Food & Beverage Packaging March 2011

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See in color Matrox Iris GT smart camera brings color to your vision Sometimes, color is all you have to identify a part or product and confirm its quality. Matrox Iris GT smart cameras now have the ability to let you pick out the slightest color variations, while Matrox Design Assistant flowchartbased integrated development environment lets you set up your color vision application with ease. Register now for a FREE smart camera workshop at Automate 2011! www.matroximaging.com/workshops

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CONSUMERS ARE DEMANDING MORE from packaging than a cost-effective and convenient way to keep products fresh. A significant and growing number of consumers consider the environmental impact of the packaging in their product selection process. Our cartons have these eco-friendly attributes: more than 70% of the Evergreen

Packaging carton is made from paper, derived from a renewable resource: trees. Cartons are recyclable for an increasing number of households. So consumers can enjoy the benefits of fresh products—and feel good about their purchase decision. Choose cartons. To find out more about the benefits of our cartons, visit evergreenpackaging.com/sustainability.

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VOLUME 7 5 / IS SU E 2

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F EATU RES 22 Sustainability

28 The latest in labels The effects of digital technology and sustainability are making their marks on and in today’s labels.

30

CE

D -R U

Reduce, recycle, renew: The best option often is driven by perception as much as reality.

30 The natural appeal of snacks Many savory snacks have a short ingredient list that can be parlayed into a consumer positive with the right packaging.

RE

32

32 Packaging that belongs in a club Insider advice and guidelines for package designs and trends in club store channels.

36 SPECIAL SECTION: Automate 2011 A look at the upcoming show devoted to robotics, with commentary by the Robotics Industry Assn. about its role in packaging.

DEPARTM ENT S

28

8 New Packages Wines break into aluminum, Armour-Eckrich lunch kit gets cute, Girl Scout cookie loses the paperboard, and more

12 Packager News

36

YOUR ONLINE COMPANION VISIT US AT

Front-of-pack nutritional info is coming, mandated or not; sleek can turns awkward for Pepsi; less packaging is tossed and more is recovered

www.foodandbeveragepackaging.com » Our FirstLook feature

42 Supplier News Supplier mergers are on the rebound; film resin prices are heading up

IN E VERY ISSUE

shows you the latest innovations in packaging to hit the market.

» Breaking News gives a

6 Editor’s Note 46 Supplier Forum

49 Classified Network 54 Data Watch

heads-up about the important industry issues of the day.

» Our blog, Uncontained, combines news and commentary for a fresh perspective on the industry.

CONNECT WITH US NOW!

» And of course, our print editions are readily accessible in both HTML and digital formats. www.facebook.com/FBPmag

http://twitter.com/FoodPack

FOOD & BEVERAGE PACKAGING Volume 75, Issue 2 (ISSN 1941-8531) is published 9 times annually, Jan/Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun/Jul, Aug, Sept, Oct and Nov/Dec, by BNP Media II, L.L.C., 2401 W. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 700, Troy, MI 48084-3333. Telephone: (248) 362-3700, Fax: (248) 362-0317. No charge for subscriptions to qualified individuals. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in the U.S.A.: $178.00 USD. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in Canada: $216.00 USD (includes GST & postage); all other countries: $228.00 (int’l mail) payable in U.S. funds. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2011, by BNP Media II, L.L.C. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. Periodicals Postage Paid at Troy, MI and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: FOOD & BEVERAGE PACKAGING, P.O. Box 1080, Skokie, IL 60076. CANADA POST: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. GST account: 131263923. Send returns (Canada) to Pitney Bowes, P.O.Box 25542, London, ON, N6C 6B2. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Send old address label along with new address to FOOD & BEVERAGE PACKAGING, P.O. Box 1080, Skokie, IL 60076. FOR SINGLE COPIES OR BACK ISSUES: contact Ann Kalb at (248) 244-6499 or [email protected]

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F O O D &B E V E R A G E PA C K A G I N G

MARCH

2011

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Editor’sNote

HOW FAR OUT FRONT DO YOU NEED TO BE?

