KHS Group has introduced KHS SUPREME, a PET bottle system designed to enhance the protection of oxygen-sensitive beverages by combining the barrier properties of glass with the handling advantages of plastic.
The system integrates the company’s established Plasmax barrier technology, applying a wafer-thin, transparent layer of silicon oxide to the inner wall of PET bottles. The coating, less than 100 nanometres thick, acts as a glass-like barrier that protects contents against oxidation, helping to preserve taste, colour and overall product quality over extended shelf lives.
According to KHS, the barrier can make products last up to ten times longer, a feature aimed particularly at quality-sensitive beverages such as tea. “Our barrier system is ideal for premium products such as green tea that’s extremely quality-sensitive and has to satisfy the highest requirements on markets such as Asia,” said Philipp Langhammer, product manager for barrier technology at KHS. He added that tea oxidises easily, leading to unwanted changes in colour and taste, while the glass barrier helps to prevent this, ensuring “long shelf lives, freshness and safety.”
Plasmax technology has been in use at KHS for more than 20 years and is continuously developed at the company’s Hamburg facility, which serves as its competence centre for PET. Originally developed for pharmaceutical glass containers, the technology was first piloted in the food sector in the early 2000s.
This year, KHS has scaled the system to industrial production speeds of up to 60,000 bottles per hour, while maintaining the barrier’s protective properties. The SUPREME platform is positioned as a turnkey solution within the group’s PET portfolio, reflecting a broader focus on high-performance packaging systems for premium beverage categories.
Beyond product protection, KHS is also highlighting the recyclability of the system. The silicon oxide coating is removed during standard recycling processes by caustic treatment, without affecting the quality of the recovered PET. In contrast to chemical scavenger technologies, which can complicate recycling streams, KHS states that the purity of separated PET is maintained.
The coating is also compatible with 100% recycled PET. “We thus refer to this as a fully circular barrier technology,” Langhammer said. “Our style of packaging combines all the benefits: top barrier performance and full recyclability.”
KHS will present the SUPREME system at interpack 2026, taking place in Düsseldorf from 7 to 13 May, where it will exhibit in Hall 13, Booth A31. The launch underlines the company’s ongoing investment in barrier technologies and PET-based systems targeting the premium aseptic and oxygen-sensitive beverage segments.
