Karo Syrup picks PET bottles from Amcor to convert hundred-year-old brand

01 Oct 2004

Karo Syrup enters a new packaging era with the introduction of the 100-year-old brand in new polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles from Amcor PET Packaging. Karo Syrup has come a long way since its 1902 launch in "friction-top tins," followed by glass bottles later in the century. Currently making its way onto store shelves in PET is the brand’s flagship 16-ounce size. The conversion is also being accompanied by the launch of a new flavor. “Karo Corn Syrup made with real Brown Sugar” will now accompany the “Light” and “Dark” corn syrups first introduced in 1902 and the pancake syrup which debuted in 1938. After decades of marketing the brand in glass bottles, the company decided the timing was right for the switch. “We wanted to make the package more modern and unbreakable. We also wanted to provide consumers with a closure that was easy to use,” says Erin Shackelford, brand manager, ACH Food Companies. Having recently purchased the brand from Unilever, ACH Food Companies, a division of Associated British Foods plc, wanted to update the package yet still retain elements of Karo’s familiar appearance. The objective was to create a lightweight, panel-less design which performs well with fill temperatures required for syrup products. Further, the switch to PET would, for the first time, enable squeezability, not previously possible with glass. “We wanted the clean look of glass, but with better functionality,” Shackelford explains. Amcor engineers went to work designing an attractive, contemporary bottle which incorporates marketing requirements, performance criteria and stringent production objectives. “We made the waist a little skinnier to make it better suited for the female hand. Our research showed us that this was a bottle that was easier to grip. We also wanted the bottle to have a quality feel and be able to stand up to shipping abuse without dented or scratched shoulders,” Shackelford says. The dispensing aspect was also key. The PET bottle enables another first for Karo—a 33mm, polypropylene flip-top, dispensing closure. The closure, coupled with the bottle’s squeezability now makes it easier than ever for consumers to dispense the viscous syrup. “We also wanted a bottle with a quality, superior feel. And this design achieves that without the pop and crackle associated with some of thinner wall plastic containers,” Shackelford says. At the core of the design, is Amcor's paneless geometry. New breakthroughs in technology allow for a more streamlined design, eliminating panels and excessive structural ribs. Amcor's superior injection and blow molding technology and expertise in bottle design, enables the evolution of shapes that defy old standards in PET packaging. The container has also yielded several production benefits. The potential of glass breakage and downtime associated with cleaning and maintenance has been removed. The product whose 1902 advertising tag line was “The Great Spread for Daily Bread” has now begun its second century in a bottle which is shatter-resistant, lighter weight, squeezable, provides dispensing ease, while still paying homage to the tradition which has made its success possible. In 2002, Karo corn syrup celebrated 100 years as a trusted staple in America's kitchens. It is most famous as the primary ingredient in Pecan Pie. Karo is a natural sweetener and tastes great when used in recipes that call for something sweet like baked goods, pies, popcorn balls, sauces, and glazes for grilling meat, poultry and vegetables. Adding Karo to grilled foods slightly caramelizes them to enhance the flavor and appearance. ACH Food Companies is one of the leading manufacturers of food ingredients and store-branded products in the United States. ACHS manufactures and markets food products to be used as ingredients for the foodservice, retail private label, and branded food channels. Headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, ACH Food Companies, Inc. is a subsidiary of Associated British Foods, PLC, a multi-national business focused on agriculture, ingredients, oils, grocery, retail and packaging. Amcor PET Packaging is the leading manufacturer of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic packaging for the global food and beverage industries, with 70 manufacturing sites in 20 countries. Its parent company, Amcor Limited, offers a broad range of packaging solutions and ranks as one of the top three packaging companies in the world. Amcor’s extensive operations have grown in 2004 to include 236 plants in 42 countries. It is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and, for the fiscal year ending 30 June, 2004, had sale revenues of US$7.4 billion.