The latest in dairy alternatives: Taiwan company debuts apricot kernel drink
The company said by grinding the entire kernel, the product has a rich taste, with a slightly sweet aroma. ROOTS uses colloid mill technology to grind the kernels into very small pieces. This way, all the nutrients and the smallest fibers are preserved, which results in the creamy product.
Laura Liu, co-founder and CEO of ROOTS, said, “Consumers are no longer driven by price but by the promise of better health, quality and new experiences. This means they are willing to pay a premium price for added value and true nutritional benefits. ROOTS is striving to keep pace with the demand of plant-based foods to create more innovative, sustainable, and differentiated plant-based beverages.”
The product is packaged in SIG’s combifitSmall 300ml carton pack, with a reclosable combiSmart closure. It is a fully-recyclable beverage carton, which SIG said has a low carbon footprint.
SIG worked with Taiwan’s Food Industry Research and Development Institute (FIRDI) to develop a full solution. FIRDI supports product development, which accelerates the process of turning product ideas into reality and makes it easy for SIG customers to test ideas and concepts at reasonable costs.
The starting point was made with small-scale test filling on an SIG CFA 112 filling machine installed at FIRDI. ROOTS was then able to rely on Sunnano's co-packing services for filling the market-ready products. Sunnano supports brands in packaging products in SIG's combifitSmall carton packs.
John Ku, country manager Taiwan at SIG, said, “We are an aseptic carton solution provider. The flexibility of our filling technology supports Sunnano to successfully expand from a brand owner to a robust and trusted co-packer. Sunnano can not only fill standard products, but also innovative product developments in two different formats and several volume sizes on the same filling line. In close partnership we are turning the apricot kernel innovation from ROOTS into a commercial reality.”
