New technology for PET containers gets FDA approval

24-Jul-09

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval for Constar’s new DiamondClear® oxygen scavenging technology for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers. Under this Food Contact Notification (FCN), Constar will begin selling DiamondClear for packaging virtually all oxygen sensitive food and beverage products, including tomato ketchup, salsas, pasta sauces, table sauces, jams, jellies, ready-to-drink teas, juices, dairy, wine, and other alcoholic beverages. After receiving approval for its original oxygen scavenging technology in January 2007, Constar submitted for a new FCN after developing new chemistry for DiamondClear technology to further enhance its barrier performance, clarity and recyclability. The new material displays huge capacity for scavenging oxygen, enabling packaging features such as extreme light weighting, multi-year product shelf life, robust empty bottle life, and a step change improvement for recycling. The new proprietary technology substantially elevates the barrier performance of PET containers, while maintaining clarity, rendering Constar's PET containers a more attractive and sustainable alternative to glass containers, other forms of plastic packaging and even metal containers in some cases. As concerns about the environmental impact of packaging and transportation mount, the demand for better performing rigid plastic packaging continues to accelerate; and this new technology contributes to reduced energy per package. The chemistry has been developed so that a monolayer barrier can now be used with virtually all oxygen sensitive food and beverage products. It also delivers the desired clarity and improves the recyclability of used containers—a highly desirable benefit of DiamondClear technology. At 24 months, PET containers with DiamondClear technology experienced little oxygen ingress—much like glass, while plain PET and many monolayer scavengers demonstrated substantial ingress. The ability to tightly control oxygen ingress enables PET containers with DiamondClear to keep products fresher, more vibrant in color and tasting better longer. DiamondClear's attractiveness as an alternative to glass containers is further advanced by its exceptional clarity, light weight and a robust monolayer structure that eliminates the risk of delamination, a common performance flaw of multi-layer PET containers. This "toughness" allows for faster filling and labeling speeds.