Food

Beans production solutions

The market for shelf-stable beans is growing, but consumers expect quality convenience, and packaging that’s better for the planet.

Beans

Beans have long been a standard fixture in many a consumer’s larder or pantry, all over the world. Whatever the variety, the recipe or the volume, Tetra Recart is the smart bean packaging alternative to cans, pouches, and glass jars .

Read more about beans production, our beans processing equipment and beans packaging solutions below.

Find your next growth space in canned beans

Global beans volumes are growing steadily

Global volumes of processed beans are forecast to reach 2.1 billion kilograms by 2028, with beans growing 2.3% over 2023–28. This confirms steady demand for convenient, long‑life beans and creates room for new formats, recipes and value‑added concepts in ambient and canned beans.

Source: GlobalData

Plant-based protein is on the rise

29% of global consumers are adapting their diet by cutting meat and animal products, while 61% of US consumers increased protein intake in 2024. Beans and legumes offer affordable, plant‑based protein, creating strong headroom for innovation in ambient and canned beans.

Sources: Euromonitor Voice of the Consumer: Lifestyles Survey, 2023; Cargill, Power of Protein, 2024

Value pressure boosts private-label beans

As the cost of living rises, 24% of consumers are willing to buy private label, up from 20% in 2021. This puts pressure on branded beans but creates strong growth potential for retailers and their co‑packing partners to build high‑quality, value‑driven ambient beans ranges in modern packaging formats.

Source: Euromonitor Voice of the Consumer: Lifestyles Survey, 2023

Why choose paper-based cartons for beans?

Producers of ambient and canned beans face pressure to grow, cut complexity and meet rising expectations on health, value and sustainability. Moving from cans and jars to Tetra Recart paper‑based packaging for beans opens new ways to differentiate, optimise logistics and strengthen your beans business.

1. Product and brand

Modernise your beans range:
Give beans a contemporary look that fits today’s plant‑based, healthy and value‑driven propositions, helping your range stand out in store and online.

2. On-pack communication

Tell a clearer protein story:
Use flat panels to highlight protein, fibre and recipe ideas with strong branding, health messaging and usage guidance in a clear information hierarchy.

3. Portion flexibility

Match portions to people and occasions:
Match portions to changing households and occasions – from small single‑serve packs to family sizes – supporting flexitarian meals and reducing food waste.

4. Production & logistics

Simplify packaging and logistics:
Flat‑packed cartons reduce inbound storage needs and can enable more filled packs per pallet than cans in many configurations, improving handling and transport efficiency.¹

5. Sustainability and perception

Strengthen sustainability credentials:
Paper‑based cartons use a high share of renewable materials and can support lower climate impact than alternative formats, as shown in comparative LCA for defined markets.²

6. Consumer appeal

Offer convenient, lighter packs:
Lightweight, easy‑to‑open cartons that are easy to pour from, reclose and flatten after use align with consumer expectations for practical, user-friendly packaging and easy waste handling.

Strengthen your beans portfolio with Tetra Recart

Use Tetra Recart to turn the shift to plant‑based protein into a stronger beans offering. From category and consumer insight to recipe development and packaging design, we help you move ambient and canned beans concepts from idea to shelf with confidence and controlled risk.

People in workshop in customer innovation centre

Build winning ideas from consumer insights

Pinpoint where beans can add most value – protein‑rich meals, flexitarian dishes, convenient pantry staples or private‑label ranges. Using our market and consumer insight, we work with your team in our Customer Innovation Centre to frame concepts, formats and value propositions that fit real‑life occasions.

Explore our Customer Innovation Centre⁠

Develop and trial recipes – at your place or ours

In our Food Development Centre you can formulate and run trials for beans in Tetra Recart under realistic processing and retorting conditions. Or borrow a mobile test unit to use at your own facilities, for refining product performance and gathering decision‑ready data before scaling up.

Discover the Food Development Centre⁠

Tetra Recart carton packages, generic designs

Use packaging to tell your beans story

Leverage flat panels and six printable faces to highlight protein and fibre, origin, dietary fit and serving ideas clearly. Continuous designs across packs create a strong billboard effect that grabs attention in store, while distinctive carton graphics help your beans packages stand out online.

Deep dive into package design⁠

Optimise canned beans production with Tetra Recart

Shift or add ambient and canned beans production into Tetra Recart with our highly automated, space‑efficient lines and integrated processing know‑how. From recipe handling to filling and retorting, we help you secure reliable performance and attractive total cost of ownership compared with other packaging formats.

Choose the right line for your ambitions

For high‑volume shelf-stable beans production, the Tetra Pak^® R1 line delivers fully automated high-speed filling of selected Tetra Recart packages to maximise output. When flexibility is key, Tetra Pak^® R2 lines handle the full Tetra Recart range, supporting agile production and frequent changeovers.

