Waddajuice is a new children’s fruit juice beverage diluted with purified water to reduce sugar content. It comes in an innovative spill-proof PET bottle. Source: Waddajuice LLC.
Combining a spill-proof, plastic, travel-ready bottle with a healthy alternative to sugar-filled juice drinks, Waddajuice aims to appeal to parents of toddlers and preschoolers. While it was initially thought that pure fruit juice was the healthy choice for little ones, pediatricians now recommend that parents dilute juice in order to minimize the intake of sugar, carbohydrates and calories. With this in mind, founder and CEO of Waddajuice LLC Jordan Kerner joined forces with Snapple founder Arnold Greenberg and launched Waddajuice, an all-natural drink with no added sweeteners, flavors, dyes or preservatives. It is said to contain half the sugar, carbs and calories of other fruit juices.



Available in wild berry, orange, apple and white grape flavors, the pasteurized juice is mixed with filtered water that is fortified with 100 percent vitamin C and 10 percent calcium.

"Children want a beverage with taste, but parents are concerned with the excessive sugars that go along with it," says Kerner. "In addition, parents are constantly looking for products that offer the most convenience, without a mess. Until Waddajuice, the combination of healthy, pre-filled convenience and spill proof in a children's beverage just wasn't available."

To be truly on-the-go convenient, Waddajuice is filled in an 8-oz. PET bottle with an innovative spill-proof sports cap produced by Euro Moulds, Mississauga, ON, Canada. Originally designed to resemble a sippy cup cap, the closure was modified to a sports cap in order to attract kids of all ages. According to Waddajuice, the beverage is the only pasteurized juice with a specialty closure that does not have a heat seal under the cap. The triangular closure instead contains a silicon valve, manufactured by Forest City Technologies, Wellington, OH, which restricts the flow of juice until pressure is applied to the bottle either through sucking the juice out or squeezing the bottle. The valve works together with a small seal on top that keeps the air out.

Waddajuice is currently available in Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

For more information:

Almiro Fonseca, Euro Moulds Inc.,
euro@on.aibn.com,
905-624-7534

Brenda Wetherbee, Forest City Technologies,
sales@forestcitytech.com,
440-647-2115



New resin for freezer-to-microwave

Nova Chemicals Corporation has introduced the Dylark FG 2500 styrenic copolymer for microwavable food packaging applications. Designed to withstand broad temperature ranges, Dylark FG 2500 combines low-temperature toughness with high-temperature rigidity for better freezer-to-microwave performance, says the company. The resin is suitable for restaurant takeout containers, food serviceware and freezer-to-microwave meals. Dylark FG resins can be manufactured as tinted, clear or foamed containers, are FDA compliant and are fully recyclable, according to Nova Chemicals. They can also be processed on existing polystyrene or PET equipment.

Nova Chemicals Corporation;
www.novachem.com;
403-750-3600



Panel-less bottle conveys purity of organic flavored water

Helping to convey the purity and simplicity of what bottled water company Trinity Springs claims is the first "certified organic" flavored water is a 16-oz. PowerFlex PET bottle from Amcor PET Packaging, Ann Arbor, MI. The new product, Trinity Organic, blends "certified source" water from Trinity Springs with organic flavors, which contain the "essence" of each flavor for a milder taste compared to traditional flavored waters.



Amcor PET Packaging’s panel-less PET bottles give Trinity Springs the transparent look it desired for its new Trinity Organic flavored water. Source: Amcor PET Packaging.
"The pure, natural taste and properties of Trinity Springs water means that we can add organic essences and nothing else-no sugar, no artificial flavors-and have a delicious, healthy beverage," says Andy Mitchell, president, Trinity Springs. The company wanted a bottle that would mirror the wholesome qualitites of its product. "We didn't like the non-flat sides [of hot-filled PET bottles with panels]. We wanted to use a transparent label and the panels were really distracting," adds Mitchell.

