Total and RPC target long-term food storage

The firms claim it offers greater transparency and gloss for high barrier food applications.

They said the technology opens up opportunities in the retail sector, in markets such as cook-in sauces, instant coffee, ready meals, fruits and baby foods.

The lighter weight of the plastic jars will help retailers and brand owners meet sustainability targets in terms of packaging and carbon emission reductions, said Total and RPC.

Total used its polymer development knowledge to create a metallocene-based PP specially developed for ISBM technology.

It said this provides improved aesthetics with ultra-low extractables, reducing overall migration, especially at high temperature conditions.

With the development of a special manufacturing process, it has allowed RPC Promens Corby to produce multilayer containers that maintain an oxygen barrier for long ambient shelf life. 

Containers are thermally stable in excess of 100°C for pasteurization and sterilization.

A number of retail jars are being developed with additional sizes planned for the future.

Caps, also supplied by RPC, are manufactured in polypropylene leading to a mono material pack, to help recycling.