Goya Foods Inc., based in Secaucus, N.J., the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the U.S. and a leader in Latin American food and condiments industries, has undertaken a major redesign of its marinade product line, converting 12-oz (355-mL) and 24.5-oz (725-mL) products from glass to lightweight polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles from Amcor Rigid Plastics.
Amcor's Latin America custom designed hot-fill containers, which also feature a newly designed shrink wrap label, boast a highly attractive, iconic shape. The vibrant design was developed to promote a clean look that is both modern and elegant. The hot-fill bottle delivers significant performance and cost advantages including portability, reduced breakage, and light weight, along with sustainability benefits such as recyclability, reduced transportation costs, and a significantly reduced carbon footprint.
With the new PET bottle design, Goya also offers consumers more marinade product by moving from a 705-mL glass container to the 725-mL PET bottle. Consumers are drawn to the attractive and lightweight features of the PET bottles which are easier to grip compared to traditional glass containers. The marinade containers also further extend Amcor's growing penetration in the food industry.
The use of PET in the 24.5-oz container results in a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 61.4 percent compared to glass, representing savings equivalent to annual GHG emissions from 313 passenger vehicles, according to Amcor.
In addition, the PET bottles permit 52 percent more product to be shipped per truckload.
"In the end, lightweight PET not only delivered a major savings in terms of freight cost but also gave us the glass-like appearance and the shelf appeal to maintain our brand image," explains Joseph Perez, senior vice president of Goya Foods.
Meanwhile, both PET bottles are the first to feature Amcor's new Origami hot-fill technology which incorporates six flat panels to counteract vacuum that occurs in hot-filled containers. The vacuum panels are designed to collapse to compensate for shrinkage during cooling to maintain structural strength and integrity. The flat surfaces create a modern, elegant profile which enhances gripping and consumer handling. A predominant neck adds to the bottles' uniqueness and improves pourability.
Both the 12-oz and 24.5-oz PET bottles are custom designed for both ambient fill (up to 140°F) and hot fill (up to 185°F) applications. They have a 38mm finish and are seamlessly integrated into existing glass filling lines with minimal adjustment, according to Perez. The marinade products, available in three varieties including Chipotle, Mojo, and Naranja Agria, are sold in supermarkets and club stores in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.
Goya Foods also plans to replace glass with PET in an existing 12-oz juice beverage line. The conversion to hot-fill PET is expected by the summer, according to Perez.
Amcor offers 16- and 32-oz hot fill family size decanters and 12-oz, 38-mm ring neck style and 24-oz 63mm wide-mouth hot fill stock bottles for the food market. The company continues to focus on the development of new product offerings to meet the hot fill needs of food manufacturers.
