Capri-Sun Production
How we put the sun into Capri-Sun pouches – your guide to Capri-Sun packaging
It’s thanks to the unique Capri-Sun pouch that we can produce the fruit juice drinks you love without adding any preservatives or artificial flavours and colours.
Over the years our packaging has won awards in the US (Packaging of the Year 1982) and been commended as ‘ecologically advantageous’ by the German Secretary of the Environment in 2004.
How do we create such a lightweight but durable pouch – and how does your sun-filled drink get into it?
Let’s find out.
Over the years our packaging has won awards in the US (Packaging of the Year 1982) and been commended as ‘ecologically advantageous’ by the German Secretary of the Environment in 2004.
How do we create such a lightweight but durable pouch – and how does your sun-filled drink get into it?
Let’s find out.
Why the Capri-Sun pouch is no slouch
We’re mighty proud of our pouch – and we’re still working to make it even better.
- We’re proud that the European Space Agency (ESA) developed it for use by astronauts on the International Space Station.
- We’re proud that its unique design and quality production process allows us to create drinks without preservatives or artificial flavours and colours.
- We’re proud that its super handy for kids to take in their lunch boxes.
- And we’re especially proud that its lightweight design makes it environmentally friendly to transport. We are committed to providing lots of refreshment in minimal packaging.
Capri-Sun Fact: Our trucks are optimized to carry nearly 93.9% refreshing drinks and just 6.1% packaging.
How we place a natural fruit juice drink in a high-tech pouch
Our pouch is so central to our quality and drink experience, that we produce it ourselves: each Capri-Sun pouch is made by Pouch Partners, a subsidiary of the Capri-Sun Group.
Under strict safety and quality rules we package lots of natural goodness into a rather minimalist pouch. Some of our global partners receive the empty pouches and fill them with great tasting Capri-Sun locally.
Under strict safety and quality rules we package lots of natural goodness into a rather minimalist pouch. Some of our global partners receive the empty pouches and fill them with great tasting Capri-Sun locally.
Capri-Sun Fact: Capri-Sun contains nothing more than:
- Water
- Natural fruit juices
- Sugar and/or other sweeteners from natural sources
- Natural flavours
To keep all this natural goodness fresh without artificial ingredients, we use a lightweight, durable and flexible juice pouch. Its robust laminated foil is made up from three wafer-thin layers.
The classic Capri-Sun fruit drink pouch is lighter than a normal piece of A4 paper: it weighs just 4.05g (and that includes the straw).
It is because we do not use preservatives that we must pack our beverages at high speed and under strict quality control standards. And the clock starts ticking as soon as our pouch has been assembled.
In temperatures in excess of 85oC, the natural ingredients are placed inside the inflated pouch. A similar way to the pasteurisation process used for milk is used to ensure that there are no bacteria or germs present.
The pouch is vacuum sealed immediately. The vitamin C in the fruit juice binds the oxygen – it's nature’s little way of ensuring our great fresh taste.
Next, it is cooled in a cooling tank to avoid any condensation that would make it unstable. After this, straws are attached, and the pouches are placed into the cardboard cartons.
- Plastic is used on the outside to provide the necessary stability.
- Aluminium protects the sensitive, natural contents from the harmful effects of oxygen and light.
- A third layer (made of plastic) keeps the flavour inside.
The classic Capri-Sun fruit drink pouch is lighter than a normal piece of A4 paper: it weighs just 4.05g (and that includes the straw).
It is because we do not use preservatives that we must pack our beverages at high speed and under strict quality control standards. And the clock starts ticking as soon as our pouch has been assembled.
In temperatures in excess of 85oC, the natural ingredients are placed inside the inflated pouch. A similar way to the pasteurisation process used for milk is used to ensure that there are no bacteria or germs present.
The pouch is vacuum sealed immediately. The vitamin C in the fruit juice binds the oxygen – it's nature’s little way of ensuring our great fresh taste.
Next, it is cooled in a cooling tank to avoid any condensation that would make it unstable. After this, straws are attached, and the pouches are placed into the cardboard cartons.
How do we check for quality?
The quality of Capri-Sun is regularly tested by our quality team and external partners. Our partner is one of Europe’s leading, independent providers of chemical laboratory analysis. With more than 150 certifications, accreditations and approvals, and 155 years of experience, their seal is a guarantee of quality.
It’s not just the final product that is scrutinised. All production processes, from raw material extraction to packaging, are thoroughly and routinely examined.
It’s not just the final product that is scrutinised. All production processes, from raw material extraction to packaging, are thoroughly and routinely examined.
Capri-Sun Fact: All production processes, from raw material extraction to packaging, are thoroughly and routinely examined by the Fresenius Institute.
Natural mould has on very rare occasions been discovered in our preservative-free fruit juice drinks. This is not caused by a lack of quality control during production: it can only happen if the Capri-Sun pouch is compromised or punctured on its journey from our packing plant to your grocery store.
To understand how this can happen you simply have to imagine a piece of fruit left for too long in your fruit bowl: over time the exposure to air will cause mould.
It’s exactly the same natural process that occurs when our fruit drink is exposed to air. The mould caused is not harmful – it is highly unlikely to make you sick, but we understand that it is unpleasant.
We continue to work on ways to make our pouches even lighter and even stronger. At the moment it is estimated that the risk of mould is incredibly small: only one in one million pouches are ever compromised in this way.
To understand how this can happen you simply have to imagine a piece of fruit left for too long in your fruit bowl: over time the exposure to air will cause mould.
It’s exactly the same natural process that occurs when our fruit drink is exposed to air. The mould caused is not harmful – it is highly unlikely to make you sick, but we understand that it is unpleasant.
We continue to work on ways to make our pouches even lighter and even stronger. At the moment it is estimated that the risk of mould is incredibly small: only one in one million pouches are ever compromised in this way.
What’s next for our packaging?
We’ve been improving our processes and packaging since we first launched our innovative pouch.
But the journey is far from over.
Currently, our focus is on creating a lightweight pouch that is fully recyclable and, of course, maintaining our commitment to quality.
But the journey is far from over.
Currently, our focus is on creating a lightweight pouch that is fully recyclable and, of course, maintaining our commitment to quality.