Ajinomoto Selects Reclosable Stand-up Pouch from Ampac
November 2006
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CINCINNATI, Ohio—The launch of Ajinomoto USA’s Amino Vital Jel marks the first time a reclosable pouch is being used to market a nutritional, energy, and recovery enhancing gel product in the United States.
Ampac Flexibles, a unit of Ampac Packaging, LLC, designed a custom 140-ml (4.73 fl. oz.) QuadPAK side-gusset, stand-up pouch that features a resealable closure. The pouch’s structural advantages give athletes and other users more consumption flexibility than previously available in this product category.
“The packaging had to reflect the uniqueness of our Jel and had to appeal to all healthy and active people, not just endurance athletes. We also wanted a packaging material that was durable, resistant to punctures, and flexible,” explains Yuichiro Nakajima, general manager of Nutraceuticals Division, Ajinomoto.
Amino Vital products were originally launched in Japan where nutritional gel products are commonly found in stand-up pouches. Ajinomoto first introduced the Amino Vital sports supplement brand to American consumers in 2003 via drinks, powders, caplets, and bars. This month, Amino Vital Jel—in apple and grape flavors—hits U.S. shelves.
For the first time in the United States, the resealable, squeezable QuadPAK enables Ajinomoto to put portion control in the hands of the user. (Other energy gels on the market do not offer a reclosing option, so the user has minimal usage flexibility.)
“Amino Vital Jel is refreshingly light and delicious, with an irresistible jello-like texture. The revolutionary squeeze-pack with twist-off cap makes the Jel easily transportable for the on-the-go individual, and it also allows you to customize your portion size,” explains Nakajima. And although Ajinomoto considered two-panel pouches, it decided that it wanted to replicate the four-panel design in which it markets its Amino Vital Jel in Japan. “The aesthetics of the pouch, when filled and made to stand, appealed to us,” Nakajima says.
The QuadPAK pouch is made from polyester/foil/nylon/polyethylene and “looks and acts like a box, except it’s flexible and it dispenses the gel through the spout” says Craig Rutman, director of sales and marketing, Ampac Flexibles.
Dispensing is enabled by combining Seaquist Closures’ spout technology and Ampac’s insertion know how. The dispensing assembly features components from Seaquist, a polyethylene spouted-base fitment topped with an EZ Turn Cap—a tamper-evident, swallow-resistant closure. Its enlarged, ergonomic design makes it easy to grasp, turn, and access the gel.
But before the product could be commercialized there were several obstacles that needed to be overcome.
Ampac Flexibles, a unit of Ampac Packaging, LLC, designed a custom 140-ml (4.73 fl. oz.) QuadPAK side-gusset, stand-up pouch that features a resealable closure. The pouch’s structural advantages give athletes and other users more consumption flexibility than previously available in this product category.
“The packaging had to reflect the uniqueness of our Jel and had to appeal to all healthy and active people, not just endurance athletes. We also wanted a packaging material that was durable, resistant to punctures, and flexible,” explains Yuichiro Nakajima, general manager of Nutraceuticals Division, Ajinomoto.
Amino Vital products were originally launched in Japan where nutritional gel products are commonly found in stand-up pouches. Ajinomoto first introduced the Amino Vital sports supplement brand to American consumers in 2003 via drinks, powders, caplets, and bars. This month, Amino Vital Jel—in apple and grape flavors—hits U.S. shelves.
For the first time in the United States, the resealable, squeezable QuadPAK enables Ajinomoto to put portion control in the hands of the user. (Other energy gels on the market do not offer a reclosing option, so the user has minimal usage flexibility.)
“Amino Vital Jel is refreshingly light and delicious, with an irresistible jello-like texture. The revolutionary squeeze-pack with twist-off cap makes the Jel easily transportable for the on-the-go individual, and it also allows you to customize your portion size,” explains Nakajima. And although Ajinomoto considered two-panel pouches, it decided that it wanted to replicate the four-panel design in which it markets its Amino Vital Jel in Japan. “The aesthetics of the pouch, when filled and made to stand, appealed to us,” Nakajima says.
The QuadPAK pouch is made from polyester/foil/nylon/polyethylene and “looks and acts like a box, except it’s flexible and it dispenses the gel through the spout” says Craig Rutman, director of sales and marketing, Ampac Flexibles.
Dispensing is enabled by combining Seaquist Closures’ spout technology and Ampac’s insertion know how. The dispensing assembly features components from Seaquist, a polyethylene spouted-base fitment topped with an EZ Turn Cap—a tamper-evident, swallow-resistant closure. Its enlarged, ergonomic design makes it easy to grasp, turn, and access the gel.
But before the product could be commercialized there were several obstacles that needed to be overcome.
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