EDITORIAL PAN DEMETRAKAKES Editor [email protected] RICK LINGLE Executive Editor [email protected] SCOTT HILLING Senior Art Director FRANK MAYERAN Art Director

hen it comes to doing good, how far ahead of consumers should a company be? As food and beverage companies try to make their packaging more sustainable, that question becomes crucial. Frito-Lay got a hard lesson in that last year with its SunChips bag fiasco. Made from polylactic acid, the bags made so much noise when handled that consumers devoted Facebook pages to complaining about it, and the bags were mostly pulled off the market after a few months. It was an object lesson in how convenience trumps sustainability. (At press time, Frito-Lay had announced plans for a new, quieter version of the SunChips bag.) Other sustainable packaging applications aren’t quite as high-profile, but they run into consumer problems, too. One of the biggest success stories in terms of materials savings has been the reduction in the plastic walls of water bottles. Nestlé Waters North America has reduced the weight of its half-liter bottle by 60% since the mid-1990s. The bottles are now so thin they’re more like water balloons. Consumers don’t always like that, especially when they’re combined with an extra-short cap (which Nestlé is in the process of redesigning). It’s a vexing question for the water companies, because they’ve been taking a beating for a long time on ecological grounds. Critics question the very idea of bottled water, calling it inherently wasteful. Talk about a dilemma; they try to alleviate ecological concerns only to fall short on convenience. One of the paradoxes of sustainability is that source reduction, while often the best option for saving money, may have a hard time attracting positive consumer attention. “I just haven’t seen a lot of consumers dance around the table and say, ‘Wow, you guys got rid of half the packaging. I love the product now,’” says Stuart Leslie, president of the package design firm 4Sight. Can a company really lead consumers into sustainability? Often, it doesn’t pay to get too far out front. On the other hand, packagers and their suppliers have access to technology, in both materials and machinery, that most consumers have no idea about. It often happens that consumers don’t know they want a new product, or package, until it appears before them. So by all means, packagers should continue to innovate whenever they see a possibility for making their packaging more sustainable. But they should watch and listen to make sure they’re not leaving their consumers behind. F&BP

W

Can a company really lead consumers into sustainability?

ADVERTISING MIKE BARR Group Publisher (630) 499-7392 [email protected] RANDY GREEN Publisher/Midwest Sales Manager (248) 244-6498 [email protected] STEVE LIPUT East Coast/Southeast Sales Manager (847) 405-4112 [email protected] CRAIG ZEHNTNER West Coast Sales Manager (818) 403-6379 [email protected] KRISTINA LORIO Inside Sales (249) 786-1579 [email protected] ERHARDT EISENACHER International Sales +49-228-2499860 [email protected] CATHERINE WYNN Senior Classified Sales Manager (847) 405-4010 [email protected] VINCE MICONI Advertising/Production Manager [email protected]

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT KOURTNEY BELL Audience Development Manager STACEY NOOCHA Multimedia Coordinator CAROLYN M. ALEXANDER Audience Audit Coordinator For subscription information or service, please contact Customer Service at: Phone: (847) 763-9534 or Fax: (847) 763-9538 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.foodandbeveragepackaging.com

LIST RENTAL Postal contact: ROB LISKA at 800-223-2194 x.726 or [email protected] Email contact: SHAWN KINGSTON at 800-409-4443 x.828 or [email protected]

CORPORATE DIRECTORS TIMOTHY A. FAUSCH Publishing JOHN R. SCHREI Publishing RITA M. FOUMIA Corporate Strategy SCOTT KESLER Information Technology ARIANE CLAIRE Marketing VINCENT M. MICONI Production LISA L. PAULUS Finance MICHAEL T. POWELL Creative NIKKI SMITH Directories MARLENE J. WITTHOFT Human Resources EMILY PATTEN Conferences & Events BETH A. SUROWIEC Clear Seas Research BNP MEDIA HELPS PEOPLE SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITH SUPERIOR INFORMATION For Volume Reprints Contact JILL L. DEVRIES Corporate Reprint Manager Phone: 248-224-1726 Fax: 248-244-3934 E-mail: [email protected] How to contact

FOOD&BEVERAGEPACKAGING

PAN DEMETRAKAKES

Editor [email protected]

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2011


Mail: 155 Pfingsten Rd., Suite 205 Deerfield IL 60015 Phone: (847) 405-4000 Fax: (847) 405-4100 Web: www.foodandbeveragepackaging.com

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NewPackages INNOVATIONS / TRENDS / MARKETING

‹‹ WINES BREAK

California wines are being represented as the first ever in aluminum bottles.

