NatureSweet Adora 16 oz Premium Packaging
As the Packaging Engineer for this seasonal premium tomato line, I developed a protective and visually striking packaging system designed specifically for the delicate Spanish heirloom tomato Adora. The solution included a custom bowl, PET lid, and printed top label—engineered to maintain product integrity while elevating the tomato’s premium shelf presence.
The project centered on balancing structural innovation, protective performance, and brand storytelling to match the high value of the product.
Brand & Market Alignment
The packaging concept was developed to support the launch of Adora, a seasonal premium Spanish heirloom tomato known for its unique flavor and delicate texture. The goal was to create a format that elevated the product’s premium positioning while providing the protection required for its fragile structure.
The final design features a PET dome lid and a reinforced base that showcase the tomatoes from every angle, ensuring strong shelf presence and premium visual appeal. A top booklet label system completes the presentation with clear branding and quality cues.
Structural Concept & Inspiration
The structural approach centered on designing a protective, ventilated bowl capable of carrying large, delicate heirloom tomatoes without bruising. The curved geometry and rib pattern were engineered to minimize pressure points, reduce material stress, and maintain product visibility.
The combination of bowl, lid, and printed top label created a premium, gift-like presentation that reinforced Adora’s high-value, limited-season identity while ensuring secure handling throughout the supply chain.
Functional Features
Premium Protection System
The custom PET bowl and lid were engineered to cradle the tomatoes without restricting airflow, maintaining freshness and minimizing pressure points during transport.
Breathability & Shelf-Life Support
Strategically placed ventilation zones in both the bowl and lid help regulate humidity and reduce condensation—key for heirloom tomatoes with high sensitivity to moisture changes.
Secure Closure & Transport Stability
The lid-and-bowl system locks firmly to prevent shifting or separation during shipping, while still allowing an intuitive opening experience for consumers.
360° Visibility for Premium Produce
The clear lid and semi-transparent bowl were selected to highlight the unique color gradients and heirloom quality of Adora tomatoes, giving shoppers full visibility of size, ripeness, and overall quality.
Graphic Design & Labeling
The visual design was developed to reinforce the tomato’s premium, seasonal, European origin:
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A round top label centered on the lid to showcase the Adora brand, ripeness cues, and quality messaging
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A warm, Mediterranean-inspired color palette to reflect authenticity and heirloom heritage
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Clean typography and minimalistic layout to emphasize premium positioning
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Artwork adapted precisely to the curved lid geometry to ensure clean alignment and print accuracy
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Print-ready files prepared for high-clarity flexographic production
The result is a packaging system that communicates premium produce, protected freshness, and elevated shelf presence, aligning with NatureSweet’s standards and the unique value of Adora tomatoes.
After the third harvest year, Adora tomatoes reached significantly better firmness and were no longer as fragile to handle. This allowed us to transition to a more cost-effective packaging format without losing their premium shelf presence. The updated solution uses a solid bleached paperboard tray, a clear BOPP flow-wrap film, and a flexographic top label—a change that delivered a 57% reduction in packaging material cost while maintaining full product visibility and premium presentation. This shift preserved Adora’s high-end identity while making the packaging more accessible and operationally efficient.
Project Outcomes
The transition from the premium thermoformed bowl to a paperboard tray with flow-wrap resulted in a more cost-efficient, sustainable, and production-friendly packaging system—made possible after Adora tomatoes reached stronger firmness by the third harvest year.
The new format delivered packaging cost reduction, improved pallet efficiency, and maintained the premium showcase effect that the brand required for a specialty seasonal tomato.
My Role
I managed the structural and visual development of the updated packaging system, including tray geometry, material selection, flow-wrap specifications, and top-label of this project for over 5 years.
The role involved coordinating with paperboard converters, flow-wrap equipment operators, and print vendors to ensure manufacturability, supply-chain consistency, and alignment with the Adora brand standards.
Impact & Learnings
This project highlighted the importance of adapting packaging as agricultural performance evolves—creating solutions that balance cost, protection, sustainability, and premium shelf impact.
It also strengthened my experience in transitioning high-end seasonal produce into scalable packaging formats without losing visual appeal or brand identity.
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