SIG has announced that tethered caps will be launched for its beverage cartons in Europe in the second half of 2021, ahead of the July 2024 deadline set by EU regulations. In addition, customers choosing the company’s SIGNATURE packaging solutions will receive tethered caps made from polymers linked to renewable, forest-based materials.

SIG’s tethered caps will be launched initially for the closures used for its most popular packs in Europe. The tethered domeTwist will be available for SIG’s carton bottle combidome, as well as tethered combiMaxx and tethered combiSwift options for SIG’s core family-size carton portfolio. Together, these account for around 90% of SIG’s European closures by volume.

The new tethered caps are designed to be used with existing SIG filling lines and closure applicators, with no major capital expenditure required by customers. Indeed, compatibility with existing SIG filling lines and customers’ existing packaging designs, secondary packaging and logistics was reportedly a key consideration in the design of the caps.

When the pack is opened for pouring, the cap can be firmly fixed at the desired position by pressing it down until it clicks. This means the consumer can pour from the pack without the cap getting in the way and without needing to hold down the cap with their fingers. To close the pack, the cap is simply lifted slightly before closing in the usual way. PackagingEurope

For years, the Florida Department of Citrus measured the success of its orange juice marketing programs by comparing year-over-year data, Florida Citrus Commission Chairman Steve Johnson stated in a recent message to growers. The Citrus Commission is the governing board for the FDOC.

“Then the (COVID-19) pandemic stopped everyone in their tracks,” Johnson stated. “Suddenly consumers were turning to 100% orange juice with renewed fervour.” But now, Johnson added, “Consumers are no longer stockpiling food for fear of lockdowns or scarcity. The sales increases experienced in those early days were not only unsustainable but unlikely to be repeated again. To compare today’s sales to those of last year would lose sight of the actual momentum gained over the course of a year. So, instead, we’re looking at the big picture provided by a 3-year comparison report with figures from 2019, 2020 and 2021 for a true sense of the momentum we have achieved.”

Johnson reported that for the 4-week period ending March 20, average sales of total OJ are up by 3.38% compared to 2019 values. He said not-from-concentrate (NFC) OJ is “a driving force” in that increase. NFC sales are up 6.52% compared to 2019, while average sales of reconstituted OJ are down by 2.7%.

“Looking at the 2020-21 season as a whole, which began in October, sales continue to be up 5% over 2019-20,” Johnson added. “This is due to the inclusion of pandemic months within the time period. The current season is up 7.77% when compared to 2018-19 values.” He noted that NFC sales are up 8.6% and reconstituted sales are down by 1.5%.

“While we continue to have momentum that is carrying us above 2019 sales levels, it won’t stay that way without effort on our part,” Johnson wrote. “The need for further investment in marketing activities to keep Florida OJ top of mind is critical as consumers return to their pre-pandemic routines … The department is planning for that and more as they look ahead to the next year.” Florida Department of Citrus

European Union orange juice production is forecast to climb almost 8% in 2020-21 compared to the previous year, to 87,987 metric tonnes, the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service has reported. The forecast is in line with the expected growth in the volume of European oranges destined for processing this season, especially from Spain and Italy. Spain is the major orange processor in the union followed by Italy. About 20% of Spanish orange production is used in processing.

While OJ is the most popular juice within the EU, it competes with other non-alcoholic drinks and other fruit juices. In recent years, such competition has effectively reduced consumption of OJ in Europe. However, consumption is forecast to grow slightly in 2020-21 as the result of increased domestic supplies and growing consumer interest for immune-strengthening products following the COVID-19 crisis.

The EU is a net importer of OJ. However, during the last decade, imports of the juice declined by 17% due to the growth in domestic production and the downward trend of OJ consumption. During 2019-20, imports of the juice grew by 4% to stand at 686,223 metric tonnes.

Brazil is by far the leading supplier of OJ to the EU market, representing nearly 91% of total imports, followed by Mexico, South Africa and Argentina. The United States used to be the third largest OJ supplier to the union, but imports of the US juice have declined since 2018. In 2019-20, the value of EU imports of US OJ dropped 27% to USD2 million due to lower US production, increased competition and European retaliatory tariffs on the US juice. In the past decade, EU exports increased by 45%. In 2019-20, the union exported 66,805 metric tonnes of OJ. CitrusIndustry

The third production estimates for the Brazilian citrus belt (São Paulo and the Triângulo Mineiro) in the 2020/21 season, released by Fundecitrus, February 10, indicates that orange supply should total 269.01 million boxes of 40.8-kilograms each. This volume is 6.52% lower than that initially estimated and 30.45% below that in the previous season. This is also the worst annual decrease in all times.

As low supply has been confirmed, orange prices continue firm in the Brazilian market. According to Fundecitrus estimates, 81% of the fruits had been harvested up to mid-January. The harvesting of pear oranges has reached 82% of the volume forecast, and for the late varieties (valencia, folha murcha and natal), 75%.

According to Fundecitrus, the biennial production cycle and the unfavourable weather (drought and high temperatures) in the second semester of 2019 (flowering) and 2020 (fruit-filling stage) led to the current crop failure. The report from Fundecitrus also points that, although rainfall was higher in the citrus belt in December 2020 (8% up from the average), it was lower, irregular and short in January, due to the La Niña phenomenon.

This is why the average weight of the oranges harvested was lower – usually, 261 fruits fill up a box, meaning that each orange should weight 156 grams, 8% down from the average of the last five crops. Cepea