Mrs. Griffin's Barbecue Sauce Converts 12oz and 32oz Products from Glass to Lightweight PET from Amcor
76-Year-Old Company's First Use of PET Delivers Glass-Like Appearance, Reduced Breakage, and Lower Cost
MANCHESTER, Mich., Oct. 6, 2011 – Mrs. Griffin’s Barbecue Sauce in Macon, Ga., a well-established Southern food brand and one of the Southeast’s most popular barbecue sauces since 1935, has converted its 12oz and 32oz products from glass to lightweight polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles from Amcor Rigid Plastics, the world’s leading producer of rigid plastic packaging. The packaging change represents Mrs. Griffin’s first use of PET bottles in its 76-year history.
Conversion from glass to the 12oz ring neck and 32oz decanter PET bottles has resulted in a major reduction in freight costs and a significant reduction in breakage/damaged goods charge backs from retailers, according to Roland Neel, president and CEO of Mrs. Griffin’s. “We’ve been in business 76 years so our move from glass to plastic was made only after careful deliberation and research,” explained Neel. “In the end, lightweight PET not only delivered a huge savings in terms of transport costs and breakage but also gave us the glass-like appearance and shelf life appeal to maintain Mrs. Griffin’s brand image of premium quality.”
Neel also noted that PET meets the growing sustainability requirements of the packaging and retail industry by providing a reduced carbon footprint, recyclability, and reduced transportation costs, resulting in greater penetration in retail/club store channels. Thanks to Amcor’s proprietary lightweight technology, the reduction in bottle weight means far less material is needed to produce the package, resulting in more efficient packing and reduced transportation footprint. Mrs. Griffin’s barbecue sauces are sold in supermarkets, big box retailers, and club stores in Georgia and throughout the Southeast.
Mrs. Griffin’s is the first to use Amcor’s 32oz decanter PET bottle. It offers more attractive styling and appearance along with greater rigidity compared to competitive PET containers on the market. The 50g ambient container is sturdier than competing plastic versions thanks to a rigid base that prevents tipping on the filling line. The 32-oz ambient fill (up to 140°F) and hot fill (up to 185°F) decanters are targeted for barbecue sauce, salad dressing, and other sauce products.
Meanwhile, the 12oz ring neck bottle features Amcor’s PowerFlexTM technology - a patented panel-less design which takes hot fill bottle options to a new level. The structural design eliminates the panels, and unlike competitive containers, provides a large, completely panel-less label panel. Amcor uses design and manufacturing techniques to create a bottle that absorbs vacuum via a patented designed base. A unique diaphragm within the base draws upward as the liquid cools. It has the geometric characteristics to enable the inverted cone-shaped diaphragm to deflect upward as the vacuum is created.
Unlike conventional hot fill PET alternatives, PowerFlex bottles are easier to label since they don’t have sidewall vacuum panels. Packers don’t have to worry about mislabeling, that is; missing the vertical bars in applying labels. Nor do they have to deal with the ripple effect that occurs when labeling over panels.
The 12oz ring neck container comes in two versions: one has three horizontal ribs for hot-fill (up to 185°F) applications and the other has smooth walls for ambient fill or warm fill up to 140°F.
Both the 12oz and 32oz bottles have a 38mm 400CT finish. They are seamlessly integrated into existing glass filling lines with minimal adjustment, according to Neel.
About Mrs. Griffin’s Barbecue Sauce
Mrs. Griffin's Barbecue Sauce, based in Macon, Ga., was founded by Mangham Edward Griffin in 1935. M.E. Griffin created a special barbecue sauce that he made for his family's July Fourth picnic each year. He called his special sauce Mrs. Griffin's Barbecue Sauce in honor of his wife, Etta Busbee Griffin. The company, now owned by Roland Neel, continues to run in the same tradition set by Griffin. The various ingredients are mixed - not cooked - in a 60-gallon vat and the process, which takes four days, includes 12 steps to combine the ingredients. The mustard-based sauce comes in four flavors: original, chicken, hickory smoked, and hot. Mrs. Griffin's Barbecue Sauce is sold to wholesalers, grocery stores, barbecue restaurants, and selected food-service companies in Georgia and throughout the Southeast. More information is available at (478) 788-1392 or visit www.griffinsbbq.com.
About Amcor
Amcor Rigid Plastics is among the world’s largest manufacturers of plastic packaging for the beverage, food, personal and home care, and pharmaceuticals industries with 71 facilities in 12 countries. Amcor Limited is a global leader in responsible packaging solutions, employing more than 35,000 people worldwide, operating in 43 countries across 300 sites. Amcor supplies a broad range of plastic (rigid and flexible), fibre, metal and glass packaging solutions to enhance the products consumers use in everyday life. Amcor also provides packaging-related services that help customers succeed through collaboration and innovation driven by art and science. Amcor is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia and is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. For more information, visit www.amcor.com.
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Company Contact:
Yi Jiang
Amcor Rigid Plastics
(734) 428-4013
yi.jiang@amcor.com
Media Contact:
Joe Grande
Group 55 Marketing
(313) 875-1155
jgrande@group55.com
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