Called the Store 'N Pour Pouch, it contains 4 L (1.06 gal) of fresh milk in a package that combines the handle of a high-density polyethylene jug, the reclosability and ease of pouring of a gabletop carton, and the source reduction advantages of a flexible pouch. As partner in the test, Tetra Pak will be watching Store 'N Pour closely--at least it will as soon as the pouch returns to store shelves. It first appeared August 29 in 7-Eleven, IGA and Save-On Foods stores in the Vancouver area, but production was halted about a week later due to a leaker rate that was higher than acceptable, says Dairyworld spokesman Dan Wong. He expects the problem to be resolved in short order, as does Tetra. Prototype equipment supplied by Tetra forms the pouches two-up from monolayer LDPE rollstock, also from Tetra, at Dairyworld's plant in Burnaby, BC, Canada. Printing is done flexographically in four colors. As for film thickness, all Tetra says is that it's thick enough to provide adequate barrier. With a rated speed of 60 packages/min, the equipment not only forms, fills and seals the pouches. It also punches out handle holes and applies an injection molded spout with threaded closure and breakaway TE band. In the refrigerated case, the square-bottomed pouch displays nicely, and its graphics give it a shelf impact unmatched by the milk packages that surround it. The 4-L container was selling for $3.49 to $3.99 Canadian. That's about the same price as a 4-L HDPE jug of milk or 4 L of milk in Canada's conventional pouch format, which is usually three lay-flat pouches, totaling 4 L, that consumers dispense from reusable pitchers. Dairyworld's Wong and Tetra Pak's John Carley emphasize that the test of the pouch is just that, a test. Thus, the halt in production for process improvement should come as no surprise, they say. "We'll be back in the market quickly," says Carley.
