With funds from the European Regional Development Fund, Jamnica plus develops an innovative functional beverage in sustainable packaging

The development of the functional beverage in sustainable packaging, JamINNO+, is a research and development project of Jamnica co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund within the Operational Program Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014 – 2020. The purpose and goal of the project are to implement research, development, and innovation of a functional low-energy beverage with bioactive components, in sustainable packaging. The total value of the project is €5,675,670.92, of which the EU’s share in financing the project is €3,399,754.39, while the remaining part of the investment comes from Jamnica.

In the project, Jamnica collaborates with renowned scientific institutions: the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry of the University of Zagreb, the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Medicine, and the Ruđer Bošković Institute. All of them actively participate in the implementation of designed and jointly planned activities, and through the synergy of scientific, professional, material, and financial resources, they guarantee the successful realization of project activities, as well as the sustainability of results after the project is completed.

– We are happy and proud that our multidisciplinary team of colleagues within Jamnica is intensively working on the development of an innovative low-energy beverage. With this move, we want to once again confirm our status as an innovator and market leader that sets trends in the market while taking care of the sustainability of production and business and environmental protection. To be even more successful, advanced, and innovative, we have equipped our research and development laboratory, which is now modern and meets all the requirements for the development of our innovative products – stated Sandy Lovković, Director of Development and Research at Jamnica.

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As part of the mentioned project, Jamnica aims to offer consumers a refreshing low-energy non-alcoholic beverage with carefully selected natural ingredients, including a natural source of vitamin C and other plant extracts rich in bioactive components, among which polyphenols stand out. The development of the flavor of this new functional beverage is the responsibility of Ana Fabijanić, Head of Product Development at Jamnica, and Josipa Jusup, Product Development Technologist.

– Today’s consumers are increasingly informed, educated, and concerned about healthy eating, and thus dictate the development of new products. Today, it is imperative to have an original product that has a beneficial effect on health and is focused on meeting the specific needs of consumers that are constantly changing. It was challenging to determine the right product concept and find suitable functional components that meet the high standards of Jamnica’s products – said Ana Fabijanić.

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Kristina Ban and Ana Fabijanić

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Josipa Jusup, who is responsible for the recipe of the new product, further explained what the process of creating a new product entails and how complex it is.

– We are developing a modern, innovative, and more environmentally friendly product that can meet the demands of the modern and conscious consumer. That is why one of the challenges was to find an acceptable and natural way to sweeten the product, without artificial sweeteners. The second challenge was monitoring the stability of the components and the product itself, as well as organoleptic testing, because we must ensure that everything is perfect and of the highest quality – said Jusup.

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Josipa Jusup

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In the development of this innovative product, environmentally friendly packaging with an inseparable cap has also been prioritized. This cap, which remains attached to the bottle, will facilitate the recycling of the entire packaging and help prevent the cap from ending up in the environment.

Additionally, in collaboration with designers and mold suppliers, Jamnica’s experts have developed a new bottle shape that allows for a reduction in the weight of PET bottles. Specifically, lighter bottles needed to be developed for the carbonated and non-carbonated beverage segments. This requires more detailed checks of parameters and analysis of wall thickness during bottle blowing. Jamnica will thus replace the share of original PET material in the bottles with recycled material and thereby unite their response to the demands of the circular economy in the new packaging.

– The development of more environmentally friendly packaging is one of our main focuses as a beverage manufacturer, but also a potential comparative advantage. The biggest challenge was how to reduce the amount of plastic while maintaining the top quality of the product within the desired shelf life. Additionally, introducing bottles made from recycled material can be more challenging to achieve the desired characteristics of the bottle, especially for the carbonated range. Despite all the challenges, or perhaps because of them, this project has brought me valuable experiences as we are working with partners who have very advanced methods of analysis and measurement – said Marijan Sudić, Head of Packaging Development.

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Marijan Sudić

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With this project, Jamnica aims to further strengthen its status as a renowned manufacturer, innovator, and trendsetter that continuously invests in the development of new product categories, expanding the range, improving the quality of beverages, and strengthening the loyalty of conscious consumers by investing in beverage innovations and their corresponding packaging.

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The creation of this material is co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund.

The content of this material is the sole responsibility of the company Jamnica plus d.o.o.