Packaging Options: Drums, Totes and Bag-in-Box for Fruit Ingredients

Packaging choices affect four critical outcomes

In bulk fruit ingredients, packaging drives:
1) Handling and labor: unloading method, equipment requirements, and time-to-transfer.
2) Yield and loss: how much residual product stays in the package.
3) Food safety posture: exposure during unloading, cleaning burden, and risk of contamination after opening.
4) Storage and logistics efficiency: warehouse footprint, stacking, temperature control, and freight density.
If you optimize only for unit price and ignore these, cost-in-use rises and operational reliability falls.

Drums: the workhorse format for many concentrates and purees

Drums remain common because they are flexible and easy to distribute across many customers. They often fit well for: moderate volumes, multi-SKU purchasing, and operations without bulk unloading infrastructure. Drums are widely used for juice concentrates, purees, and some NFC juices depending on cold chain needs. The main practical considerations are: drum material (often steel or fiber), liner type (especially for acidic products), headspace and oxygen exposure after opening, and how you will recover product (tilt and pour vs pump). Drums can be efficient for plants that want “just enough” inventory without committing to tote-level volumes.

Operational note: highly viscous purees can be difficult to empty from drums without warming or specialized pumps. If you are frequently “scraping drums,” it may be time to consider bag-in-box or tote systems that improve recovery.

Totes / IBCs: high-volume efficiency, but infrastructure matters

Totes (often called IBCs) are popular when volume is high and the plant has the equipment to unload them efficiently. They reduce handling events compared to drums and can improve freight efficiency. Totes are common for: large beverage programs, standardized concentrate intake, and high-volume puree use in centralized plants. Key considerations include: valve and outlet style, liner compatibility, returnable vs non-returnable programs, and cleaning/return logistics if returnable. Totes also require forklift capacity, staging space, and often dedicated transfer lines.

Risk note: if a tote is opened and then used intermittently, the exposure and sanitation requirements can become complex. In those cases, a closed bag-in-box dispensing approach may offer better hygiene control and easier SOPs.

Bag-in-box: portion control, lower exposure, strong fit for foodservice and many aseptic programs

Bag-in-box (BIB) has grown because it supports closed or semi-closed dispensing with minimal exposure. For aseptic purees and certain juices, BIB can be a strong choice in: foodservice back-of-house systems, multi-location programs, and operations where minimizing open handling reduces risk and labor. The best BIB systems are designed around fitment compatibility and dispensing equipment: your pump and connector must match the bag fitment, and viscosity must match pump capability. Done right, BIB improves: portion control, product recovery, and sanitation simplicity. Done wrong, it creates field failures: clogging, inconsistent pumping, and operator workarounds that defeat the purpose.

For foodservice consistency systems using aseptic purees, see Topic 091.

How format choice changes yield (and why that matters)

Yield is often ignored until finance notices ingredient usage is higher than expected. Packaging influences yield because residual product remains in liners, corners, valves, and headspace. Thick purees are the most sensitive: a small percentage loss per package becomes a large dollar loss at scale. In many programs: drums have higher residual loss unless you use optimized pumps and recovery procedures, totes can be efficient but still leave product in valves and liners, and bag-in-box can offer high recovery if the system is designed correctly. The right way to evaluate packaging is to compare cost per recovered pound/kilogram, not cost per shipped unit.

Temperature and storage: packaging is tied to your cold-chain strategy

Packaging choice is inseparable from storage conditions. Some concentrates are stored frozen for long-term stability, while others can be held ambient depending on spec. Aseptic purees often have strong ambient stability until opened, but post-opening rules apply. NFC juices are frequently chilled or frozen depending on product and program. Evaluate: warehouse temperature capability, thaw planning capacity, and whether you need rapid access on the production floor. A tote that requires thaw time can be operationally risky if your production schedule changes quickly.

For a full shelf-life and storage playbook, see Topic 097.

Pumping and unloading: define it before you order

Many receiving problems happen because the plant orders a package that the equipment can’t handle. Before selecting packaging, define:
transfer method: pump type, suction capability, and hose compatibility
viscosity window: what your pump can realistically move
particle/seed content: risk of clogging valves and screens
warming/thaw procedures: if the product is frozen or very thick
For BIB, define the exact fitment and connector standard. For totes, define outlet and valve requirements. For drums, define liner material and whether a dip tube/pump is required. When these details are not specified on the PO, the buyer often receives a “technically correct” package that is practically unusable.

Traceability: packaging is where lot coding becomes real

Your COA is only as useful as your lot traceability. Ensure every package format has: a clearly readable lot code, production date where applicable, and an ID that matches COA documentation. Receiving staff should record lots at intake. If you split bulk packages into smaller internal containers, maintain internal lot linking. This is not paperwork—it’s the difference between a controlled recall and a chaotic one.

For traceability and lot coding best practices, see Topic 099.

How to specify packaging on purchase documents (practical checklist)

A purchase order should clearly state: packaging type (drum/tote/BIB), net weight per pack, liner requirements (if applicable), fitment/outlet type (critical for BIB and totes), palletization expectations (cases per pallet, drums per pallet), temperature condition at ship, and any special handling notes. If your QA team requires it, specify labeling requirements and documentation that must ship with the lot (COA, micro, allergen statement). The goal is to remove ambiguity so the supplier does not “choose for you.”

If you want a full spec sheet template that includes packaging fields, see Topic 100.

Next steps

If you share your plant volume, storage capability (ambient/chilled/frozen), unloading equipment, and the format you prefer (drum/tote/BIB), PFVN can recommend packaging configurations that reduce labor, improve yield, and align with your QA documentation requirements. Use Request a Quote or visit Contact. You can also browse Products and Bulk Juice Concentrates.

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