The future of fresh milk lies in gable top cartons

The Gable Top carton is now one of the most widely used standard solutions for packaging milk and fresh beverages, combining efficiency, practicality and aesthetic appeal with reliable protection for its content and a distinctive image on shelves.

In recent decades, the food packaging industry has made huge strides, introducing increasingly innovative and sustainable solutions.

In this scenario, the gable top carton continues to play a key role, establishing itself as a reliable choice appreciated by manufacturers and consumers alike, thanks to features that make it unique:

• it enables precise dosing and easy closing,
• it offers attractive printable surfaces for brand communication,
• it is compact, easily stacked on pallets and logistics-friendly,
• a multilayer carton ensures an excellent barrier against oxygen, light and external agents.

In addition, thanks to preformed blanks and Galdi’s flexible filling lines, various formats can be handled, from 250 ml to 2 litres, with quick format changeovers.

These features make the gable top carton ideal for fresh and premium products, allowing them to clearly stand out from conventional rectangular containers (‘bricks’) used for long-life products.

When producing high-quality gable top packaging, the main critical issues are:

1. Hygiene and microbiological risk — it is necessary to control dust, aerosols and bacterial loads in the sealing and filling area.
2. Flow precision — delicate liquids (fresh milk, plant-based beverages and liquid egg) require stable, controlled dosing, without foam or waste.
3. Operational flexibility — quick format changeovers and adaptability to different volumes are essential for meeting market demands.
4. Cost-effectiveness — minimising machine downtime, optimising consumption and guaranteeing high-yield production are essential requirements.

Overcoming these challenges is what sets a standard production line apart from one that strives for excellence: Galdi filling machines, with their cutting-edge design and strict focus on hygiene, deliver high performance, ensuring precise dosing, maximum food safety and the flexibility required to handle different formats and delicate products.

A concrete example of how the gable top carton continues to be a strategic choice is provided by Mila, the long-standing dairy cooperative in the South Tyrol region.
The production plant in Bolzano currently uses two Galdi RG280 filling machines, relying on this technology to package its milk in gable top cartons.

As a result of these solutions, Mila is able to guarantee:

• Superior hygiene performance: the carton and cap are disinfected using 35% hot vaporised hydrogen peroxide, achieving levels of hygiene comparable to those of aseptic filling machines, as stipulated by the German VDMA Class 4 standard.
• Operational versatility: the two RG280 filling machines allow products to be packaged in various formats, from 200 ml to 1 litre, with or without a cap, thus quickly adapting to market requirements while ensuring consistent performance for any type of packaging.
• Easy management: the intuitive user interface (HMI) and the connection to the Galdi data management system (MES) allow Mila staff to monitor and control the entire process safely and efficiently, thus optimising timing and minimising any operational errors.

The Galdi RG280 filling machine is the best as regards packaging liquid products in Gable Top cartons: it combines cutting-edge technology, superior hygiene and operational flexibility, ensuring consistent performance even for demanding production lines.

Such features enable producers to offer fresh, high-quality products while optimising timing, reducing waste and enhancing the premium image of their brands.

It is not only a machine, but a real competitive tool, one that embraces innovation, food safety and sustainability while meeting the increasingly demanding needs of the contemporary market.

Discover how the Galdi RG280 can also transform your production: download the infosheet and contact the Galdi team today for customised advice or to request a demonstration at your company.