From being an icon packaging for top brands to premium personalised packaging, the Tetra Top has evolved even as it continued to grow, Niels Hougaard, managing director of Tetra Pak Arabia area tells Benjamin Daniel
UAE: Tetra Pak developed Tetra Top twenty years ago. Since then it’s become an iconic packaging for top brands like Al Safi-Danone. But Tetra Pak didn’t stop there. It made Tetra Top a journey in production innovation. Niels Hougaard, managing director of Tetra Pak Arabia, says, “Tetra
Top was initially meant for chilled formats but has been rejuvenated for the ambient range of products especially with low OH levels.”
Further innovation
Initially Tetra Top had a one-step opening, but as it continued to evolve, it added a two-step opening to make it tamper-evident packaging product. “This development gave it an extra spark in terms of growth”, says Hougaard.
Long-life yoghurt with particles became a huge growth opportunity for the pack in China, which, fuelled by changing youth- consumer trends towards sustainable packaging, gave growth a flip. “The Tetra top has 75% of renewable con- tents because it is coming from trees and these forests are re-grown under ethical principles, governed by the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). Tetra Top also has a high potential for recycling as it is made from virgin fibres,” explains Hougaard.
New market positions
Digital printing and premium holographic finishing have added a new dimension to the pack enabling it to enter the premium packaging space. The recent launch of Al Rabie’s premium energy drink in a holographic Tetra Top is testimonial.
“Saudi Arabia is amazing when it comes to adoption of technology. We first launched the 200ml slim pack, added another panel that gives space for the brand to communicate with the customers,” quotes Hougaard.
Al Rabie has moved its hummus and tomato paste to Tetra Top packs. There’s a build up of new categories like coconut milk, non- dairy and food products moving to Tetra Pak, backed by a high acceptance and the trust for ambient carton packaging from the consumers. “We also see that focus on value-added milk products, we have growth of evaporated milk, dairy creams, protein milks so that the format can carry the day to day big products and also the smaller categories,” says Hougaard.
Tetra Top is not a trans- parent kind of pack, hence the consumer is not able to see the contents of the pack, which is possible with flexible packaging. However, proper labelling and educating the consumer about Tetra Top’s hygiene, sustainability and long shelf like is key. “There is a positive trend towards ambient products across the entire dairy categories. This market is very adaptive to changing trends, and we see untapped potential for our growth,” concludes Hougaard.
Tetra Pak’s digital print power, an industry first
Tetra Pak is collaborating with Koenig & Bauer, a global leader in the field of printing, to tap the power of digital on-pack- age printing, which will make it the first company in the food and beverage carton industry to do so.
The company will offer full-colour digital printing on its carton packaging, which Tetra Pak said, will simplify the complexity of design handling, reducing the time from design to print and open- ing up new opportunities for flexibility in order placement and product customisation.
Charles Brand, executive vice president, product management and commercial operations at Tetra Pak said, “We are committed to helping our customers explore new avenues with a truly ‘smart’ package, supporting their need for product customisation, smaller batch sizes, greater trace- ability and the ability to interact with the consumer. Our investment in this digital printer demonstrates our commitment to support customers with future-proof technologies as the digital revolution transforms the way we all do business.”
The full-width digital printer is currently being built by Koenig & Bauer and will be installed at Tetra Pak’s converting plant at Denton, Texas. Field testing of the new, digitally-printed carton packages is expected to begin in early 2020 with North American customers.
Carmen Becker, president and CEO of Tetra Pak US and Canada, said, “Brands continue to look for opportunities to deliver greater customisation and personalisation of their products. We’re thrilled to offer our customers new and innovative ways to engage with consumers, all the while increasing flexibility in the design and order process.”