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Nestlé debuts retorted carton; Hain gains competitive 'wedge'

Nestlé Friskies Italia is the first globally to use a retortable carton from Tetra Pak (Vernon Hills, IL). Commercialized in May for its new Friskies “Qualità Freschezza” petfood, the Tetra Recart™ technology is more than two years from a U.S.

Pw 17329 Friskies

launch, Packaging World is told. It represents a dramatic alternative to shelf-stable foods in jars or cans.

This first application is a 375-g (13.23-oz) carton of a “chunks-in-jelly” dog food in two varieties. The product is a type of “big bite” (bocconi) dog biscuit in a sauce, a texture that is said to be a novelty for the Italian market.

The carton features a laser-scored easy-opening tear strip along the entire top panel of the Tetra Pak-supplied blanks. Marco Settembri of Friskies Italia says, “We think this product will have a strong impact on the packaged petfood market.” Currently, the cartoned petfoods are sold only in Italy. Shelf life is 12 months.

On the materials side, Tetra Pak’s typical multilayer structure of paper, plastic, and foil for aseptic packages remains the same, with the key exception of a heat-resistant polymer substituting for the usual polymer. So acknowledges Andrew Dun, Tetra Pak vice president of U.S. business development. Tetra Pak declines to specify the polymer.

The machinery is a first-of-its-kind Tetra Recart former/sealer that operates at 400 cartons/min. It erects a carton before a separate, rebuilt filler bottom-fills in two phases (one for solids, one for liquid). Cartons convey back to the form/seal machine for sealing. Cartons are then sent through a batch retort.

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