Creating a new drink experience

Imagine the pleasurable sensation of sipping a cold drink mixed with sweet and natural bits of fruit - from a carton

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Imagine the pleasurable sensation of sipping a cold drink mixed with sweet and natural bits of fruit - from a carton GLOBALLY, the food industry is searching for product innovations that have the potential for success and offer added value - for consumers, for producers and for retail. And, worldwide, the "health and wellness" consumer trend remains the main driver for new product developments in the food industry. Naturalness and purity are the key aspects that consumers look for when selecting value-added products. Going further, a study commissioned by SIG Combibloc confirms that for consumers, claims of added value in a beverage are given much greater credibility if the product contains pieces of real fruit or vegetable than would be the case with a drink that did not contain real fruit pieces. The international consumer study also revealed that even adults prefer to drink products with perceptible added value qualities through a straw. Drinking through a straw allows the consumer to fully appreciate the unique texture of products containing bits of fruits or cereal grains, creating a completely new drinking experience. With these results in mind, SIG Combibloc developed drinksplus - a completely new product category: ambient milk mix or non-carbonated soft drinks (NCSD) products with real fruit or vegetable or even cereal grains filled in carton packs fitted with straws. Right in line with the health and wellness trend, the drinksplus concept is an effective value added solution because of the perceptible, natural "extras" that consumers can enjoy bit by bit to enhance their drinking experience. The development makes it possible for products containing up to 10% particulates to be filled in aseptic carton packs using standard SIG Combibloc filling machines for liquid dairy and NCSD products - with individual bits of up to 6mm in length and diameter. Beverage concepts were further developed in cooperation with the DöhlerGroup to come with a selection of innovative drinks containing particulates. These include, for example, smoothies with bits of pineapple and orange refined with pepper, and yoghurt drinks with pieces of mango and pineapple. The recipes leave plenty of scope for further creative drinks concepts to enhance the product portfolio of any food manufacturer. Heat treatment of particulates When considering new product concepts, it is not just a matter of coming up with innovative ideas but it is also necessary to think about technical feasibility. To offer complete solutions that incorporate product handling and process technology before the filling process, SIG Combibloc worked closely with GEA TDS, which focused on process technology and components, as well as plant engineering and construction. GEA developed three basic technical options that can be implemented on standard SIG Combibloc filling machines for liquid dairy and NCSD products for the drinksplus category. Single heat treatment for viscous products. With the first basic solution for processing and filling, the liquid component and the particulates are mixed and then heat-treated in one tubular heat exchanger. This method is especially suitable for viscous drinks, such as smoothies in which the bits are evenly distributed. Separate heat treatment for less viscous products. When heat-treating the liquid component and the solid particulates separately, less viscous products such as milk mix drinks or fruit juice drinks with pieces of fruits, vegetables or cereals, there are two possible solutions prior to aseptically filling the beverage into carton packs from SIG Combibloc. In the first option, the liquid is processed in a standard heat exchanger whilst the supplier of the solid particulates delivers the aseptically filled bits. They are delivered in a carrier liquid in mobileAir Force 1 Low Flyknit