Pretium Packaging, a leading North American manufacturer of plastic containers and closures, is launching a new 12-ounce polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sauce bottle, that has been designed to mimic the look and feel of glass.

The new sauce bottle provides a viable alternative for brands (sauces, marinades, dressings, condiments, etc.) previously unwilling to convert to PET. Additionally, for brand owners seeking to minimize use of virgin materials, the bottle can be made with up to 50 percent recycled PET.

"When a PET substitute is produced for a specific fill volume it has a smaller footprint because the blow molding process results in sidewalls that are thinner than glass. That means reduced shelf presence and ‘hand feel’ that is less substantial. As a result, many brand owners marketing premium products have been reluctant to make the conversion", explains Barry Sak, Vice President, Business Development, Pretium.

In designing the new 12-ounce, 38-400mm stock bottle, Pretium’s objective was to engineer an alternative so brand owners could capitalize on the positive attributes of PET, but still keep the desired glass attributes.

Pretium selected a 40 gram preform, which is approximately 50 percent heavier than those typically used for 12-ounce PET sauce bottles. Pretium’s engineers were able to modify shoulder, neck and label indentation areas, to end up with a bottle that met both fill and dimension requirements.

Now brand owners can benefit from PET attributes (shatter-resistance, less weight to transport, easier handling, etc.) while still having desired shelf and handling attributes. Additionally, as e-commerce distribution for food products continues to grow, PET’s light weight and shatter resistance is ideally suited to withstand distribution challenges.

Pretium’s 12-ounce sauce bottle is ideal for cold or ambient fills up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit and can be used for a wide variety of products.