Dutch sugar manufacturer Suiker Unie wanted an alternative to its cardboard cylindrical packages. They chose a plastic cylindrical pack with an in-mold label (IML) featuring an orange-peel finish. Unique in its category, the pack stands out on Belgian and Dutch retail shelves and offers a great consumer benefit—it makes it easy to pour a measured dose of sugar.
For years Van Gilse—Suiker Unie’s consumer brand and part of the Royal Cosun group—has been the leading sugar manufacturer in the Netherlands, accoring to the company. Set up more than 100 years ago, Van Gilse rose from the country’s extensive sugar beet fields, putting more than 30 sugar specialty products on the market. The sugar specialist’s brand thus became a staple in Dutch and Belgian households, as well as in the popular street stands that sell the country’s traditional mini pancakes (poffertjes), deep-fried doughnuts (oliebollen), and other powdered sugar-coated snacks.
Packaging manufacturer Hordijk produces the IML cylindrical packs for powdered sugar and cinnamon sugar in two sizes:125 g and 250 g. A distinctive dispensing cap makes application easy for the consumer.Smaller holes in the cap are perfect for sprinkling powdered sugar on pancakes and fritters.A larger aperture dispenses greater quantities of sugar, which is ideal for the pastry bakers.In addition, a tamper-evident tab ensures a first user guarantee.
The tube, IML label, and dispenser cap are all made from polypropylene. This mono-material usage makes the entire pack 100% recyclable. The IML label also saves a step in the manufacturing process, since the labels and sleeves no longer have to be applied to the packaging at the end of the production flow.
Achieving a constant wall thickness in the entire cylinder and positioning the elongated label perfectly in the mold was a challenge Hordijk encountered. Only then the label fits properly in the cylindrical pack, and the artwork perfectly forms a continuous IML label. Hordijk relied on Verstraete IML for the Orange Peel IML labels.
“An IML label provides outstanding printing quality,” says Jan Van Iseghem, Verstraete IML Sales Manager for Northern Europe. “Just look at the blue sky on the label—it’s such a radiant, clear blue. The brand owner also chose an Orange Peel finish, so the pack is pleasant to touch and hold.The feel of Orange Peel IML also reflects Van Gilse’s brand values and the benefits of the product: authenticity, quality, and enjoyment.”
