The Holcomer UHT White additive has a high opacity that blocks light to provide a longer shelf-life for dairy products compared to conventional monolayer PET containers. This means bottles can be lightweighted, with a typical 1-litre container weighing 22 grams – against the previous industry standard of 24 grams for a 750ml bottle, said the company. It also maintains the natural high gloss of PET.
Flexibility
The colourant, added at the preform moulding stage, is designed to protect light sensitive products such as UHT and ESL milk, as well as flavoured dairy products. It is highly concentrated in masterbatch format, has a melting point of 255 °C, and can be used with any PET resin on existing monolayer equipment without additional investments for moulding, blowing or downstream equipment.
It also offers flexibility in PET resin sourcing as it is supplied as a concentrate that is dosed on the injection moulder in the resin of choice.
“The preform manufacturer is free to use a resin from any supplier as opposed to being linked to a single supplier in case of a 100 per cent compound,” company project manager for packaging Hans Werink told FoodProductionDaily.com.
The product is unique in that it is the only one of its kind that provides this kind of opacity and processing properties in an additive format. Adjustable dosing levels allow customisable degrees of protection and the possibility for lightweighting without compromising opacity, he added.
Performance
Holcomer-opacified PET performs have an injection moulding and blowing performance similar to standard PET, as well as offering enhanced capabilities in terms of appearance and design potential. They also offer freedom of bottle design which the company believes could be an especially important marketing advantage when contrasted with the uniform brick design of cartons.
The product has already been launched in Germany, Greece and the United States. It is fully EU and FDA compliant as an additive in food contact applications. Additional roll out are due early next year with a launch in a number of European countries by a major dairy producer, Werink said.