By Graham Packaging

Graham Packaging launched a new stock 59-ounce polyethylene terephthalate (PET) carafe designed to help brand owners create a differentiated shelf-presence for a wide variety of premium beverages. The carafe targets ambient or cold-filled drinks such as juices, teas, lemonades, fruit punches, etc., which are typically sold in the refrigerated section.

“Over the years, we’ve received customer feedback that a stock carafe would be desirable. We are also aware that beverage companies want to create line extensions. Creating a more aesthetically-pleasing alternative to the round- and rectangular-base bottles typically found in the center aisle was a way we could help brand owners market their premium products in the growing ready-to-drink refrigerated section,” said Mark Leiden, vice president and general manager, global food  and beverage, Graham Packaging.

The end result is a sleek carafe-shaped container which also offers “gripability,” excellent hand feel and pouring ease. The flat label panels provide an attractive billboard to display product branding.

The carafe also sports a 38 millimeter (mm) finish, which is narrower than the frequently-used 43 milimeter option for juice products.

“We reduced the size of the finish intentionally to decrease the amount of resin needed to manufacture the closure. Brand owners can benefit by an improved environmental profile as well as cost-savings by employing a downsized closure,” Leiden said.

The new PET carafe has been designed with a square base for filling line stability and to facilitate labeling. It is an ideal alternative for beverages currently in gable-top paperboard cartons, traditional plastic bottles, as well as glass. PET’s clarity and shatter-resistant attributes make it well-suited for premium beverage products.

“With the trend toward fresh products on the upswing, Graham’s 59-ounce carafe is the ideal container to help beverage companies to take the leap from the center aisle to the refrigerated section,” Leiden said. “This fresh, new juice container spin will help get the attention of consumers who demand premium beverages.”

About Graham Packaging

Graham Packaging, based in York, Pa., is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and sale of technology-based, custom rigid blow molded plastic containers for the food and beverage, household, personal care/specialty and automotive lubricants product categories. The company has an extensive blue-chip customer base that includes many of the world's largest branded consumer products companies. It produces more than 20 billion container units annually at 99 plants in North America, Europe, South America and Asia. To learn more about Graham Packaging, please visit www.grahampackaging.com.

SOURCE: Graham Packaging