New monolayer and multilayer designs for hot-fill barrier packaging have been developed for oxygen-sensitive foods such as pasta sauces, salsas, and fruit.The first multilayer, widemouth PET jar for hot-fill applications comes from Graham Packaging. The five-layer jar incorporates Graham's proprietary oxygen scavenger and passive barrier technology. The 24-oz jar has up to an 82-mm finish and can be hot-filled at 195 to 205 F. Typical shelf life is 18 to 24 months.
The 45-g bottle offers better barrier, greater design freedom, higher clarity, and better recyclability than multilayer OPP, according to Paul Bailie, v.p. and business manager of food packaging.
Graham uses its SurShot multilayer technology to produce the bottle. The barrier materials can be separated from the PET and taken out of the recycling stream, according to Graham.
Meanwhile, a new monolayer approach from Constar International Inc., Philadelphia, uses its new DiamondClear oxygen scavenger blended with PET for glass-like clarity and high barrier resistance. The new scavenger offers greater clarity and higher gloss than Constar's previous Monoxbar monolayer system.
Constar's Vertical Compensation Technology (VCT) employs horizontal rings that allow the bottle to shrink and accommodate the vacuum as it cools from hot-fill temperatures as high as 200 F. Wide-neck finishes range from 63 to 82 mm for 24-oz and 45-oz jars. Pasta sauce is expected to be the first commercial use early this year.
