“The packaging had to reflect the uniqueness of our Jel and appeal to all healthy and active people, not just endurance athletes,” says Yuichiro Nakajima, general manager of Ajinomoto's Nutraceutical Div. “We also wanted a packaging material that was durable, resistant to punctures, and flexible.”
The nutritional gel uses a custom 140-mL (4.7-oz) QuadPAK™ side-gusseted, stand-up pouch constructed of polyester/gravure seven-color reverse print/foil/nylon/polyethylene from Ampac Flexibles, a division of Ampac Packaging, LLC, (www.ampaconline.com).
“The revolutionary twist-off cap makes the Jel easily transportable for the on-the-go individual, and it also allows you to control your portion size,” explains Nakajima.
The EZ Turn Cap from Seaquist Closures (www.seaquistclosures.com) is a polypropylene, tamper-evident fitment that offers an enlarged, easy-to-grasp design. It's applied right after 200 pack/min filling, contract packaged in West Chicago, IL, by The Jel Sert Co. (www.jelsert.com), using modified Hensen Packaging Concepts (www.hensen.de) equipment.
The company offered its sports supplements in various formats prior to the launch of this squeezable Jel product in apple and grape flavors in August 2006 in the Northeast U.S. It sells for $2.90 per pouch at supplement stores such as Vitamin Shoppe and GNC, according to marketing manager Keiko Tokuda.
Ajinomoto expects the pouched gels to compete against other energy gels as well as ready-to-drink products, bars and other supplements.
