Available in three varieties, the single-serve 2¼-oz tubes of apple sauce are a first in the category. The tubes eliminate the need for utensils and allow packing into kids’ lunches.
The pouches are reportedly hot-filled at Tree Top’s Prosser, WA, facility using film and machinery from Winpak Lane (San Bernardino, CA). It is the first time this hot-fill process for tubes has been successful in the United States, claims Tree Top spokeswoman Pat Moss. The process helps give the shelf-stable product a one-year shelf life. The tubes are packed into colorful, eight-count paperboard cartons. Tree Top won’t divulge materials structures.
The cartons sell in supermarkets and club stores for $2.49. Tree Top acknowledges that they are currently evaluating additional flavors, “and we expect further market expansion,” adds Moss. —RL