INTO ALUMINUM

ine has joined beer in the ranks of alcoholic beverages available in aluminum bottles. JT Wines, St. Helena, Calif., is distributing FLASQ Wines, touted as the first wines available in aluminum. The Chardonnay and Merlot wines come in a half-bottle (375 milliliters) with a widemouth aluminum screw cap. The bottles, from Exal Corp., have an interior coating to prevent the wine from coming in contact with the aluminum. The wines are being distributed in 20 Western states with suggested prices from $5.99 to $7.99.

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Exal Corp. 330-744-2267; www.exal.com

LUNCH KIT GETS CUTE

ctive Packs, the lunch kits from Armour-Eckrich Meats LLC, have been repackaged to convey wholesomeness in a manner both playful and informative. The kits, which include meat, cheese, bread or breading, apple slices with caramel sauce, and condiments, now come in a kraft-style paperboard carton with a diecut window, in the shape of an apple, showing the apple slices. The front panel is loaded with verbiage, using a casual blackboard-style font, that both lists the ingredients and bears whimsical messages like “I love being your lunch!” and “I promise, you won’t want to trade me!”

A

‹‹

Informal style of lunch-kit graphics will appeal to children.

GIRL SCOUT COOKIE SHEDS PAPERBOARD line of Girl Scout cookies has eliminated paperboard in its packaging. Thanks-A-Lot fudge-coated shortbread cookies will be packaged this year in a plastic tray with flowrapped film. The Interbake Foods div. of George Weston Ltd., which produces the cookies, estimates that the move will save 150 tons of paperboard a year, plus the energy required to transport the paperboard. The company touts the energy savings on its website, but makes no mention of any similar plans for more popular Girl Scout cookie varieties like Thin Mints.

A

‹‹ Fudge-coated shortbread cookies no longer are packaged in a paperboard carton.

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NewPackages

PET-PACKED EGGS

‹‹

COME IN HALF-DOZEN

Half-dozen premium eggs get premium packaging.

rganic brown eggs now come a half-dozen to a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) package. The eggs, from Organic Valley, La Farge, Wis., are in a clamshell tray thermoformed with pockets that hold each egg, with a paperboard insert under the lid bearing lithoprinted graphics. The five varieties are color-coded according to size (large, extra-large and jumbo) and nutritional benefits (protein or Omega-3 fatty acids).

O

TUB SHOWS OFF COLORFUL CHIPS

eggie chips under the Fine Food private label of New York City’s Food Emporium are packaged in a rigid container that shows off their colorful appearance to best advantage. The chips, which are made from sweet potato, squash, carrots, green beans and taro roots, come in a round, lidded polyethylene terephthalate (PET) tub with litho-printed pressure-sensitive labels attached top and bottom. The 8.5-ounce package has a suggested retail pricee of $7.99.

‹‹

V

Multicolored veggie chips are in a PET tub for maximum eye appeal.

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CANDY ‘VEGGIES’ MIMIC CAN, TOO egetables never tasted so good thanks to new Peas & Carrots Mix from the Jelly Belly Candy Co. Designed to resemble baby carrots and peas, the mellocreme candies have orange sherbet and green apple flavors, respectively. Rolled out in February, the whimsical assortment is available in a retro-inspired 5.5-ounce “can” with resealable lid. The suggested price is $4.95 to $5.95.

V

‹‹ Fake “vegetables” made from candy come in a can with graphics that impersonate a label for canned veggies.

EARLY TIMES GOES UPSCALE new, premium version of Early Times bourbon from Brown-Forman Corp. comes in a custom bottle with a flat “book-style” shape. Early Times 354 Bourbon is bottled in a 750-milliliter glass bottle with a short neck, supplied by Vetri Speciali, Trento, Italy. A yellow and red front label wraps around the side of the bottle, and a twistoff cap is covered by a vinyl sleeve that provides tamper evidence. The bottle was designed by Saxco Int’l. It sells for a suggested retail price of $15.99.

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Saxco Int’l 215-443-8100; www.saxcointl.com Vetri Speciali 011-39-0461-270111; 011 www.vetrispeciali.com www

‹‹ Flat sshape is distin ddistinctive for upscale Early Times bourbon.


