Tetra Pak has launched its Leap Accelerator Program and will offer brands the help of its experts and contractor manufacturers to formulate products and target new consumption occasions, develop packaging and promotions, as well as help with consistency and scalability.
Some of the products the accelerator program could support include dairy- and plant-based foods, as well as beverages with high acidity.
The accelerator comes as a growing number of CPG companies, including Kraft Heinz and General Mills, try to create more sustainable products, from the ingredients to packaging.
Tetra Pak has six innovation centers globally wherefood scientists develop and test products on a variety of packaging materials. Operating the centers has given Tetra Pak knowledge of how the food industry has shifted and how it can best help brands going forward. The momentum for sustainable packaging, in particular, has picked up over the last year.
Despite the growth, still the food industry does not have many innovation houses or incubators where companies can test products, compared to industries like electronics. In the innovation kitchen at Tetra Pak facilities, brands can test process and heat various types of foods and liquids, which he said, helps product development go from conceptualization to production faster.
the company’s accelerator program and packaging and processing technology can formulate products for brands “without spoiling the flavors and properties of the product,” noting Tetra Pak has avoided the use of preservatives in new product development for over 60 years. This expertise could be even more relevant today, at a time when consumers are increasingly concerned about the presence of artificial preservatives and other ingredients in food.
Tetra Pak has worked to establish its aseptic packaging as not only a sustainable option but also one that is well equipped to the demands of modern food production. According to the company, it prioritizes treating products “gently,” as well as minimizing “the use of raw materials and energy during manufacture and subsequent distribution.”