Ampac Launches Stand-up Pouch for Beverage Market

CINCINNATI, Ohio—Ampac Flexibles, a unit of Ampac Packaging, LLC, is launching PureFlex, a new clear stand-up pouch structure for water and other taste- and odor-sensitive beverages. The technological breakthrough brings a new packaging alternative to the growing beverage sector.

Traditionally, water has been one of the most challenging beverages to package because of its odorless and tasteless qualities. With the trend toward market-differentiating packaging, developing structures that do not add undesirable odor and taste characteristics to organoleptically-sensitive beverages has become critical.

The latest offering from Ampac Flexibles is a seven- to nine-layer proprietary coextrusion featuring an organoleptic sealant layer, nylon, and an optional ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) layer for additional oxygen barrier. The nylon helps provide structural strength and also acts as a barrier against odor ingress. (For example, if the pouch were placed next to an onion in the refrigerator, the nylon would act as an odor penetration deterrent.)

PureFlex Integrated Beverage Solutions is the brainchild of two Ampac Flexibles business units—Performance Films and Converted Products. Performance Films, the company’s film manufacturing arm, was charged with finding the right combination of polymers and sealants that would impart little or no negative organoleptic (odor, taste, etc.) characteristics to sensitive beverages such as water.

“We carefully selected and processed the sealant for minimal off-odor and taste. We then validated the structure via analytical testing at Rutgers University and internal sensory testing,” says Tricia Reighard, Ph.D, director of technical marketing, Ampac Flexibles, Performance Films.

Ampac Flexibles’ Converted Products unit has taken the film engineered by Performance Films and applied its significant pouch-making expertise to offer the market a wide range of shapes and sizes (175- to 1000+ ml) to help differentiate boutique and/or performance waters and beverages. Beverage companies can chose from more than a dozen stock pouch designs or have a custom shape created. Additionally, Ampac Flexibles offers spouted fitment options (with or without one-way valves) to provide appropriate dispensing functionality.

The “Integrated Beverage Solutions” part of the PureFlex branding also includes relationships with contract fillers so that a turnkey approach from development to production can be achieved and market entry is achievable without heavy capital investment.

In addition to finished pouches being marketed by Ampac Flexibles’ Converted Products unit, the basic PureFlex structure is available via rollstock for sale to other converters. Additionally, two laminated versions (solvent and solventless) are also available for those requiring reverse printed applications. Capabilities include, up to 8-color, two-sided rotogravure printing or up to 10-colors, on a flexographic press.

The clear structure helps communicate product “purity” that is desirable for many marketers. Ideal applications include specialty waters, nutraceuticals, sports endurance drinks, etc. The optional EVOH layer widens PureFlex applications into juices, wines, and other beverage categories requiring added oxygen barrier to achieve shelf-life requirements.