BioGaia develops 'healthy' bottle top
on PET bottles, which releases ingredients such as its probiotic
bacteria or vitamins into the beverage,writes Dominique
Patton.
An unnamed French company will be the first to use the patented design, called the LifeTop Cap, in products for the France and Belgium markets.
The innovative delivery method follows BioGaia's LifeTop Straw, which releases probiotic bacteria into a drink on piercing a carton with the straw.
BioGaia says its latest delivery mechanism offers the fast-growing beverage market opportunities to create new products with sensitive ingredients that can not be used in a beverage formulation. The innovation also goes beyond mere 'healthy' ingredients, allowing for colours and flavourings in the cap too.
"There are many companies with health-enhancing substances to offer the market, but few of these have succeeded in finding a simple, exciting and practical packaging solution for these substances," said Peter Rothschild, managing director of BioGaia. "We expect to sell LifeTop Cap to a number of beverage manufacturers."
The company has developed a special product range for the French company in which the LifeTop Cap is loaded with different combinations of its Reuteri probiotic bacteria, vitamins, minerals and natural flavours and colourings.
The cap, made using a protective blister, is manufactured by the 50 per cent BioGaia-owned packaging company TwoPac.
The products will launch first in France during the autumn.
