The new package is notable for its one-way degassing valve. Supplied by Sonoco (Hartsville, SC), the 211 x 310 canister has a seamed-on steel bottom that Sonoco applies. Also seamed on, by Gloria Jean's after filling, is the top, which consists of a steel ring with a foil/DuPont surlyn® membrane heat-sealed to it. When Sonoco makes the top, it punches three tiny slits in the foil membrane. In a separate operation, it uses a pressure-sensitive labeler to apply a Plitek (Des Plaines, IL) valve. The valve permits CO2 to escape but does not allow O2 in. Thus coffee can be packaged shortly after roasting for freshness and better flavor. Freshly roasted coffee can't be packaged in metal cans because CO2 given off by the coffee would burst the seams. The coffee is first allowed to gas off for about 12 hours. "This new container allows us to capture and retain the wonderfully intense flavor and aroma of fresh-roasted coffee," says Alton McEwen, president of Gloria Jean's. Completing the package is a full wrap paper label and a low-density polyethylene overcap for reclosure after the foil membrane has been peeled off. Gloria Jean's fills the new package on the same line used formerly for the steel can, though minor modifications were necessary. According to director of coffee Jay Isais, the company now saves slightly on packaging costs. "We're giving the consumer more than twice the coffee" in a container that isn't twice the cost, says Isais. Consumers pay from $1.17 to $1.61 for the 4-oz cans.
