ENTAPACK WINS INNOVATION PACKAGING AWARD

A Melbourne based liquid packaging manufacturer, Entapack, has won the 2002 Cryovac Innovation Packaging Award for its role in developing a bulk pack for fermenting wine.

Sponsored by Cryovac Australia Pty Ltd through the Packaging Council of Australia, the award highlights the package judged to be the most innovative and representing the most significant advance in technology and materials used during manufacture.

Entapack and Hickinbotham Winemakers spent many years designing, refining and testing the FermentaBag™ until the concept was operating perfectly. "At less than $100 per 1000-litre pack the FermentaBag™ is a cost effective alternative to the $30,000 stainless steel tanks normally used for the wine fermentation process," said Managing Director of Hickinbotham Wineries, Andrew Hickinbotham.

"Their smaller size enables greater flexibility and extended fermentation periods because it eliminates the need to free up fermenting vessels when tank space is scarce."

The bulk wine packs are particularly useful in boutique wineries because of the lower capital outlay and their greater propensity to experiment.

According to Mr Hickinbotham, the Entapack produced FermentaBag™ is able to produce softer wines months ahead of normal schedules by significantly reducing time spent in barrel maturation.

"The heavy duty high tensile plastic triple skin controls wine temperature by simply pumping water through the cooling layer," he said.

"The sealed FermentaBag™ operates under pressure to naturally recirculate the mixture and continually percolates through the cap of grape skins, thereby eliminating the need to manually break the crust or mix the fermenting wine."

These bags are 100% recyclable and give better colour extraction because the wine is constantly being circulated.

Mr Hickinbotham said he approached Entapack to make the FermentaBag™ because the materials the company employed suited the requirements for wine packaging.

"The high tensile plastic films incorporated in the design was already being used by Entapack to manufacture a complete range of IBC liners up to 1400 litres in capacity for liquids including liners for goods classified as Dangerous Goods under UN classification." he said.

Established in 1986, Entapack is now a world leader in quality bag-in-box packaging in the food, beverage and industrial processing industries and a benchmark for the storage and transportation of liquid and dry solid materials.

Managing director Vincent Papaluca said the Cryovac Innovation Award was a fantastic recognition of the innovative work carried out by local winemakers.

"Entapack is pleased to play a role in achieving commercialisation of the process," he said.

"We extended an existing range of IBC (Intermediate Bulk Containers) technology for the purpose."

Protected by both Australian and international patents the FermentaBagÔ is distributed via Grapeworks, a marketing arm of Global Green, and has already achieved substantial export orders particularly in the United States.

Both Entapack and Hickinbotham Winemakers are working to expand the FermentabagÔ concept and have applied for an AusIndustry Start Grant that will enable additional and vital research and development to be carried out.

"This will benefit the wine industry and maintain Australia's current lead on the international market," Mr Hickinbotham said.

Additional details about Entapack products can be found on the company's website at www.entapack.com.au

For further information please contact:

Rod Goullet
Entapack
Tel. (03) 9706 8511