• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
CDF Mindful Packaging

CDF Corporation

  • Solutions
    • Drum & Pail Liners
    • Smart Pail®
    • Bag-In-Box
    • IBC Liners
  • Food & Beverage
    • Baby & Toddler Food
    • Condiments & Sauces
    • Dairy
    • Edible Oil
    • Fruits & Vegetables
    • Spreads & Toppings
    • Coffee & Tea
    • Alcoholic Beverages
  • Non-Food
    • Industrial
    • Lubricant & Greases
    • Automotive
    • Paints & Coatings
    • Cleaning Chemicals
    • Agricultural Chemicals
    • Cosmetic
    • Medical & Pharmaceuticals
    • Pet Food
  • About
    • Mindful Packaging
    • Certifications
    • Blog
    • News
    • CDF Media
    • The CDF Group
  • Careers
    • Meet The Team
  • Contact Us

Food & Beverage Kikkoman 

The Challenge

For centuries, soy sauce has been a kitchen staple, but behind the scenes it has always been one of the most difficult products to package. Thick, aromatic, and prone to foaming, soy sauce put packaging systems to the test.

Producers relying on traditional semi-rigid containers faced growing frustrations:

Bulky shipments: Only 3,000 pre-assembled cube-shaped containers could fit on a truck, meaning manufacturers were paying to ship and store empty space.

Costly fluorination: To keep the strong aroma from permeating, every container required a fluorination treatment—an expensive, time-consuming step.

Shipping failures: Long rail journeys led to flex cracking and leaks, risking product loss and costly returns.

Inefficient filling lines: The filling process was slow, with foam buildup reducing throughput and productivity.

For soy sauce producers, these weren’t just technical issues—they were day-to-day headaches that drove up costs, strained operations, and put product integrity at risk.

The Solution

CDF introduced the Cheertainer® Bag-in-Box system with the Flexifill filling machine, reshaping the way soy sauce could be packaged, shipped, and stored.

Improved filling experience: The Flexifill machine streamlined operations—reducing foaming, speeding up throughput, and cutting labor-intensive steps from the process.

Maximized logistics efficiency: Flat-packed Cheertainers allowed 72,000 bags per truckload instead of 3,000 bulky cube-shaped containers. This meant lower freight bills and warehouse aisles cleared of wasted space.

No more fluorination: After extensive shelf-life studies, CDF identified a medium-barrier film that protected product integrity without fluorination—eliminating a costly process while meeting barrier requirements.

Engineered against cracking: Vibration table trials replicated real rail journeys, helping CDF engineers pinpoint stress points. By refining bag structure and box orientation, they eliminated flex cracking and ensured leak-free transport.

The Results

The impact for soy sauce producers was immediate and measurable:

Higher throughput & smoother operations → filling became faster, cleaner, and less labor-intensive.

72,000 vs. 3,000 containers per truckload → dramatic savings in freight and storage.

Fluorination eliminated → reduced costs and a more sustainable packaging approach.

Leak-free shipments → product arrived intact, even after long rail transport.

The Bigger Picture

What started as a search for a more efficient container turned into a full packaging transformation. By eliminating unnecessary costs, solving critical performance issues, and delivering sustainable gains, soy sauce producers no longer had to choose between efficiency and product integrity—they could have both.

With the Cheertainer® Bag-in-Box and Flexifill system, packaging soy sauce went from a constant challenge to a competitive advantage.

Get In Touch

We’d love to hear how we can work with your company to develop solutions, field your questions, or meet inspiring people like you to join our team.

Contact Us

Footer

CDF Corporation Footer logo

CDF Corporation is a global company that utilizes a broad and deep knowledge base to create high-quality packaging systems tailored to meet its customers' needs. CDF excels in three key packaging areas: Deep Draw Vacuum-Forming, Blow Molding, and Heat Sealing. CDF manufactures products ranging in sizes from 1 liter to 1,000 liters in its Plymouth, Massachusetts ISO and SQF certified facility. CDF's products satisfy a variety of markets and applications, including the food and beverage, chemical, and cosmetic industries.

  • Solutions
  • Company
  • Stories
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
button back to topBack To Top Button
Visit CDF on LinkedIn Visit CDF on Facebook Visit CDF on Twitter Visit CDF on Instagram Visit CDF on YouTube

© 2022 CDF Corporation • Terms of Use