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PackagerNews

03/11

BUSINESS / TRENDS / PEOPLE

FRONT-OF-PACK INFO COMING, MANDATE OR NOT L ‹‹

Nutritional information would be included on the front panels of packaging under a new system from the Grocery Manufacturers Association.

eading food and beverage companies are taking the initiative on putting nutritional information on the fronts of their packages—a step ahead of being told to do it by the government. The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) ren that it cently unveiled an front-of-package (FOP) plan s, calls “Nutrition Keys.” It will spell out calories, salt, sugar and saturated fat per serving as a minimum, plus allow up to two listings for positive nutrients. According to USA Today, the labels will start appearing in the next few ar. months and ramp up through the rest of the year. A similar initiative by the American Beveragee Association will display total calories per container on all beverages of 20 ounces or less. The labels began appearing on some beverages last fall and are now in stores

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Pictures:

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PackagerNews

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2011


RECOVERY OF PACKAGING FROM MUNICIPAL WASTE (overall tonnage and percentage) 50%

35,000

34,500

49%

34,220 34,080 47.8%

33,900

48%

33,500

47%

33,000

46% 44.9%

32,500

45%

44%

32,000 43.2%

31,500

43%

31,000

42%

30,500

41%

40%

30,000

2007

2008

2009

Source: U.S. EPA

Overall tonnage recovered (thousands)

34,000

% recovered of total in waste stream

across the nation. The companies expect to have the calorie label on the front of all of their major brands and more than half their product volume by June of this year—and on all brands and packages by early 2012 as committed. Participating companies include The Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Nestlé Waters North America, Cott Beverages and Honest Tea. The Food and Drug Administration has been considering a mandatory FOP system following a study and recommendations last year from the Institute of Medicine. Some industry critics are accusing food and beverage processors of trying to use these new, self-generated FOP systems to preempt the FDA. These critics, including Marion Nestle of New York University and Kelly Brownell of Yale, support a “traffic light” system that would explicitly warn consumers about food that scores poorly against nutritional benchmarks. The Obama administration released a statement cautiously acknowledging GMA member companies “for the leadership they have shown in advancing this initiative” but saying the study will continue. The second phase of the Institute of Medicine study is due out later this year. F&BP

LESS PACKAGING TOSSED, MORE RECOVERED: EPA T

he amount of packaging discarded in America is declining, and the rate of recovery for discarded packaging is increasing, according to new statistics from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In its report, “Municipal Solid Waste in the United States,” the EPA breaks down collection and recovery statistics for 2009, the last available year. Packaging reached a recovery rate of 47.8%, marking the fifth straight year of increase and a steady increase since 1960, when it stood at 10.3%. 2009 also was the third straight year of decline in terms of the total amount of packaging discarded. The total was 71.6 million tons, a 5.7% decline from 2008. Discarded packaging fell in every major material category, including paper and paperboard (an 8.6% decline from 2008), glass (a 3.9% decline), plastic (3.7%) and aluminum (2.1%). In terms of recovery rates, the highest-scoring material was paper and paperboard, at 71.8%. Within that category, the highest recovery rate was for corrugated boxes, at 81.3%— probably because most of them are used by retailers and other businesses that are able and motivated to recycle. Recovery rates for other materials are: glass, 31.1%; steel, 66.2%; aluminum, 37.5%; plastic, 13.7%. This represents an increase in the rate for every material except aluminum. Over the long term, recovery rates have increased dramatically since the EPA started tracking them in 1960. Recycling rates have increased from just over 6% of municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in 1960 to about 10% in 1980, to 16% in 1990, to 29% in 2000, and to about 34% in 2009. Disposal of waste to landfills has decreased from 94% of the amount generated in

1960 to just over 54% of the amount generated in 2009. When materials are broken down by type in the solid waste stream before recycling, the biggest single component by weight is paper and paperboard at 28.2%. (That figure includes non-packaging uses such as newspapers.) The non-packaging categories of food scraps and yard trimmings are second and third, respectively, while plastics come in fourth at 12.3%. F&BP


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PackagerNews

B R IEF S The National Consumers League has filed a formal objection with the FDA to a bid by the Corn Refiners Association to allow food processors to call highfructose corn syrup “corn sugar” on product labels. The association filed its petition last fall, and the FDA’s decision process is expected to take up to two years.

