Amcor introduces 24-oz. hot fill wide mouth PET container for food industry designed to displace glass as dominant material used; jar aims to replace glass for pasta sauces, salsas, other food products filled at temperatures up to 205 F

Alison Gallant

MANCHESTER, Michigan , October 7, 2011 (press release) – New 24oz Hot Fill Container Replaces Glass and Delivers Unprecedented Consumer Benefits

Amcor Rigid Plastics, the world's leading producer of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging, is ready to unseat glass as the dominant material in 24oz wide mouth food containers. The industry leader in hot fill technology sees major market opportunities for its newly introduced 24oz round, wide mouth PET jar for the food industry. The stock hot fill container is a lightweight replacement for glass for pasta sauces, apple sauce, salsas, jams and jellies, and other food products filled at temperatures up to 205 F.

Conversion from glass to PET not only improves a brand owner's environmental stance but its market position with consumers as well. Users, particularly families with children, will now be able to enjoy the consumer-friendly benefits of PET including lightweight, easy opening, and much improved product evacuation. Also high on the list of key features is the unbreakable design, transparency, and the environmental benefits of a lightweight and recyclable jar.

"Amcor has taken wide mouth, hot fill containers to a new level by combining our round wall design and novel blow-trim technology to create a glass-like PET container that has all the desirable consumer advantages," according to Ron McFarlane, Amcor principal engineer. The conversion to PET has equally impressive cost benefits for brand owners and contract packers. Reduced weight results in lower transportation costs and less breakage means more efficient inline production and handling.

Amcor's Performance Widemouth (PWM) technology delivers a unique panel-less design. The bottle's four horizontal ribs and its stiff walls resist the vacuum as the product cools, therefore maintaining bottle shape, according to McFarlane. The round 63-mm jar weighs just 51 grams and mimics the appearance of glass.

Another key feature is Amcor's patented blow-trim technology which ensures consistent finish dimensions, optimum closure performance, and sealing integrity. The enhanced blow-trim process gives wide mouth jars a flatter, smoother, and wider surface that maintains good fit and seal integrity, says McFarlane.

The stock round jars are commercially available with the option of oxygen barrier offerings. Amcor expects pasta sauce to be the first hot fill application to hit store shelves later this year.

About Amcor

Amcor Rigid Plastics is among the world's largest manufacturers of plastic packaging for the beverage, food, personal and home care, and pharmaceuticals industries with 71 facilities in 12 countries. Amcor Limited is a global leader in responsible packaging solutions, employing more than 35,000 people worldwide, operating in 43 countries across 300 sites. Amcor supplies a broad range of plastic (rigid and flexible), fibre, metal and glass packaging solutions to enhance the products consumers use in everyday life. Amcor also provides packaging-related services that help customers succeed through collaboration and innovation driven by art and science. Amcor is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. For more information, visit www.amcor.com .

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