Find out more about Tetra Recart lines⁠

Kitchen at Food development center, tomato products

Benefit from our retorted beans know-how

Our Food Development Centre specialists understand the specific demands of shelf-stable beans. We support you in configuring processing, filling and retorting parameters for Tetra Recart, helping you achieve consistent product quality, food safety and yield from pilot runs to full‑scale production.

Get access to food development specialists⁠

Cartons and cans, efficient distribution

Streamline your storage and distribution

Flat‑packed Tetra Recart packaging reduces the space and handling needed for empty packs. After filling, the carton’s rectangular shape supports efficient pallet layouts, helping you use warehouse space better and reduce transport cost per unit and related emissions in many configurations.¹

How we accelerate your beans success

See how Tetra Recart helps you turn bean trends into profitable growth. Our step‑by‑step overview shows how we support you from insight and concepting through recipe trials, package design, industrialisation and scale‑up in shelf‑stable beans.

Explore the full process⁠

Happy people eating, salad and beans in Tetra Recart carton package

customer case

The freedom of flexibility

Consumer-friendly packaging, attractive production costs, and most importantly a flexible format that suits many different products. These were the factors that prompted Watt’s, one of the leading food companies in Chile, to use Tetra Recart^® cartons for its wide array of vegetables, fruits and ready meals under the Wasil brand.

Sign-up and read the full story of the transformation from cans to cartons.

Wasil beans and peas in Tetra Recart carton packages

INSIGHTS

6 reasons to package beans in Tetra Recart

Convenient, efficient, attention-getting and innovative – Tetra Recart carton packaging is not just a great alternative for producers of shelf-stable beans, but also for retailers and consumers.

Is your beans production ready for the future?

Moving your ambient beans portfolio into Tetra Recart can make your operations more efficient and adaptable. With our packaging systems, line expertise and service portfolio, you can continuously improve performance, cut waste and use resources more effectively – creating the agility to meet future consumer demands for beans.

Stay agile as your beans range and volumes evolve

As demand shifts towards plant‑based protein, value options and new flavour combinations, we help you adjust without disrupting operations. Tetra Recart lines and services support recipe changes, line tuning and capacity upgrades, while improvement programmes focus on reducing waste and utilities. With Tetra Pak^® Advanced Agreements and tailored service packages, you gain assured performance, shared risk and added resilience for your beans business.

Find out more about Tetra Pak  Advanced Agreements⁠

Pinto beans in pink Tetra Recart cartons

Reduce carbon emissions and boost sustainability credentials

Comparative life‑cycle assessments show that, for defined sizes and markets, Tetra Recart cartons can have lower CO₂ emissions than alternative packaging formats.² Using FSC™‑certified paperboard³ from responsibly managed forests and other controlled sources, together with space‑efficient transport, helps respond to consumer expectations for packaging with verified environmental performance.

What are the routes to market for beans in Tetra Recart?

For co‑packers, brand owners or private‑label retailers, Tetra Recart offers flexible ways to bring beans to market in paper-based cartons. Whether you choose own‑line investment or specialist co‑packing partners to balance speed, risk and capital, we help you build long‑term advantage in the beans aisle.

Co-packers: attract future-ready business

Expand your service offer by adding Tetra Recart to your beans production capabilities. A modern, paper-based carton format helps you win contracts from brands and retailers looking to move beyond cans and pouches, while flexible lines support multiple SKUs and fast changeovers.

Tetra Recart for co-packers⁠

Brand owners: de-risk the move beyond cans

Enter Tetra Recart step by step – from pilot runs with experienced co‑packers to full‑scale in‑house production when volumes justify investment. Our support across product development, line design and start‑up helps you manage risk while building a differentiated beans portfolio.

Tetra Recart for brand owners⁠

Woman shopping beans in Tetra Recart carton packages

Private-label retailers: build value and loyalty

Use Tetra Recart to launch private‑label beans products that combine strong value with a more contemporary, paper-based look and feel. Working with selected co‑packers or your own lines, you can create distinctive ranges that stand out on shelf, support loyalty and protect margins.

Tetra Recart for retailers⁠

Explore what else Tetra Recart can do

Tetra Recart is not only a strong fit for beans – it is proven across a range of shelf‑stable foods. Discover how the same paper‑based, space‑efficient format can add value in other categories.

Baby food

Vegetables

Tomato preparations

Wet pet food

Soups

Fruits

Ready meals and ready sauces

^1. 12% more 390ml packages, and up to 50% more 100ml packages on each pallet and truck. Based on internal simulations comparing Tetra Recart to cans and jars of equivalent sizes.

^2. Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Tetra Pak® carton packages and alternative packaging systems for beverages and liquid food on the European market, 2020

³. The FSC licence code of Tetra Pak is FSC™ C014047 - Tetra Pak FSC™ Certificate

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