Healthy living drives dairy and plant-based beverage growth

The most visible development is in the liquid dairy product segment. The milk market is booming due to the introduction of many new products, such as flavoured and UHT milk and dairy drinks mixed with fruits, cereal, nuts and spices. These categories include special dietary products that contain high protein, low fat and low added sugar.

Dairy players must differentiate their brands and produce liquid products flexibly and cost-effectively. In this instance, PET packaging offers great marketing and business opportunities.

HYPER-FLEXIBLE PACKAGING SOLUTIONS

Behind this positive development are many drivers. We have seen increasing recipe diversification in the LDP, as well as the juices, nectars, soft drinks, isotonics and teas (JNSDIT) categories. Pushed by a clear search for personalised nutrition, this results in a wider number of SKUs.

Diversification means producers require hyper-flexible aseptic solutions to factor in future market needs. They must also deliver a variety of products with a long shelf life. Bottle formats and shapes, cap and label applications vary strongly. This contributes to the need for higher flexibility and no compromises on line efficiency.

Brand differentiation on retailer shelves is becoming a must-have for sensitive beverage producers. Therefore, producers are shifting their production to PET, which offers stronger marketing opportunities. This is due to the bottle design freedom enabled by the raw material itself and enhanced by injection stretch blow moulding technology. Round or square, asymmetric or with specific handling, the high versatility of the PET bottle opens possibilities to define any premium or affordable package.

Food safety standards remain a critical goal for food and beverage manufacturers.

This holds particularly true for sensitive products. Looking at the growth of aseptic PET packaging in this segment, success can be accredited to its excellent barrier properties and neck and cap tightness. This ensures optimal shelf life with no light, oxygen or microorganism spoiling the quality of the drink.

In conjunction with the material’s 100 per cent recyclability, this winning combination of food safety and long shelf life is proving key in emerging markets, where distribution patterns and logistics might be challenging. From transparent to opaque solutions, PET packaging alternatives can ensure top product protection and quality, while delivering the expected shelf life without the need for aluminium foil.

Sidel is addressing aseptic packaging as one of its key business areas. Aseptic equipment sales have been continuously growing in the past four years: this clearly reflects market trends, but also represents the results of many initiatives implemented to enhance Sidel's research and development, project management and service capabilities in this field.

Sidel can deliver complete line solutions and integrate the processing equipment and capabilities of Tetra Pak Processing Systems.

A clear proof point of Sidel’s leadership in aseptic applications is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its Aseptic Combi Predis blow fill seal filler.

This made the solution the world’s first aseptic PET filling equipment with dry preform sterilisation validated for low acid manufacturing and commercial distribution in the US market. The Sidel Aseptic Combi Predis is increasingly being chosen as a safe, simple and flexible production equipment by companies based outside the US who are planning to export their goods to the Americas.

In 2017, Sidel introduced the Versatile Aseptic Combi Predis, suitable for still and carbonated soft drinks (CSD) in PET bottle formats from 200ml to three litres. To answer the consumers' ever-changing needs, this solution can efficiently produce a wide variety of products with no compromises on increased flexibility, reliability and product integrity.

It processes high and low-acid sensitive beverages (like teas, juices, UHT white milk, soya milk, etc.), with or without pulps, with natural and preservative-free recipes. This perfectly matches the requirements placed by new, healthier product alternatives, which are hitting the market.

Hyper-flexible aseptic solutions cater to the growing needs of the beverage industry