Graham Packaging Helps POM Wonderful Shift From Glass to PET Plastic

Graham Packaging Company, L.P., has begun production of a unique PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottle for one of the world's most healthful fruit products, POM Wonderful pomegranate juice.

Graham Packaging Company, L.P., has begun production of a unique PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottle for one of the world's most healthful fruit products, POM Wonderful pomegranate juice. The new bottle is made for California-based POM Wonderful, growers and marketers of fresh pomegranates and pomegranate juice. The juice takes its name from the "Wonderful" variety of pomegranate, which is the variety that the company grows exclusively and uses to produce a juice that is higher in antioxidants than any other beverage. The bottle echoes the look of a pomegranate, including the distinctive "crown" on the fruit. "This bottle was a difficult design for a plastic food-product container," says Ashok Sudan, executive vice president of the global food and beverage business at Graham Packaging. "But the fruit's growing popularity and the important health benefits of this first-ever refrigerated pomegranate juice made the bottle an attractive challenge." The multiple-bulb-shaped plastic bottles resemble actual pomegranates balanced vertically. "The plastic container gives the POM Wonderful consumer benefits such as portability," says George Plummer, Graham Packaging's national account manager for the project. "Increasingly, some retail and wholesale outlets are not allowing glass on their shelves due to safety and breakage issues." POM Wonderful pomegranate juice is becoming increasingly popular. According to POM Wonderful, studies have shown that pomegranate juice has greater antioxidant properties than any other drink, including green tea, red wine, and other fruit juices. These antioxidants are important in fighting disease. The latest research actually showed a reduction in arterial plaque build-up among patients who consumed eight ounces per day of pomegranate juice. POM Wonderful pomegranate juice is also available in five flavors: POM 100 percent pomegranate juice, POM Cherry, POM Blueberry, POM Mango, and POM Tangerine. Graham Packaging Company, L.P., is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and sale of technology-based, customized blow-molded plastic containers for the branded food and beverage, household, personal care and specialty and automotive lubricants markets. The company produced approximately 20 billion units at 90 plants in 16 countries and had pro forma worldwide net sales of $2.1 billion over the 12 months ended June 30, 2004. The Blackstone Group of New York is the majority owner of Graham Packaging.