Mamma Mia! A UK first as Ragú switches to plastic

A new addition to the range of Britain’s oldest pasta sauces, Ragú, has become the first UK product to go on-shelf in RPC Superfos’s SuperLock barrier pack.

RPC says the 400ml pack, supplied to manufacturer Symingtons by RPC Containers Blackburn, has been selected in preference to glass due to its ambient shelf life of up to 24 months combined with glass-like transparency and the added in-home safety of a non-shatter container.

SuperLock containers combine an oxygen barrier on all surfaces with a membrane seal to ensure an almost non-existent oxygen transmission rate.

The barrier is created through the use of an in-mould labelling (IML) technique. Labels are manufactured using a special co-extruded barrier foil and are applied during the injection moulding of the containers. After filling, the containers are sealed with a PP/EVOH/PP membrane seal. 

Together the two processes ensure virtually zero oxygen transmission to provide an ambient shelf life of up to 24 months. They are suitable for hot filling and autoclaving during processing. An additional filling line benefit is that the process is far quieter than other materials, says RPC.

Further consumer benefits include easy re-closability thanks to the twist-off/screw-on lid and SuperLock is microwave, dishwasher and freezer safe.

RPC says the extension to the range meets consumer demand for sophisticated cooking options, and was available as a Tesco exclusive from 28 April, then in other retailers a month later.