Spouted pouches for drinkable yogurt: SÜDPACK expands the range of applications for mono-PP laminates

Yogurt drinks and other protein-rich dairy products are now much more than simply food for health-conscious consumers – they have become lifestyle products in their own right and, in many cases, functional foods in liquid form. Alongside the recipe itself, packaging is also attracting increasing attention. Although bottles still dominate the market, alternative packaging concepts such as spouted pouches are gaining momentum. For this dynamic category, SÜDPACK now offers a PP-based film solution for spouted pouch production that combines high product safety, consumer convenience, and a design suitable for recycling.

Demand for healthier foods and convenient on-the-go consumption is driving the success of yogurt drinks. With new flavors, probiotics, and high-protein concepts, the category is more diverse than ever. According to forecasts, the European market is expected to grow from its current value of USD 4.6 billion to around USD 6.7 billion by 2034. With a global market share of almost 30%, Europe is one of the world’s key sales regions. 

Convenience drives growth in on-the-go food categories

With a market share exceeding 44%, rigid formats such as PET bottles and cups remain the predominant packaging choice. Flexible pouches, however, are the fastest-growing alternative format, with forecast growth of 8%. And for good reason: Spouted pouches combine a lightweight format with everyday convenience. For on-the-go products in particular, packaging needs to be easy to open, securely reclosable, and designed for clean, mess-free consumption. Flexible pouches can be squeezed almost completely empty and are easy to handle, making them particularly appealing to younger, active, health-conscious consumers. Whether for a nutritious snack for children or adults, a quick lunch on the go, or a high-protein supplement for athletes, the lightweight stand-up pouch is robust enough to withstand the pressures of everyday use in a handbag or backpack. 

Designed for product protection and process stability

CarbonLite® PurePP, the material used to produce the SÜDPACK pouch, is based on polypropylene. The material’s proven sealing performance and secure spout integration deliver excellent sealing strength and lasting leak tightness, even under real-world stresses throughout the value chain, ensuring a high level of packaging reliability and product safety. In developing the packaging concept for cold-filled drinkable yogurt, SÜDPACK drew not only on its extensive extrusion expertise, but also on its considerable experience working with machine and spout manufacturers on fruit purée filling applications. This is especially evident in terms of the PP laminate’s excellent machinability on standard production machines, even at high cycle rates. 

The high-performance films for spouted pouches were developed for the cold filling of drinkable yogurt and other dairy products using packaging materials that require UVC or hydrogen peroxide treatment to reduce the microbial load. The films can be tailored to provide the required barriers against oxygen and water vapor and, according to internal testing, offer the same shelf life as the PET/aluminum/PE laminates commonly used to date.

Designed for recycling in the PP stream

A key advantage of the new film structure is its recycling-friendly design. Combining the pouch with a PP spout allows the entire package to be recycled within the PP recycling stream. Designed in line with PPWR design principles, the solution achieves a recyclability rate of more than 95%.¹ This enables brand owners to begin adapting their packaging portfolios early on to meet increasingly stringent Design for Recycling requirements, including recyclability and material efficiency.

The material changeover also offers potential benefits in terms of climate impact. Based on raw materials and production alone, internal calculations show that the CO₂e footprint per square meter of a PP-based spouted pouch with a film thickness of 111 μm is more than 40% lower than that of a 103 μm PET/aluminum/PE laminate. Another advantage is that, while the conventional laminate is generally sent for energy recovery at the end of its life cycle, the PP-based concept can be mechanically recycled.

Service and support during the transition 

To ensure a smooth transition to the packaging concept, SÜDPACK supports its customers at every step – from the initial idea through to market readiness. The company’s services ranges from technical consulting and support, application-specific sampling, and extensive material and packaging tests on specialized testing equipment to assistance with carbon footprint and recyclability assessments.

A viable alternative for forward-looking dairy brands

For manufacturers of drinkable yogurt, drinkable skyr, and similar products, the PP-based spouted pouch opens up new possibilities in terms of packaging design. It meets consumer expectations for modern convenience products while also satisfying the technical requirements of industrial filling processes and the sustainability goals of the packaging industry. Spouted pouches also offer advantages at the point of sale: They enable high-quality product presentation with strong shelf appeal and help brands stand out in a highly competitive refrigerated aisle.

1. The recyclability analysis was conducted using CHIRA software. The estimate has not been validated or certified by an external institute, and SÜDPACK therefore provides no guarantee as to its accuracy. Recyclability may also vary by country and recycling system.