Packaging for soft drink

Packaging is critical for consumer perception. It is vital for the product’s image, and the target market sector will influence pack type and design.

Consumer usage must also be considered. Traditionally, most beverages were pack in glass. Glass has many attractive features – not least that it is an excellent protective medium – but its overriding disadvantages are its weight and its brittleness.

For carbonated beverage packaging, containment takes on a special emphasis; unlike many other product categories, carbonated beverages are products that are maintained in an unnatural state of having an excess of carbon dioxide dissolved in the liquid.

Packages for carbonated beverages must have the ability to contain liquid and the gas pressure necessary to retain the excess carbon dioxide dissolved in the product.

The type of pack can have a significant impact on the product formulation. For example, any residual sulphur dioxide (SO2) from fruit compounds must extremely low is the fruit drink is to be pack into cans.

Another important packaging development area is plastic. When deciding which plastic to use, it is important to consider carbonation, appearance, strength and cost. By far the most widely used is PET and for carbonated drinks it is currently the only commercially viable option.
Packaging for soft drink