Whether for beverages or food, the latest generation of liquid cartons is offering easier opening as well as additional benefits from resealability to stackability.
Tetra Pak's Tetra Brik Edge carton, over two years in development, is now being used for milk in Scandinavia. But UK and Ireland retail manager Ian Williamson said the wide aperture means it can also be used for drinking yogurts and particulates. A variant with an ethyl vinyl alcohol (EVOH) oxygen barrier could also be developed for fruit juices, he added.
Williamson explained: "Removing the screw-off overcap requires very little torque. Underneath, the injected plastic tamper-evident seal has a small tab. Lifting this breaks the seal, and the membrane peels away in a spiral." So while the closure may take longer to open, no significant force is required.
Faced with an ageing population, manufacturers of packaging for food are increasingly aware of the need to design for consumers with reduced dexterity and strength.
SIG Combibloc offers 'full perforation' versions of its aseptic cartons up to 500ml, tearing across the full width of the pack for ease of access. And Asda recently became the first UK user of SIG's Combismart small-size screwtop carton. The retailer is using the carton for cooking cream. Applications in Germany and Austria have also included different types of cream.
According to Cindy Haast, marketing manager at SIG Combibloc, the spout has an easy-dosing and non-spill design. "The cap is fully resealable, rather than just reclosable, so that the carton can be laid flat in the fridge once opened," she said. The same is true of the larger-size Combiswift carton, she added.
Nor can logistics and display issues be ignored. Tetra's Edge carton has a distinctive tilted top facing. The resulting displaced top fin crease leaves a larger panel for the wide closure and spout.
But the angle also puts the top edges of the overcap and carton on the same level, allowing cartons to be stacked up to four high, according to a spokesman for the company.