Graham Packaging is making its first entry into the salty snack food market,supplying high-density polyethylene rigid canisters for Frito-Lay's new Staxpotato crisps. The new Stax went into nationwide distributon in the US inAugust in two sizes.
The new manufacturing partner of crisp brands such as Doritos, Ruffles andFritos has opened a new plant in Mexicali, Mexico and has already begunproduction for Frito-Lay using "high speed extrusion blow-mouldinglines", according to Jay Arnold, director of food polyolefins for GrahamFood Packaging's Food and Beverage Business Unit.
Arnold said that the construction of the container was designed in such away that it protects the product from breakage and would ensure that maximumfreshness was maintained. The canister also features a foil-induction sealand a snap-on, linear low-density polyethylene lid made by Magenta ofChicago, Illinois.
"This is a totally new category being converted to plastic, and GrahamPackaging is happy to be partnering with such a major player in themarket", Arnold said. He added "We are looking forward to opening upfurther packaging opportunities in this arena."
Graham Packaging isone of the leading companies in the design, manufacturing and sales ofplatic containers for the branded food and beverage industry. Alsospecialising in the household and personal care and automotive lubricantsmarkets, they employ 39,000 people at 56 plants spread across North America,Europe and South America. Graham Packaging, in 2002, recorded a total netsales income of $906.7 million (€791.6 million), after total sales of ninebillion units.