Japanese packaging manufacturer Toyo Aluminium has developed a new water-repellent foil lid that minimises waste by preventing yogurt from sticking to it.
The new Toyal Lotus technology was inspired by the structure of a lotus leaf, which repels rainwater to save it from being weighed down by the weight of the droplets. This occurs because of the microscopic bumps in the surface of the leaf, which do not allow the tiny water droplets to fit in between them and subsequently forces them to roll off.
The hydrophobic lid has already been rolled out by Japanese dairy producer Morinaga Milk across a number of its own-brand yogurt products.
In a demonstrative video posted on YouTube, one consumer has shown that yogurt spooned onto the new Toyal Lotus lid of a mango-flavoured Morinaga yogurt ran immediately off and back into the pot.
Consumers have demonstrated the lid online.
Toyo Aluminium explained that the structure of the material consisted, from top to bottom, of an external layer of polyester film, printing and adhesive, aluminium foil, anchor coat agent, polyethylene layer and finally water-repellent hot melt in the hot melt version of the lid; and overprint varnish, printing, primer coating, aluminium foil and water-repellent lacquer coating in the external layer polyester film format.
Toyo Aluminium has claimed that the innovation was introduced as a result of consumers, who had asked for an alternative to spooning or licking residual yogurt from the lids of yogurt pots.
A company spokesperson said: “The inside sealing surface of the lid offers extremely high water repellency.
“This material prevents the adhesion of yogurt to the inside surface of the lid allowing it to stay clean and providing an added sanitation benefit, meeting the needs of their consumers.”
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