Canadian food company SunOpta is all set to add additional filling lines at its Allentown, Pennsylvania facility in the US, in a bid to expand its flexible re-sealable pouch processing and packaging capabilities.
The addition of new filling lines, in response to continued demand for flexible re-sealable pouch products, is set to more than double the processing capacity at the facility.
The new lines, which will increase SunOpta's total filling capacity to about 150 million pouches, are expected to come on-line in the third quarter of 2013.
SunOpta chief executive officer Steve Bromley said continued expansion of the company's pouch processing and packaging capabilities remains a key strategic objective designed to leverage its integrated field to table capabilities.
"The variety of products offered in pouches continues to grow, driven in part by the consumer's desire for convenient, portable, healthy and nutritious foods in sustainable packaging formats, and we believe SunOpta is well positioned to capitalize on these trends as we continue to focus on our strategy of becoming a pure play natural and organic foods company," Bromley said.
According to the company, the pouch format is suitable for product categories including natural and organic fruit and vegetable snacks, apple sauces, tomato products, baby food, yogurts, beverages, toppings, among many other packaged food products.