Induction Seal Provides Sleek, Secure Closure for Simply Dressed Salad Dressings

In the highly competitive market of sauces, dressing and condiments, Euromoniter International reports sales to reach $20.7 billion by 2018 in the Unites States. At the same time there is a whole new wave of “cleaner” eating. Consumers are more invested in the type of ingredients and preservatives being put in their food. In 2010, T. Marzetti targeted the health conscience consumer by removing all preservatives, trans fat and artificial flavors in their new Simply Dressed line of salad dressing.

When launching the Simply Dressed line, T.Marzetti wanted to differentiate it from their Classic line of dressing in every aspect from product to packaging. The Classic dressings are packaged in glass containers and sealed with a shrink wrap.

The package design team collaborated with Plastipak Packaging to create a custom container giving the dressing its own identity. Plastipak created a decanter shaped vessel made out of PET, unlike any other dressing on the market. To accessorize its sleek look they used clear shrink sleeve label from Hammer Packaging showcasing the product.

“We wanted the packaging to reflect the product, something clean and simple,” says Tom Kellett, Vice President of Procurement.

When designing the closure the design team chose a smooth cap that would not require shrink wrap. An induction seal offered all the characteristics they were looking for tucked right into the cap.

“We needed something that would provide tamper evidence, preserves our product’s freshness and still give the consumer an easy opening experience,” explains Kellett.

T. Marzetti sourced a 53mm polypropylene cap from Berry Plastics and outfitted it with a Selig Liners induction seal. The Lift ‘n’ Peel seal provides consumers the confidence of a secure seal with the convenience of easy removal.

The induction seal is fastened to the bottle with the help of an Enercon Super Seal™ induction cap sealer. Simply Dressed is the only Marzetti retail line of dressings that uses an induction seal; however the technology is not new to them.

“We have been using Enercon sealers for number years on our gallon containers. They have proven to be a very reliable piece of equipment and company, making it an easy choice for this project,” says Kellett.

An induction seal is created when a cap container passes under the induction sealer. The sealing head produces an electromagnetic current that heats up the foil liner inside the cap. The hot foil in turn melts the polymer coating on the inner-seal. The heat, coupled with the pressure of the cap, causes the inner-seal to bond to the lip of the container resulting in a hermetic seal. The induction seal provides a simple solution to eliminate the bulk of a shrink wrap accomplishing a clean closure.

T. Marzetti’s induction sealer is outfitted with tunnel sealing head which has been engineered to meet the requirements of their container. When determining the right sealing head for their application, the container’s cap diameter, style and line speed are all taken into consideration to ensure a fast, efficient and consistent seal.

Simply Dressed was quick to market, challenging Kellett’s production crew to rapidly optimize the new package with the new equipment. They were able to modify an existing production line in Horse Cave, KY and dedicate it to the product.

“It was just a matter of trial and error optimizing our line speed, with the amount of torque from our capper and sealing power to ensure a good, consistent seal,” says Kellett. “All our vendors provided us excellent support. I enjoy all the educational resources Enercon provides their customers in their newsletters and online training webinars.”

To achieve “Simple” requires a lot of hard work. From concept to delivery, Simple Dressed is a product of the synergy between T. Marzetti’s marketing, packaging design and production team. The accomplishment has not gone unnoticed. Simply Dressed has won several awards recognizing all aspects of the product: taste, convenience, nutrition and packaging from sources such as Parents Magazine, SELF Magazine and industry peers at the Association of Dressing & Sauces.