The closure is often a forgotten packaging Component when positioning a product as high quality. Not for Milchwerke Thuringen GmbH. The subsidiary of Humana Milchunion Group has introduced an aseptic beverage carton in Germany with a three- piece screw cap that enhances perceptions of product freshness.

The company is using the closure on cartons of its Osterland brand of long-life, full-cream milk; long-life, low-fat milk; and long-life, skim milk.

Milchwerke Thuringen uses SIG CombiblocJs "combiSwift" closure. It consists of a flange with an integrated cutting ring and cap. A pouring-drinking hole is pre-punched into the carton material before it's overcoated with aluminum and polyethylene.

After the carton is filled, the closure fits on the overcoated hole. As a result, consumers can open the container with a single twist. The cutting ring easily and precisely severs the thin aluminum and PE layers to expose the clear, prepunched pouring and drinking hole.

“We want to position our Osterland products as high-quality products and expand our market share. A low-cost, convenient screw cap is just perfect for this purpose,” says Rolf Janshen, Humana Group Managing Director.

“It is precisely in the field of long-life milk that the market requires cost-efficient systems that are able to efficiently produce and present consumer-friendly, convenient, and hygienic products.”

By Judy Rice, Contributing Writer