Hoffmann Neopac unveils innovative supplement packaging solutions at Vitafoods 2018

15 May 2018 --- Pharmaceutical packaging specialists, Hoffmann Neopac, will unveil their newest tins and tube solutions at this year’s Vitafoods show, in Geneva. The new packaging is certified to be childproof and aims to meet the demand for more cost-effective and sustainable innovations across the pharmaceutical, dietary and food industries.

“Consumers and producers have a growing list of demands for their packaging,” Cornelia Schmid, Head of Marketing at Hoffmann Neopac, tells NutritionInsight. “They want high barrier properties to protect the product, food compliance of the materials, recyclability, branding and decoration possibilities such as matte effects, embossing or hotfoil stamping, and reclosability capabilities.”

Hoffmann Neopac offers the pharmaceutical industry as well as the dietary and food industries, food-suitable, flavor-safe tinplate tins as well as Polyfoil tubes, in which food supplements, liquids and creams are securely packed and remain fresh to meet the growing need in society for nutritional supplements and healthcare products that can support physical and mental fitness.

Certified child-resistant tins
The manufacturer already offers airtight flip-top tins with a flavor seal and three-piece tins. Child-safe, opaque tins with filling volumes of 50, 100 and 500ml are being added to this collection; these tins are said to keep dry foods fresh, such as pills and powders, and protect them from children.

The certified child-safe access for children means that the lid can only be removed with simultaneous pressure and rotation after the first opening. For children up to the age of 51 months, the pressure and turn lid cannot be opened. By contrast, for adults and the elderly, the certified child-safe caps are easy to handle.

Schmid explains the advantages of tin over the commonly-used PET in supplement packaging: “PET is transparent and has a high oxygen barrier – Tins and Polyfoil tubes are opaque and have a high oxygen, light, water permeation and aroma barrier.”

Furthermore, the tins are completely recyclable. As Schmid highlights, “In Germany, 93 percent of consumer tin scrap is recycled. It’s the most recycled consumer packaging in the metal stream.”

For start-ups or sample purposes, Hoffmann Neopac keeps a stock of around 500 pieces from fall 2018. But larger quantities with individual offset printing and embossing decoration are available.

The dropper tube: for liquids
Pharmaceutical applications of drops for oral ingestion, such as vitamins and cough drops as well as liquid natural remedies, are usually packed in a glass bottle. Glass tubes are often tiresome for the user – “at first no drops appear, then too many appear and too fast” is a statement often heard from consumers.

With Neopac's dropper tube, you can offer your customers a user-friendly option, controlled drops and precise dosage. “Inside the head, there is a small dosing insert (defining drops) so that drops are easily dispensable,” explains Schmid.

“The challenge was managing the accuracy for the dropper insert on high-speed production lines.”

Polyfoil dropper tubes have a filling volume of 3 up to 150ml. The high barrier properties of the Polyfoil tube ensure that the contents are always well protected. For decoration and branding, various printing techniques such as offset, silkscreen and hotfoil stamping are possible. The minimum order quantity for tubes is 10,000 pieces.

Hoffmann Neopac is a family-owned company, headquartered in Thun, Switzerland. Its long-standing customers include internationally active pharmaceutical, cosmetics and consumer goods manufacturers in the European and North American markets. The company also has a presence in the Asian market, through 3D Technopack in Mumbai, India. The company has approximately 1,000 employees worldwide.

By Joshua Poole