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Packaging upgrade is sweeter than sugar

Pre-measured one-cup containers are a consumer-friendly and reclosable alternative to traditional packaging formats that have been around forever.

The primary package is a thermoform 15 1/4 8' deep with flexible-film lidding heat-sealed to the flange. Three packs are combine
The primary package is a thermoform 15 1/4 8" deep with flexible-film lidding heat-sealed to the flange. Three packs are combine

Holiday season 2004 may be over, but the Imperial Sugar Co. of Sugar Land, TX, is still celebrating. Sales for Imperial Light Brown and Dark Brown Sugar hit a new peak during the November-December season in large part due to new packaging that hit the shelves last August.

As an alternative to the two traditional formats—the 2-lb lay-flat bag and the 1-lb bag in a paperboard carton—Imperial now offers its brown sugars in pre-measured 1-cup resealable containers packed in multiples of three. The three-packs are unitized inside a paperboard U-board and clear shrink film, and each three-pack includes one snap-fit plastic overcap that lets consumers reclose a one-cup container if they don’t use the whole portion.

“When we first tested the pre-measured cups of brown sugar, consumers loved them,” says Art Saxby, vice president of marketing at Imperial. “They instantly recognized the benefit of one-cup resealable containers. It’s the amount called for in many recipes, and for those times when they don’t use a full cup, the resealable lid keeps the brown sugar safe from spilling, insects, and humidity.”

The new three-count package measures 61¼2” x 33¼4” and stands 5” tall. “The new packaging is like a billboard for the brand,” says Saxby. “It gets attention.”

The cups are formed from a 20-mil Pentafood® polyester film from Klöckner Pentaplast. Flexible film lidding on each cup is DuPont Mylar with a heat-seal coating. Film clarity, says Saxby, was a key requirement as Imperial began evaluating materials. “Consumers want to see the sugar, they made that very clear, “ notes Saxby.

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