The first undertaking, which will be made for the Klinskoye brewery, will be followed by a series of other launches for the Pivopack packaging technology, which will gradually be introduced to other markets if increasing consumer demand for PET packaged beer prevails.
Pivopack is based on a breakthrough, cost-optimised, single layer barrier enhanced resin technology. The barrier properties of Pivopack are said to offer an outstanding protection against oxygen and light, whilst keeping the carbonation inside the bottle. These properties allow Interbrew to guarantee the freshness and quality of the beer in combination with the convenience of a PET bottle.
"Pivopack will be introduced in the Russian market to make our Klinskoye brand available nationwide in PET bottles of different sizes, in order to fulfil the needs of our consumers," said André Weckx, CEO of Sun Interbrew, the company's Russian subsidiary. "The Russian State Institute of Beer Industry, the leading Russian organisation that controls the beer quality standards, fully endorses this new type of package. The Institute's specialists confirm, by comparative tastings, that beer in Pivopack is of the same quality as beer in a glass bottle and superior to beer in regular PET."
The development of this innovative PET technology is the result of an intensive co-operation between M&G (Gruppo Mossi & Ghisolfi), a leading PET polymer and preform manufacturer, and Interbrew.
Marco Ghisolfi, CEO and shareholder in M&G said: "This is a major breakthrough in technology for the PET industry which enables our customers quick and easy access to market without major capital expenditure. M&G's new family of barrier resins for monolayer containers will, I believe, accelerate significantly the penetration of PET as the preferred packaging material for oxygen sensitive beverages."
Interbrew is a leading consolidator in the world beer industry. The company is headquartered in Belgium and employs over 35,000 people worldwide. The company's strategy is based on four pillars: strengthening local brands, introducing international premium and speciality brands, bringing best practices to its local platforms and developing local operations both organically and through selective acquisitions. In total, more than 200 Interbrew brands are sold in over 120 countries.