Lightweight, wide-mouth PET jars protect hot fill foods, says Constar

The jars have a monolayer construction blended with the company's oxygen scavenger technology, DiamondClear, to ensure glass like clarity and gloss, as well as freshness, flavour and colour for foods including pasta sauces, salsas, jellies, jams and beverages, said the packaging supplier.

The company said that its DiamondClear technology received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for use in contact with food earlier this year.

Oxygen scavenging properties are increasingly important to manufacturers as a means of protecting food from mould growth and other effects of oxidisation.

Constar marketing director, Alex Fioravanti told FoodProductionDaily.com that the jars are designed to provide 12 to 24 months of shelf life, depending on factors such as product sensitivity to oxygen, the size of the container, and the conditions of storage and processing.

Robustness​

The jars have also been infused with Constar's Vertical Compensation Technology (VCT), which, according to the company, provides the necessary vacuum absorption by axially compressing the container, thus removing the need for traditional vacuum panels and grips.

The VCT-based structure enables the jars to withstand temperatures up to 200° F, while also ensuring robustness throughout their lifecycle, the company claims.

"VCT creates a clean look, like straight-walled glass, after labelling. Also, because of its structural design, VCT provides rigidity in the hands of the consumer," ​claims Fioravanti.

"Our VCT jars are easier to label because they are round and do not require orientation in the labelling machine, thus reducing complexity especially at higher production speeds," ​he added.

Sustainability​

Fioravanti said the lightweight plastics can also provide sustainability advantages over glass throughout the supply chain.

"The jars, which carry a '1-PETE' recycling code, are approximately one tenth of the weight of equivalently sized glass jars," ​claims Fioravanti.

"There are a number of benefits associated with this but we find that the most significant can be a reduction in outbound freight cost from the processor to the distribution centre or store, as you can get more filled containers on a truck," ​he added.

Customization ​

Fioravanti said the PET jars are compatible with a number of closure systems including two-piece composite caps and all-plastic closures.

He said that customization was also available for processors who prefer a unique 'branded' shape or design such as embossing in the shoulder of the jar.

The product line is being launched initially in North America but Fioravanti said that international expansion of the range is expected in the coming months.