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Pouch format is 'baby food 2.0

A stand-up pouch capped by a large reclosable and tamper-evident closure is a packaging format in which The Nest Collective has a lot of confidence.

GRAB-AND-GO CONVENIENCE. Stand-up pouches with bright graphics and a number of grab-and-go convenience features have replaced li
GRAB-AND-GO CONVENIENCE. Stand-up pouches with bright graphics and a number of grab-and-go convenience features have replaced li
Cheer Pack North America

The first Nest Collective product to appear in the Cheer Pack pouch was Revolution Foods Mashups. This line of organic fruit purees comes in 3.17-oz stand-up pouches that are aimed at the school lunch crowd. They’re filled by a contract packager on a Model CHP40 pouch filler made by Gualapack. Mashups were launched in early 2008, and a four-pack sells for $4.99.

More recently, in February of 2009 to be precise, The Nest Collective acquired Plum Organics, a leading provider of frozen, organic baby food and toddler meals. Within a year, the Plum Organics line had been converted from thermoformed cups with flexible film lidding and is now in a Cheer Pack pouch. And because hot-filling makes the pouches shelf-stable, Plum Organics no longer need to be kept frozen.

“When we acquired Plum Organics, we felt the existing package didn’t offer the accessibility, portability, and convenience we wanted,” says Neil Grimmer, co-founder and chief innovation officer of The Nest Collective. “The product had to be thawed before it could be served.”

That’s why the company borrowed a page from its Revolution Foods line and began putting Plum Organics in a Cheer Pack pouch. “In short order, we discontinued the frozen format,” says Grimmer. “It was clear right away that parents were voting with their dollars where the pouch format was concerned.”

Grimmer also believes that the pouch format is far superior to the glass jar, which is still the workhorse where baby food packaging is concerned.

“The whole idea here is delivering more healthful foods to babies,” says Grimmer. “Glass jars are retorted, and freshness, taste, and nutrient values are not best served by the retorting process.”

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