Cheerios is packaging its cereal in a resealable Ziploc bag inside the existing box – a move intended to keep the product fresher for longer while enabling convenient pouring.
According to General Mills, 90% of consumers already take extra steps to preserve the freshness of their cereal; this includes folding the bag, rolling it, clipping it, or even transferring it to another container.
The resealable bag is designed to open only partially across the top – creating a ‘pour spot’ for convenient dispensing. This opening can then be resealed to maintain the cereal’s freshness inside the box.
General Mills claims that nearly one box of Cheerios is produced every second, so Cheerios with Ziploc PantrySeal needed to work at scale without sacrificing product output.
“General Mills has received letters, emails and DMs asking for an easier way to reseal a cereal box, and we decided it was time to partner with the ultimate freshness brand: Ziploc,” said Emilie Knox, vice president and business unit director for Cheerios at General Mills.
“Cheerios with Ziploc PantrySeal takes a small, everyday cereal frustration and finally gives consumers the simple solution they’ve been asking for, making the whole routine easier and more enjoyable.”
“For generations, Ziploc Brand has helped people keep the foods they love fresh through simple, trusted solutions,” added a Ziploc Brand spokesperson. “Cheerios with Ziploc PantrySeal is an exciting new expression of what Ziploc Brand can do – bringing our resealable freshness expertise directly into the Cheerios package and Ziploc Brand into the pantry in an entirely new way.”
Cheerios with Ziploc PantrySeal is now available for both Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios cereals, exclusively at Walmart in the United States. It will roll out to retailers nationwide in the coming months.
In other news, SunDance has introduced its Pouch flexible packaging solution to the cereal market. Serving as an alternative to the traditional bag-in-box format, the patented cuboid structure maintains a box-like shape while using approximately 30% to 40% less material than conventional stand-up pouches.
Mars Snacking has also developed a resealable canister for its Cheez-It and Club crackers. The ‘pack-ang-go’ format is designed to help consumers carry and eat their crackers in different environments – all while ensuring the food itself stays crunchy until the last bite.
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