Trinity chose Amcor's long-neck 16-oz. PowerFlex bottle with a 38mm finish. The PowerFlex bottle features a patented panel-less design, which can withstand hot-fill conditions of temperatures ranging from 182° to 192°F. The bottles also have a large, smooth label panel that is free of any ribbing. Unlike other PET bottles that employ sidewall panels to absorb the distortion that occurs when the hot-filled beverage cools to room temperature, the PowerFlex bottles absorb the vacuum via a specially designed base.

The bottle also features a tamper-evident polypropylene EasySeal closure with FreshSeal barrier liner material from Owens-Illinois, Toledo, OH.

According to Mitchell, "The bottle is clean, clear and high quality and helps support the purity message. It adds value, but it doesn't distract. It also allows us to use a clear label, which sets the expectation when a consumer sees it on the shelf." La Cross, WI-based Inland Printing supplies the clear label.

"The word innovative sums up the whole project," comments Mitchell. "It is the first product that is both certified source and certified organic combined with an innovative bottle."

For more information:

Ruth Ann Church, Amcor PET Packaging,
ruth.church@amcorpet.com,
734-302-2272

Kenneth Corbett, Owens-Illinois Closure Inc.,
kenneth.corbett@us.o-i.com,
419-247-8827

Scott May, Inland Printing,
smay@inlandprinting.com,
800-657-4413



Clear aseptic package destined for US market

Tetra Pak continues to take its aseptic packaging to new design and functionality levels with the introduction of its Tetra Wedge Aseptic Clear, what the company claims is the first high barrier, totally clear aseptic package. While Mexican beverage company Jumex was the first to use the 6.75 oz. Tetra Wedge Aseptic Clear commercially for its Nautix beverage, Tetra Pak says it is planning to bring the package to the US and anticipates commercial availability this year.



The Tetra Wedge Aseptic Clear, which features 100 percent transparency to see the product, a patented barrier technology, and aseptic processing that seals in taste and nutrients, is being positioned as an option for beverage brands looking for distinction in the competitive beverage category.

According to Tetra Pak, Vernon Hills, IL, the Tetra Wedge Aseptic Clear allows for both high- and low-acid applications, making pouch-style, shelf-stable packaging a new possibility for the dairy and soy industries. The size and shape of the small 6.75-oz. package also makes it suitable for children's beverages. The package is designed with a special straw hole pocket that guides the straw to the best position to puncture the straw hole patch. The strength of the package material, said to be 80 percent more puncture resistant than other stand-up pouches, prevents the straw from puncturing the opposing side of the package.

For more information:

Jeff Kellar, Tetra Pak,
jeff.kellar@tetrapak.com,
847-955-6680



Stand-up pouch fuels athletes on-the-go

To help distinguish Gleukos-the new sports performance beverage for athletes touted as a revolution in energy replenishment and hydration-from competing products, the beverage is available in a 16-oz. stand-up pouch from Ampac Flexibles Converted Products, Cincinnati, OH, a unit of Ampac Packaging. The sports beverage, produced by Portland, OR-based Gleukos, Inc., uses glucose to speed replenishment times and eliminate energy dips associated with traditional sports drinks.



A shapely stand-up pouch helps Gleukos sports performance beverage stand out from its competitors in rigid containers. Source: Ampac Packaging.
Mark Jensen, Gleukos founder and developer of the beverage's formula, wanted an innovative and functional packaging form that would stand out in the sports performance beverage category. "We wanted a distinct, new shape for Gleukos," says Jensen. "The package had to be functional and have a great appearance. We also wanted great hand feel."

Jensen added that he was looking for a slender, lightweight alternative to other beverage containers in the category, which tend to be "big and bulky." Ampac's tall, hourglass-shaped, stand-up pouch was designed to be easy to hold and transport. The custom pouch is 80 percent lighter and takes up 50 percent less space than its rigid packaging competitors, according to Jensen.

