On the move

It is a vibrant aseptic packaging sector. Expanding shopper interest in purchasing higher-quality foods with longer shelf lives is helping to bolster activity. Suppliers, meanwhile, are positioning for additional growth by releasing newer designs.

The result is a bright sales forecast, with unit purchases set to rise 3.7 percent annually to 68.5 billion by 2020, and revenues increasing 6.8 percent annually to $6.4 billion, reports The Freedonia Group, a Cleveland-based industry research firm.

While aseptic packaging is prominent in the merchandising of liquids, including milk, juices, soups, sauces, nutrition and sports drinks, and more, it also is set to be increasingly prevalent in the pharmaceutical sector.

“The increased availability of biotechnology-based injectable drugs necessitates aseptic filling and packaging because such drugs tend to be heat-sensitive, making the high temperatures used in terminal sterilization processes unfeasible,” The Freedonia Group notes.

A food safety focus

Aseptic packaging is a process through which microorganisms are prevented from entering a package during and after packaging. During aseptic processing, a sterilized package is filled with a commercially sterile food product and sealed within the confines of a hygienic environment.

Unlike retort packaging, in which food is filled into a pouch or metal can, sealed and then heated to extremely high temperatures — rendering the product commercially sterile — the aseptic package does not require further processing after sealing.

Aseptic packages frequently consist of paperboard for stiffness and strength; polyethylene on the innermost layer to make the package liquid-tight; and aluminum on the inside to form a barrier against light and oxygen, which eliminates the need for refrigeration and prevents spoilage without using preservatives.

Suppliers are creating new designs or upgrading current packages to boost performance, enhance merchandising and slash operating expenses.

Tetra Pak Inc., a Denton, Texas-based food processing and packaging/packaging equipment manufacturer, for instance, is marketing Tetra Evero Aseptic, which it claims is the first aseptic carton bottle for white milk in the United States.

The packaging is intended to enable retailers to deliver shelf-stable milk in a container that combines the easy handling and pouring of a bottle with the environmental and cost advantages of a carton, Tetra Pak notes.

Elements include a cylindrical shape with flat side panels that offer a strong branding opportunity by enabling graphics to appear across the entire package surface, as well as a renewable paperboard body for complete recycling.

“Aseptic carton packaging is going through major changes,” states Eliseo Barcas, vice president of sales for Tetra Pak U.S. “There is greater interest in adding functionality and improving the environmental profile. The challenge is developing innovative packaging that doesn’t increase the cost.”

Packaging features that are helping users to cut operating expenses — including warehousing and freight costs — include containers with square and rectangular designs, which occupy less space than rounded items, he notes.

Perhaps the biggest benefits of aseptic packaging, however, are increases in food quality and shelf life for both shelf-stable and refrigerated items.

Keep foods fresher longer

Indeed, products packed in aseptic packaging typically have two to four times the shelf life of those in traditional containers, says Aaron Brody, CEO of Packaging/Brody Inc., a Peachtree Corners, Ga.-based food packaging consulting firm.

Another major change has been the evolution from metal cans to lighter-weight and less-expensive thermoformed barrier plastic packages. Such containers are becoming increasingly prominent with store brands, Brody notes, adding that private label accounts for about half of all aseptic packaging products in retail locations.

The growing market interest in varying types of packaging, including selections with different materials, sizes and shapes, emanates from “what brand owners believe is the right emotional and functional benefits of the packaging,” says Blane Armor, senior director, business development and product applications for North America with SIG Combibloc Inc., a Neuhausen, Switzerland-based supplier of carton packaging and filling machines for beverages and food.

That includes the adoption of thinner packaging for organic products. Smaller containers with less material create the perception of also having a cleaner label, he states.

A wider range of choices

More aseptic packages, meanwhile, are becoming available in non-traditional sizes ranging from 80 to 2,000 milliliters, and many feature screw caps in an effort to be more user-friendly, Armor notes.

“We will continue to see new carton packaging shapes and the leveraging of those designs for specific product segments,” he says. “Changes will be both dramatic and incremental.”

Indeed, a focus on ease of use and convenience will be a key catalyst for product innovations, says Michael Betzhold, director of contract manufacturing and commercialization for Gehl Foods LLC, a Germantown, Wis.-based aseptic packaging product producer. Gehl Foods’ private label business includes weight loss and nutritional products, including liquid shakes.

“People want packages that are easier to open and reseal and that they can easily carry,” he states. “Brands also want to distinguish themselves by having art on the package and offering a different bottle shape or carton configuration.”

With retailers increasingly using aseptic packaging for store brands, Armor states that it is important that they partner with manufacturers that have the ability to develop a wide range of containers and the expertise in supporting relevant product categories.

Despite the increasing popularity of aseptic packaging, relatively steep production costs will enable retort designs to also remain prevalent.

“The upfront investment in the aseptic technology is significant, and not everyone has the business model to support it,” Betzhold states. “It can cost many millions of dollars just for the equipment, so it is not for the faint of heart.”

Indeed, because the aseptic process is more expensive than retorting — particularly because of the need to separately sterilize packages and food and beverages — many retailers still perceive the costs to outweigh the benefits.

While Brody says price differences among the different packaging types — including metal cans, paper-based cartons and plastic cups — often amount to pennies per package, he notes that for large-volume operations, it can add up to millions of dollars a year.

Nevertheless, Kevin Kollock, Gehl Foods’ vice president of sales and marketing – private label/retail, calls aseptic packaging “the wave of the future.”

“More suppliers are putting in aseptic manufacturing lines in lieu of spending money on retort because of the sterility aspect and having zero tolerance for food safety issues,” he notes. “The packaging changes themselves are minor. But there is a high reward to get an excellent-quality product with a long shelf life that will maintain sterility.”