Cartoning new markets

In the fruit juice drinks and still water segments, carton packaging has lost market shares to PET in recent years, but worldwide, the use of carton packaging for beverages is still increasing.

The growth in carton packaging for beverages is primarily being driven by countries such as China where the per capita sales of drinks in carton containers is currently at only about one fourth of the level of consumption of corresponding products in more developed countries. Even in Brazil, sales per capita are only at half the level of the total in countries such as Germany.

In absolute terms, however, China and Brazil surpassed the German market long ago but the growth potentials are nevertheless still large.

Cartons have a lot to offer

Cartons offer a good ecological balance sheet and attractive material properties which are considered as important selling points in other markets. The combination of carton, polyethylene and aluminium used in the beverage containers is especially well suited to preserving aromas, vitamins, colouring and nutrients.

Cartons are also meeting consumer demand for ease of use with many packaging formats, volumes and improved closure solutions. Screw-on caps have been a standard feature of carton packaging for a long time and they can be found on most containers of non-carbonated soft drinks and of milk and milk products.

The carton manufacturers are also aware that portion-size drinks for consumers on the go are no longer downed in a single gulp. That is why more and more small-format containers with screw-on caps are available.

But these improvements alone are not enough to compensate for the market shares lost to PET. As a result, manufacturers must open up new markets in which carton packaging has not previously been used.

Moving away from the standard product

In the food industry, standard products in saturated markets offer the possibility of only slim profit margins but manufacturers are aware that packaging and presentation innovations can lend products a new look and generate profits.

Companies such as Tetra Pak, SIG Combibloc and Elopak are responding to this with some innovative packaging systems and styles.

Tetra Pak responded to the situation in 2003 and introduced Tetra Recart - an alternative to food in cans and jars where carton packages can be sterilised in an autoclave.

This year, Tetra Pak is expanding its range with a new line of packaging and two new package sizes offering an even larger selection of innovative alternatives to cans and jars.

The Tetra Pak R2 forming, filling and sealing machine represents an affordable introduction to Tetra Recart technology, offering easy access to Tetra Recart as a platform for new products. The Tetra Pak R2 has a capacity of up to 6000 packages per hour whereas the original Tetra Pak R1 features speeds of up to 24,000 packages per hour.

Belgian food company La Corbeille has been an early adopter of the Recart technology as Luc Bruneel, export manager, explains: “With the Tetra Pak R2 line, we can not only fill cans and jars but also the Tetra Recart package, the latest innovation in the sector. In addition to various bean products, we are now producing several soups.

“The new 340 and 500 mL package sizes are also available worldwide. Within the Tetra Recart Midi family, they supplement the 390 mL package that is currently on the market.

“Retailers like the rectangular form because it saves lots of space,” says Bruneel. The rectangular shape of the Tetra Recart enables retailers to reduce shelf space by up to 40% and present an attractive wall of products to consumers, he adds, in addition to being easier to handle in stores, thanks to their light weight and ease of transport.

Chunky bits and added value

The carton manufacturers are counting on, among other things, the increasing health and nutrition consciousness among consumers, which has paved the way for the food industry and trade to develop products that offer more value.

In 2007, for example, about half of all new products introduced worldwide in the liquid dairy segment were so-called ‘value-added’ products. Products with the ‘plus factor’ offer a chance to justify a higher price and therefore boost profit margin.

Chunky or lumpy products also can be filled into aseptic carton packaging. These filling technologies essentially are based on working with composite jackets that are individually formed, sterilised and filled on the filling machine. After the filling is completed, the package spout is sealed with ultrasound above the fill level. This filling technique makes it possible to aseptically fill milk products containing firm pieces of real fruit or cereals in the package.

UHT milk with fruit bits is being positioned as a premium drink in China that offers consumers new drinking and taste experiences by means of its special rheological properties. The primary target group is modern consumers who are open to nutrition and the nutrients the product contains, enjoy new experiences and are seeking added value. Given this background, the ‘milk+bits’ concept opens up a solution for many added-value products. Meanwhile, UHT milk products with rice and wheat cereals are already available on the Chinese market in single-serving carton packages.

The Inner Mongolia Mengniu Dairy Industry, one of China’s market leading dairy producers, was a pioneer in this area and developed the milk+bits concept together with SIG Combibloc. Bai Ying, general manager for Liquid Dairy Products and vice-president of the Mengniu Group, said: “Offering high-quality, efficiently produced products are the prerequisite for surviving in a highly competitive market. Product differentiation and added value play a key role. This is where the new product concept proves its value. Specially developed stabilisers allow the bits of real fruit to float in milk.”

Carton packaging efficiency

Manufacturers need systems that are efficient in all aspects of service while guaranteeing stable costs. A filling machine is not an independent unit, but rather a part of a system of interlinked components that must be exactly coordinated with one another. As a reaction to the demand for speed and efficiency, the carton packaging industry offers the highest output, lowest levels of loss due to waste, and flexibility in terms of formats and volume - for all package sizes. This flexibility makes it possible to handle a broad range of products with a single filling machine. When working with package volumes of up to 500 mL, it is possible to aseptically fill up to 20,000 packages per hour. With package sizes from 500 to 1100 mL, up to 15,000 packages can be filled in one hour, which results in highly efficient utilisation of machine capacity.

Whatever their respective approaches may be, carton manufacturers are now expanding classic aseptic food filling and have developed heat-resistant carton packaging systems as an alternative to glass and preserves jars. These composite solutions are especially suitable for packaging for products containing large pieces of vegetables and fruits and for ready meals and soups. There is no doubt: this market continues to have great growth potential for carton and food manufacturers.