Stonyfield has launched stand-up, single-serve pouches for its YoBaby, YoTot, and YoKids yogurt brands. The packages were designed in partnership with Clear Lam Packaging, which engineered special packaging films for the project.
Trendy packs
James Sanfilippo, president and CEO of Clear Lam Packaging, told FoodProductionDaily Stonyfield has led the pack in offering on-trend dairy products for consumers.
“Grab-and-go snacking is fueling demand for portable packaging, while consumers gravitate to organic, nutrition-rich products,” he said. “Clear Lam is proud to support this new product launch with lightweight, durable packaging that meets real consumer needs while delivering sustainability benefits.”
Flexible, stand-up pouches are gaining ground as a packaging format in yogurt and other retail food categories. According to market intelligence firm Freedonia, the number of consumer retail products housed in stand-up pouches will grow at 6.5% each year, representing more than 27% of the overall market by 2023.
According to Sanfilippo, the stand-up pouch format improves upon bottles and jars by cutting down material usage and overall packaging weight. Additionally, the resealable cap promotes portability and reduces food waste.
Custom work
Clear Lam produced specialized pouch packaging films for the Stonyfield pouches. The materials are used to construct a pouch with a fitment on a horizontal form-fill-seal machine.
The film was designed to support a 60-day refrigerated shelf life, run on high-speed processing equipment, and withstand the rigors of moving through the distribution and retail end of the supply chain. According to Sanfilippo, the stiffness of the pouches enables the packages to stand tall and straight at retail for optimal shelf presence.
The lightweight pouches reportedly offer sustainability. Clear Lam Packaging’s environmental efforts include developing lightweighting technologies, using recycled content, and developing renewable materials (such as bio-based plastics), as part of its Project EarthClear initiative.