In fact, says marketing director Van Effner, the new notched pouch is virtually identical to the polyester/nylon/aluminum foil/sealant structure that’s used for tuna. He’s less than specific about the pouch because it’s sourced from two unidentified suppliers in Japan, then filled and retorted in Thailand before it’s shipped to the United States.
“From when I put the first plan together, we’ve more than doubled the results we had projected at this point,” Effner says. “Plus, we’ve found the sales to be incremental to our canned salmon.”
Like the tuna pouch, the graphics on this pouch tout its “no waste, no draining” feature since the product is packed without extra water. And thanks to its shorter retort processing, the package also says the product has “improved texture.” Plus, Effner says, the price premium for this pouch isn’t as great as it is with retort-pouched tuna. The pouch sells for $2.29, compared to $1.59 for a 6-oz can of salmon. Pouches are packed into paperboard vertical-display shippers with fluted sides that hold the pouches upright. —AO
