Seven of the 10 DuPont Award winners have already appeared in the pages of Packaging World. Here’s another look at them.
Food Category, Gold Award: A 24-oz pickle jar from Vlasic Foods Intl., Cherry Hill, NJ, won a Gold Award (see Oct ‘00, p.2, or packworld.com/go/vlasic). In test at an undisclosed location since Sept. ‘00, the polyethylene terephthalate jar is injection/stretch blow molded by Schmalbach-Lubeca (Manchester, MI). It features a wide-mouth opening with crystallized neck finish and is the first commercial example of Schmalbach-Lubeca’s True Heat-Set® technology. It enables the jars to withstand pasteurizing temperatures to 190°F for an unspecified time, says John Collier, director of packaging for Vlasic Foods. Collier credits teamwork between Vlasic, Schmalbach-Lubeca, and cap-maker White-Cap (Downers Grove, IL) for the project’s success in understanding various forces of filling, sealing, pasteurizing, labeling, and shipping.
Food Category, Gold Award: StarKist Seafood Div. of Pittsburgh-based Heinz North America introduced StarKist tuna in three varieties in vacuum sealed, retorted pouches available nationally in October 2000 (see Aug ‘00 p 2, or packworld.com/go/starkist). The 7.06-oz foil pouch contains virtually no liquid and is said to deliver firmer, fresher-tasting tuna. InterBrand (New York, NY) developed the pack’s graphics, printed in six colors. Company spokesman Michael Mullen informs PW that the pouched products have reached a “terrific” 5% market share in just six months. Playing off that momentum, a 3-oz “single-serve” pouch will debut nationally in late spring that uses the same (undisclosed) structure, Mullen says.
Food Category, Gold Award: Kraft Foods (Northfield, IL) earns a gold in the food category for its 6-oz Cool Whip Squeeze dispenser sold in supermarket freezers (see Jan ‘01 p.2, or packworld.com/go/coolwhip). The special two-piece decorator tip, molded by Creative Packaging (Buffalo Grove, IL), allows consumers to personalize foods with stars, loops, and swirls. Sharing the gold are Curwood (Oshkosh, WI), which Kraft says supplies the pouch material and inserts the fitment; pouch body manufacturer Riley & Geehr (Evanston, IL); and Osgood Industries (Oldsmar, FL), which supplied the pouch filler.
Food Category, Silver Award: Morton, IL-based RMH Foods uses printed, heat-sealed bags to overwrap polypropylene trays containing a vacuum-packed meat entrée (see Feb. ‘01 p. 2, packworld.com/go/rmh). Printed flexo in eight colors, the bags are converted and wicketed by Robbie Mfg. (Lenexa, KS). Bag material is 75-ga Clysar® from DuPont (Wilmington, DE).
Non-Food Category, Gold Award: Variotec Innovative Packaging Systems, Kaufbeuren, Germany, won a Gold Award for its Dialpack dispenser (see Feb. ‘01, p. 10 or packworld. com/go/dialpack). The dual package lets consumers personalize dosing of the critical sun protection factor in their sunscreen product.
Non-Food Category, Silver Award: Squeeze’n Shave Travel Razor on a Tube from Hoke2 of Campbell, CA (see Apr. ‘00, p. 4, of packworld.com/go/hoke2) won a Silver Award. Consisting of three components, this 1-oz tube of shave gel snaps into a molded flexible polypropylene shell that becomes the handle for a standard disposable shaving blade. Hoke2 injection molds the PP shell in-house. JSN (Irvine, CA) injection blow-molds the monolayer LDPE tube. Filling is done at Libby Labs (Berkeley, CA).
Non-Food Category, Silver Award: Morristown, NJ-based Colgate-Palmolive won a silver award for its 2in1 Toothpaste and Mouthwash in a Squeeze Bottle (see Sept. ‘00, p. 2 or packworld.com/go/2in1). The innovative package dispenses a liquid gel from a flip-top closure. As the consumer brushes, the gel is said to make its way between the teeth and into hard-to-reach places, providing both cavity protection and fresh breath.
