Oct 12 2011 --- Cains Foods has been producing and marketing high-quality mayonnaise, dressings and related products for 90 years. With its corporate and manufacturing headquarters based in Ayer, MA, Cains has earned industry-wide respect for its dedication to freshness, quality and total customer satisfaction.

In early 2010, Cains was preparing for a new package re-launch of its Naturally Delicious salad dressing product line. For several years, Cains had used multiple packages for the Naturally Delicious dressing. To enhance productivity and efficiency, Cains wanted to consolidate the product packaging into a single design. From a colorful new label to an improved dispensing closure, the company also wanted to create a more upscale, functional package that would appeal to discerning buyers of fine foods.

The original dressing bottle had a fitment inside it, which allowed for product dispensing. To be compatible with the new design while maintaining dispensing capabilities, Cains wanted an attractive flip-top closure that would allow the consumer to easily and neatly pour the product without spilling, glugging or causing a mess in the closure orifice, all problems that are typical of salad dressing dispensing. In addition, the top had to close securely to avoid leakage if the bottle tipped over in the refrigerator, yet still open easily for the consumer, ideally with “one-hand open” capability.

Another objective for the new package was to improve the overall package appeal in order to increase shelf space at grocery stores. The Naturally Delicious bottle was approximately 3 inches wide and did not command the optimum amount of banner space on the store shelf. Cains’ designers realized that a more contemporary appearance would help the product’s appeal to both retailers and consumers.

When Cains contacted its previous closure supplier about the new packaging requirements, the company informed Cains that its lead time had unexpectedly tripled. Cains’ product marketers were on a strict deadline and could not work under the suppliers’ revised production schedule.

Weatherchem’s LiquiFlapper Helps Enhance the Consumer’s “Defining Moment”
Cains had worked with Weatherchem, a supplier of dispensing closures prior to this project. When they realized its other supplier would no longer be able to provide a solution in time for the new package roll-out, Cains contacted Weatherchem and requested closure samples of Weatherchem’s LiquiFlapper product for testing. In a very short time, the company received the samples and began testing the products for ease of flow.

Cains saw that the LiquiFlapper 38 mm closure’s teardrop orifice was ideal for its Naturally Delicious product, since it allowed the salad dressing to flow evenly and smoothly.

“What consumers really hate is when they open a bottle of dressing and half the bottle goes on their salad,” explained Chris Katopis, vice president of sales and marketing at Cains. “With the LiquiFlapper cap, our customers can easily regulate product flow by applying a small amount of pressure to the bottle. They can pour as much or as little as they want, which improves the overall satisfaction level of our customers.”