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Barrier bottles up oxygen

In October 1998, Burlington, WA-based Clearly Canadian unveiled its super-oxygenated bottled water, O+2. Available unflavored or in two flavored versions, O+2 is enhanced with up to 10 times the normal concentration of oxygen naturally found in water.

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To keep all this extra oxygen in, CNC Containers (Tumwater, WA) has developed an injection stretch/blow-molded barrier bottle made from a copolymer and nylon blend. Clearly Canadian wouldn't identify the exact make-up of the bottle, which the company says provides a shelf life of about one year.

In addition to keeping the oxygen in the bottle longer, the nylon in the blend gives the bottle a metallic sheen that Clearly Canadian hopes adds to its appeal. "The packaging concept is intended to reinforce the super-oxygenated benefits," says Jonathan Cronin, vice president of marketing at Clearly Canadian. "The bottle is sleek, almost metallic-looking, to evoke the look of an oxygen tank."

The 11.2-oz bottle weighs 32 g empty and is topped with a standard 38-mm compression-molded polypropylene cap with an ethylene vinyl acetate liner supplied by Alcoa Closure Systems Intl. (Indianapolis, IN). The pressure-sensitive label is a 1.68-mil clear oriented polypropylene, reverse-printed flexographically in four colors by Source Packaging (Walnut Creek, CA). The water, aimed at health- and image-conscious consumers, rolled out in January with an initial launch in the West followed by the eastern U.S. in various grocery and health food stores. The water retails for 99¢.

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