Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a bottle made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and having a circular cross-section. The bottle has a sidewall spanning between a neck finish and a base. The sidewall includes a shoulder portion and a panel portion, with the lower end of the shoulder portion and the upper end of the panel portion each sloping inward to create a waist. One or more circumferential ribs are positioned within the waist, and preferably at the trough of the waist. The one or more circumferential ribs are designed and configured to increase the hoop strength of the bottle, the vacuum stability of the bottle, or both.

Abstract: An embodiment of a beverage bottle can have a bottle body defining an interior space configured for storing a beverage. The bottle can include a neck, for example, having an inner neck portion extending from the body. The neck can have an expansion chamber extending beyond the inner portion opposite the body. The neck defines an interior channel in fluid communication with the interior space and extending through the inner portion and expansion chamber to an outlet of the bottle for filling the interior space and pouring the beverage out therefrom. In one embodiment, the interior channel in the inner portion has a first cross-sectional area that leads into the expansion chamber, with the channel in the expansion chamber having a second cross-sectional area that is significantly larger than the first cross-sectional area. This difference in cross-sectional areas can be used to significantly slow the rise of the beverage level in the expansion chamber as the bottle is filled.

Abstract: A container includes a gripping groove and a panel structure that allows it to withstand retort or heat sterilization of a low acid liquid nutritional product contained therein. The container can be formed of a multilayer material that has titanium dioxide and iron oxide in an intermediate regrind layer and in at least one of its inner and outer layers. The titanium dioxide and iron oxide are provided together in the same meltable pellets, which are used for forming the container.