(Marlton, NJ) Cane Simple recently introduced the first individually packaged liquid sugar designed for single-serve consumer consumption. It also has the distinction of being the first commercially available edible product in North America to run on the Sanko FR-3, the world’s fastest liquid pouch filling machine. Technical Help in Engineering and Marketing (T.H.E.M.) supported initial trials and test market production for Liquid Sugar, in addition to scale up contract packaging services. Working in close collaboration with the Cane Simple team, T.H.E.M. also helped to enhance the package design with the inclusion of a convenient pour-spout top. This feature represented yet another ‘packaging first’ for a North American brand.

“Customer response has been tremendous and immediate,” said Reid Chase, President of Cane Simple. “Everyone loves it. Food executives and restaurateurs alike are saying, ‘Why hasn’t this been thought of before?’ Our goal is to have Cane Simple pouches available on the tabletops of the top restaurants in the country.” Cane Simple shipped its first orders to the New York Metro area, and is rapidly expanding distribution to Chicago, Las Vegas and other major metropolitan regions across the US.

A smart solution for both restaurants and consumers, Cane Simple eliminates the problem experienced with many granulated sugar products: they do not dissolve readily in cold beverages. Additionally, Cane Simple offers flavor variety in a product category that traditionally has only one core offering per brand.

“Each serving of Liquid Sugar dissolves immediately in hot or cold beverages,” Chase added. “And the flavoring options add a unique twist. The Mint Infused flavor goes great with hot or iced tea, and the Vanilla Infused flavor pairs well with iced coffee.”

Cane Simple is filled on the Sanko FR-3, and is supported by T.H.E.M., the exclusive North American representative for Sanko packaging machinery. “With a fill speed of over 230 cycles-per-minute, the FR-3 runs faster than any other vertical form-fill-seal liquid machine,” confirmed Neil Kozarsky, CEO and president of T.H.E.M. “Because of near-zero head space, it uses less film. Also, there is less air in the package, so products gain an additional 40 days of shelf life due to reduced oxygen contact during the form-fill-seal process.”

With over 500 systems currently operational predominantly throughout the Pacific Rim, the FR-3 has quickly become a core component of Sanko’s packaging machinery portfolio. Kozarsky anticipates similar growth opportunities for the FR-3 in North America. “The more densely populated Far East countries – namely Japan – are often an early indicator of what’s to come in the United States,” he explained.

T.H.E.M.’s NJ-based facility provides contract manufacturing and packaging services for a number of global consumer brands and retailers in the form of flexible stick packs, pouches and other single-use flexible packaging formats. The company’s form-fill-sealing operations accommodate both liquid and dry products for food and beverage products, nutraceuticals, personal care products, and energy supplements. T.H.E.M.’s facility is FDA-registered, Safety Quality Food (SQF) Level 2 Certified, Kosher and USDA Organic certified, and also certified to package dietary supplements. Recently, the plant received federal approval to package products containing alcohol.

T.H.E.M.’s contract packaging operation is designed to support customers from initial trial run, to scale-up, to full commercial production, in addition to supporting product line extensions and seasonal offerings. The company provides engineering and R&D services, as well as flexible packaging machinery. T.H.E.M. is the exclusive North American representative of Sanko Machinery Company, and routinely partners with other leading packaging organizations to bring new and innovative single-use consumer packaging to the North American market.