The Londonderry, NH-based organic yogurt producer made its first foray into yogurt beverages with four low-fat flavors in February. The white-pigmented, extrusion blow-molded HDPE bottles are supplied by Shelburne Plastics (South Burlington, VT). The 17-g container is topped with a tamper-evident, screw-on injection-molded 38-mm HDPE closure from Portola Packaging (San Jose, CA). The closure is color-coordinated with graphics on a 10-color, gravure-printed 2-mil oriented polystyrene label from Sleever Intl. (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada).
Initially, Stonyfield is using a contract packager to fill the bottles at speeds of 70 to 90 bpm. Filling could also be brought in-house if sales can justify new machinery purchases.
“We have had incredible consumer and retailer feedback so far,” comments Gary Hirshberg, Stonyfield’s president and CEO. “Consumers are telling us that it is thirst-quenching and satisfying as a snack and perfect as a small ‘meal’ on-the-run.” —JB
