Alpha Packaging's award-winning Get-A-Grip™ canisters are giving niche food manufacturers and nutritional markets a practical and stylish alternative to metal cans, glass jars and generic plastic bottles for large quantities of foods and nutraceuticals. Alpha's Get-A-Grip line features six different styles of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) canisters with convenient gripper panels built into the sides.

Alpha created the unique canisters in response to one customer's need for a packaging alternative for its dried soup mixes that were previously packaged in metal cans. Bear Creek Soups wanted the innovative package for its popular club-store sizes of soup mixes.

Alpha's in-house Design and Engineering team developed the canisters in three sizes: 2000cc, 2500cc and 3000cc, each available in either a 110-400 or 603 Snap neck finish. Because of the large size of the canisters, they can be ordered in either bags or pallets, depending on the customer's needs.

The National Association of Container Distributors (NACD) recently recognized the Get-A-Grip containers with the 2005 Bronze Award in the Food category. Alpha's Get-A-Grip canister was recognized for its dust free and stackable components, as well as its wide mouth that allows dried products, nutritional powders, soups and drink mixes to be dispensed with ease. The container's side grip was noted for accommodating most hand sizes and aiding in dispensing.

The Get-A-Grip canisters offer good impact strength and very high barrier resistance to oxygen and carbon dioxide. The resin can accept colors well, and the canisters' label panels feature a large area for easy labeling. The line of canisters is ideal for any type of dry, granular or powdered product sold in large quantities, including soups, beans, rices, cereals, sugar and spices, nutritional supplements, protein powders, chemicals and other dry mixes. Both styles of neck finishes are wide enough to accommodate scoops.

Alpha is currently taking orders for the Get-A-Grip containers. Samples are available for ordering by visiting Alpha's product catalog online at www.alphap.com.

Alpha Packaging is a leading manufacturer of HDPE and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and jars for the nutritional, pharmaceutical, personal care and niche food and beverage markets. In addition to manufacturing, Alpha Packaging has tool-making capabilities, from unit body cavity molds to complete high-cavity production tooling and offers in-house design on CAD/CAM systems, serving as a strategic industrial design partner for customers in a variety of industries. For additional information, visit www.alphap.com.