Certain foods, like yogurt, just got a lot more convenient with the introduction of CrushPak® “go spoonless” containers from Inveratek (www.inveratek.com), a New Zealand–based developer of the new technology that is now making it available for licensing in the U.S. and Europe. The patented CrushPak container, a compressible, accordion-like cup, is especially suited for foods like yogurt that are thick or viscous. It can be used as a squeeze-pack with or without a spoon or as a dispenser to pop out the product.

“CrushPak is a revolution in packaging technology,” says Paul Adams, CEO of Inveratek. “One pack offers consumers three different ways to eat their favorite foods. It also enables manufacturers to create new consumption opportunities and opens new markets and channels for existing products. It's the ideal platform to launch innovative products for today's on-the-go and health-focused consumer.”

In October 2006, Fonterra Brands (NZ), Ltd., a $9-billion company and the world's largest dairy-products exporter, became the first to use the CrushPak. Fonterra created and branded a new youth-oriented yogurt product named Splatz™ around the CrushPak packaging concept. Splatz, which retails for up to three times the price of competitive products, exceeded all sales expectations. It was so successful in growing sales and market share that, in February 2007, Fonterra launched a second CrushPak product called Squeezables under its flagship Calci-Yum™ dairy-food brand. Squeezables is a hot-filled, dairy-food product that is targeted at children aged five to 14.

CrushPak can be manufactured on existing machinery lines with minimal tool changes and requires no special equipment. It runs at equivalent cycle times, uses standard polystyrene sheet and is suitable for both hot- and cold-fill applications. The unique CrushPak design requires less plastic than conventional single-serve cups and can result in significant savings for manufacturers in costs and materials, says Inveratek. Environmentally, less plastic enters the wastestream. Additional information on CrushPak can be found at www.crushpak.com.