in the yogurt sector. Our yogurt glass jars offer commercial dairies and food producers a new healthy packaging choice that can give them an edge in this competitive market.”
  • The company offers stock glass containers and has the ability to customize a design.
  • The parent company has been producing and distributing yogurt glass jars in Europe since the 1970s.
  • In the States, the company’s offerings include 64-ounce glass milk bottles, 32-ounce pourable (drinkable) glass yogurt and milk bottles, 15-ounce glass cottage cheese jars and 9-ounce spreadable cheese glass jars.
  • For more information, visit us.verallia.com/yogurt
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  • PROJECT CARTON (posted October 29, 2012)
  • The first day of Pack Expo (10/28) delivered many dairy discoveries, in particular, the fact that cartons are alive and thriving in the fluid milk category.
  • Evergreen Packaging hosted its Project Carton Media Event, which honored the grand prize winner and all those involved in this new student packaging design competition launched earlier this fall at internationally recognized design college the Fashion Institute of Technology.
  • More than 24 packaging design students from this New York City-based college participated in the competition as part of the fall curriculum, bringing fresh new perspectives to the world of packaging design.
  • There were four categories to enter--Milk, Milk Substitute, Juice and Other—with a single category winner and one overall grand prize winner.
  • And the grand prize goes to…Jennifer Ahern of Philadelphia, a junior who competed in the milk category. Ahern’s winning entry featured an abstract approach to the iconic cow image, focusing on an appeal to contemporary shoppers.
  • “I deconstructed the face of the cow and reconstructed it with a Picasso influence,” explained Ahern at the media event. “I never really thought of how much opportunity there is when designing a milk carton, but I discovered that the four panels provide a creative use of space and enable you to be fun and interactive.”
  • The business value of packaging design has become an important priority for consumer packaged goods makers as companies increasingly recognize that attractive, appealing packaging impacts increased sales.
  • This project was more than design, as the students had to develop and brand a product concept. With Ahern’s entry, it was Good Grazes protein-fortified skim milk.
  • They had to define the target demographic, which with Good Grazes was married, college-educated, working moms who seek out convenient, affordable healthful foods that complement their increasingly “green” lifestyle.
  • The judging criteria included the designer’s adherence to legal considerations and technical specifications. This included a properly designed and placed Nutrition Facts, as well as claims and other declarations.  
  • For more information on the contest, visit http://evergreenpackaging.com/about/newsroom/124-project-carton-design-competition-winner
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  • PACKAGE PROTECTS MILK (posted October 2, 2012)
  • Lehigh Valley Dairy Farms, a Dean Foods company, recently introduced the white Pure Protect bottle, a specially designed, opaque container developed specifically to protect the purity of milk.
  • Exposure to any light--even the light in a grocery store--can quickly degrade the quality of milk.
  • In fact, a Cornell University study found that the fluorescent lighting in retail display cases breaks down the vitamin A and B2 in bottled milk and creates flavor defects in as little as two hours.
  • Lehigh Valley Dairy Farms’ whole, reduced-fat, low-fat and fat-free fresh white milk varieties in the new white Pure Protect bottle are available at major retailers located across eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland.
  • For more information, visit www.LehighValleyDairyFarms.com
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  • SHREDDED CHEESE STANDS UP FOR CONSUMER AND RETAILER NEEDS (posted June 12, 2012)
  • Crystal Farms is the first-to-market with an innovative new stand-up package for its 8-ounce shredded cheese line.
  • The new pouch uses 20% less packaging but still contains the same two cups of cheese. The packaging technology produces the right size bag for the amount of cheese inside.
  • “Our new stand-up design allows consumers to set the bag upright when cooking, and saves space in the refrigerator,” says Hollie Schroeder, marketing manager for Crystal Farms Cheese. “I believe this is the biggest innovation in shredded cheese packaging since the zipper closure.”
  • Schroeder adds that research shows consumers like greater convenience with a bag that can sit upright while cooking.  The stand-up pouch is more functional, easier to pour and features a new premium twin-track zipper for better closing and improved freshness.
  • In addition, the package facing has been reduced by 30%, allowing more items to fit on the retailer shelf. Further, the smaller packaging provides greater efficiency during transportation, saving significant fuel and shipping costs.
  • These findings were the result of Crystal Farms partnering with market research firm InContext Solutions, which conducted shopper research within 3D virtual stores to determine the impact the new packaging would have on consumer attitudes and behaviors at shelf. In addition, InContext evaluated the go-to-market strategy on how best to message the change and benefits to consumers. This cutting-edge methodology provided Crystal Farms with the insights they needed to validate their new packaging design, retail approach and consumer messaging strategy within the cheese category.
  • For more information, visit www.crystalfarmscheese.com/products and www.incontextsolutions.com.
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  • MILK & COOKIES IN A SINGLE CONTAINER (posted May 23, 2012)
  • The Smiler from Plastic Technologies Inc., is a first-of-its-kind, two-compartment polyethylene terephthalate (PET) container that pushes container manufacturing capabilities.  
  • It gives brand owners the opportunity to market a single-serving of two compatible products—such as milk & cookies—within one portable container.  
  • The proprietary Smiler technology enables bottles/containers to be blow molded into different shapes and sizes. The larger, top compartment holds the liquid, while the bottom holds the snack item. The bottom compartment is created by drawing the base upwards, which forms a small cavity into which a heat-sealed portion cup can be inserted and held by friction.
  • For more information, visit www.plastictechnologies.com.
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  • SHOT-STYLE PROBIOTIC IN INNOVATIVE PACKAGE (posted April 4, 2012)
  • Finland’s Valio is repackaging its shot-style Gefilus LGG Power Drink into the brand new Tetra Pak Lokka 100-ml carton.
  • The drink comes in a 100% juice (apple, banana, mango, orange and passion fruit blend) variety and a drinkable strawberry- and blueberry-flavored yogurt version.
  • The tagline for the probiotic beverage reads: Helps to keep you healthy. This is thanks to the inclusion of the lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53 103).
  • The Lokka package features an innovative option: a convenient tear-off opening to meet the demand for on-the-go consumption. This is just one of many new package designs that Tetra Pak showcased at Anuga FoodTec.