Full perforation cartons tap into convenience trend, says SIG Combibloc

Growing consumer demand for convenience was the driver behind the introduction of a complete perforation for new carton packs that makes it easier to open and fully empty contents, said SIG Combibloc.

The German-based company said the innovation has been specifically designed for aseptic food products and means packs can now be opened all the way across the top without the use of additional tools.

The company said the design improvement on the carton was “particularly suitable for chunky and highly viscous products, which are much easier to empty out of the carton pack if it can be opened all the way,” a SIG spokesman told FoodProductionDaily.com.

The firm said it had implemented the advance as a response to the continued demand from consumers for convenient and easy-to-open packaging.

“Convenience continues to be a key issue in the food industry,” added the company. “Surveys in Germany, France and the USA show that consumers rate easy opening as a high priority when it comes to food packaging.”

SIG said a direct comparison between fully perforated carton packs and food metal cans with ring-pulls, showed carton pack scored “significantly higher” in terms of ease of opening.

Format

The firm’s combiblocCompact is the first package format to go on sale with the full perforation. The carton is available in volumes of 200, 250, 300, 350, 375, 400 and 500 ml volumes and all sizes can be filled using a single filling machine from the company.

The full perforation can be provided by making a small adjustment to the filling machine, said SIG.

The food manufacturer can then fill products in carton packs either with complete perforation or without,” added the spokesman. “For greater ease of handling, the carton gable has been made five millimetres higher, giving the consumer a firmer grip when opening.”

Because the carton packs are the same size and shape with and without the full perforation when filled in identical volumes, there is no effect on secondary packaging or transport, said SIG. The company said it planned to roll out more carton formats with the complete perforation.