The pouch also features Ampac Flexibles' Smart Spout fitment/valve combination, helping to make Gleukos spill and leak proof. The dispensing assembly is a three-piece design consisting of a polyethylene base fitment with a spout and a silicone valve, combined with Seaquist Closures' EZ Turn Cap-a tamper-evident, swallow-resistant closure. The patented system has two dispensing methods-the flexible pouch can be squeezed to evacuate the beverage through the spout or the consumer can draw the liquid up through the valve.

To facilitate filling, the spout's base has been engineered with a patent-pending, molded feature that allows the pouch to slide onto parallel rails positioned on either side of the fitment, enabling the flat, flexible pouches to be moved through the filling process easily and efficiently. After the pouches are assembled at Ampac's Minneapolis facility, they are transferred and filled at The Jel Sert Company, a West Chicago, IL-based contract packager and food manufacturer. The Gleukos pouches are filled at a rate of up to 200 pouches per minute.

Lemon and punch flavors of the Gleukos beverage will be sold exclusively at participating 7-Eleven stores nationwide. The company plans to introduce new flavors about every two months.

For more information:

Craig Rutman, Ampac Flexibles div. of Ampac Packaging,
ampacflexibles@ampaconline.com,
952-541-0730

Barbara Laskey, Seaquist Closures,
barb.laskey@seaquistclosures.com,
260-486-9105



Ball’s specially designed Heat-Tek bottles can endure the hot fill conditions of BooKoo Beverages’ new vitamin-enhanced waters. Source: Ball Corp.

Convenient, healthy beverage option in PET bottles

BooKoo Beverages, Inc. has added four new functional beverages to its BooKoo Energy product line, all packaged in 20-oz. Heat-Tek PET bottles from Ball Corporation, Broomfield, CO. The 20-oz. bottles have a 43mm opening and feature Ball's patented Vac-u-Flex vacuum panel technology, which enables the Heat-Tek bottles to withstand the 180° and 182°F filling conditions of the enhanced waters.

"Consumer demand for healthier beverages and convenient PET packaging continues to grow," says Mike Vaughn, vice president of innovation at Ball. "Vac-u-Flex enables us to produce bottles that can consistently run efficiently on our customers' filling lines and reach the end consumer with the highest possible quality."

The efficient bottle design ensured that BooKoo could move from package selection to filled product quickly. "Once we chose the Ball bottles we were able to fill our product within weeks," comments Pamela Thornton, who is in charge of manufacturing and production for BooKoo Beverages. "This kind of turnaround was critical for us to meet our targeted launch date."

For more information:

Scott McCarty, Ball Corporation,
smccarty@ball.com,
303-460-2103



Self-adhesive oxygen absorber

Multisorb Technologies has introduced an improved version of its FreshMax self-adhesive oxygen absorber. With a solid form sorbent that is contained if a packet is accidentally sliced open, the new FreshMax also uses a proprietary structure that assures seal adhesion and dispensing integrity. The oxygen absorbers extend product freshness and protect against spoilage, mold growth and other damage, according to the company. By reducing and maintaining the oxygen content within the package to below 0.01 percent, FreshMax helps foods retain their nutritional value and eliminates the need for sulfur dioxide, sorbates, benzoates and other food additives. The oxygen absorbers retain food taste and color in packaged foods including sliced deli and processed meats, nuts, baked goods, snack foods and dairy products. According to Multisorb, FreshMax can be applied to the interior surface of almost any package using conventional labeling equipment or insertion machines.

Multisorb Technologies;
www.multisorb.com;
888-767-2368



New smoothie features full-body, shrink-sleeve label

Brown Cow Farm is using decorative shrink labels from Seal-It for the launch of its new lowfat yogurt smoothie beverages. Two flavors, original and strawberry, are using the Seal-It shrink labels in order to provide distinctive graphics for the dairy product. According to Seal-It, the full-body labels used on the 32-oz. contoured containers are made of heat shrink glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETG) and are rotogravure reverse printed in 10 colors. The graphic impact of the shrink label enables Brown Cow to reinforce its farm image featuring its brown cow character in a farm scene.

Seal-It, Inc.;
www.sealitinc.com;
800-325-3965