KHS Group unveils SUPREME barrier technology to extend shelf life of oxygen-sensitive beverages

GERMANY – KHS Group has introduced KHS SUPREME, a next-generation barrier solution designed to significantly enhance the protection of oxygen-sensitive beverages in PET bottles.

The Dortmund-based turnkey supplier is leveraging its proven Plasmax technology to combine the protective qualities of glass with the lightweight convenience and flexibility of PET.

At the core of the innovation is a wafer-thin, transparent silicon oxide layer, less than 100 nanometers thick, applied to the inner wall of PET bottles.

Acting as a glass-like barrier, the coating shields sensitive beverages such as tea from oxidation, helping preserve taste, color and overall quality.

According to KHS, the enhanced barrier performance can extend product shelf life by up to ten times compared to conventional PET packaging.

Originally developed for pharmaceutical glass containers, Plasmax technology has been refined for food and beverage applications over more than two decades.

The system is engineered and continuously optimized at KHS’ Hamburg facility, its global competence center for PET packaging.

This year, KHS successfully scaled the technology to industrial production speeds of up to 60,000 bottles per hour without compromising barrier integrity, an important milestone for high-volume beverage producers.

The company says the technology is particularly suited to premium and quality-sensitive beverages, including green tea, which is highly prone to oxidation and demands stringent quality standards in markets such as Asia.

Beyond performance, recyclability remains a central focus. Unlike chemical oxygen scavenger systems that can complicate recycling streams, the Plasmax glass layer is removed during the standard caustic washing process in PET recycling. This ensures that material purity is maintained.

The barrier is also fully compatible with 100% rPET, enabling application on recycled PET containers and supporting circular packaging strategies.

The launch of KHS SUPREME builds on a series of recent innovations from the company.

Over the past year, KHS has advanced lightweight PET bottle designs to reduce material usage, enhanced its stretch blow molding platforms for improved energy efficiency, and expanded digital line monitoring solutions that enable predictive maintenance and higher line availability. The company has also strengthened its expertise in aseptic filling systems, focusing on reducing water and chemical consumption while maintaining high hygiene standards.

KHS will showcase the SUPREME system at interpack in Düsseldorf from May 7 to 13, underlining its continued push toward high-performance, sustainable PET packaging solutions for global beverage markets.

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