Pack Expo has signed on as Platinum Sponsor of the World Packaging Organization’s (WPO) WorldStar awards ceremony. WPO will present these “best-of-the-best” packaging awards on May 17, at a special event during Interpack 2011, held May 12-18, 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany. David Yale has joined Just Born, a candy processor based in Bethlehem, Pa., as president and chief operating officer. Yogurt is the fastest-growing snack for children, according to a study by consulting firm The NPD Group. In terms of per-capita consumption in 2009 vs. 2008, the five fastest-growing snacks were refrigerated yogurt, potato chips, fresh fruit, string or other prepackaged hard cheese, and hard candy. Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, a stone grinding miller of whole grains, natural, organic and gluten-free grains, flours, cereals, meals and mixes, is helping establish a whole grain foods nutrition center at Oregon State University. The Paperboard Packaging Council has made a royalty-free logo available to member and nonmember carton companies. This logo can be printed on paper-based packaging to indicate the sustainability and recyclability of paperboard packaging. Rich Foods, a processor of frozen foods and dessert toppings based in Buffalo, N.Y., has acquired Celebration Foods, New Britain, Conn., whose leading brand is Carvel ice cream.

The Coca-Cola Co. and Keep America Beautiful Inc. (KAB) have announced the Coca-Cola/KAB Recycling Bin Grant Program, an effort to promote and support community recycling. Grant recipients receive both free recycling bins and expertise on how to set up recycling programs from KAB.

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EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW I LEARNED AT PACK EXPO t every Pack Expo, PMMI conducts attendee focus groups that concentrate on the not-so-distant future of packaging and processing and the markets they serve. This “Vision 2015” initiative provides valuable insight and data about the factors that are influencing consumer packaged goods companies (CPGs). We use that information to educate our members and Pack Expo exhibitors so they can better serve you. A frequently recurring topic for the Vision 2015 groups who met during Pack Expo Int’l 2010 last November was lean manufacturing. With its focus on results and efficiencies, it’s easy to understand why — especially considering last fall’s economic climate. Focus group participants agreed that the “do more with less” mentality, fostered

A

‹‹

BY CHARLES D. YUSKA

Lean manufacturing is one of the interesting concepts to Pack Expo visitors.

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by recent recession and slow recovery, has strengthened the promise of lean manufacturing and kept it central for American manufacturers looking for new ways to cut costs and reduce waste. Most end-users said their companies are employing four core strategies:

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2011


• Reduce labor costs with automation throughout the production line. Their goal, as one participant put it, is to use the right type and right level of automation to drive down labor costs. • Approach lean issues from a sustainability perspective, reducing energy, water and air consumption. As one participant said, “sustainability strategies force discipline, efficiency, and rigor in all of our operations to reduce costs while gaining productivity.” • Use Six Sigma disciplines as the approach to data and input for the design and implementation of measurement and performance strategies. By and large, the Vision 2015 participants agreed with a peer’s statement that “strong Six Sigma processes introduce efficiencies and bring needed innovation to our operating processes.” • Emphasize metrics and strategies for overall efficiencies of equipment (OEE) to maximize productivity, efficiency, operations and performance. Respondents noted that the compression of return-on-investment thresholds, which can be as short as two years, have further compounded the focus on lean manufacturing, and that with fewer plants in operation, there is a greater call for refurbished and/or upgraded equipment and a higher level of flexibility in machinery. Next fall, Pack Expo Las Vegas 2011 (Sept. 26-28 at the Las Vegas Convention Center) will provide attendees a chance to explore these four strategies with exhibitors and to understand the impact each can have. Visit www.packexpo.com to register for the show and take advantage of discounted rates. F&BP

Charles D. Yuksa is president and CEO of PMMI.

Avery Dennison creates impact on the shelf and in your business. Every day, in thousands of markets and in millions of purchasing moments, Avery Dennison helps bring brands to life. Labeling and packaging solutions from Avery Dennison create new possibilities for brands by improving your product’s story while delivering operational efficiency and overall savings. Visit www.enhanceyourbrand.com and learn how advanced material technologies from Avery Dennison can enhance your brand and grow your business.

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CoverStory

REDUCE RECYCLE RENEW

WHICH OPTION IS BEST? The choice of ‘sustainable’ packaging material often is dictated by the perceptions of both trade customers and consumers. by PAN DEMETRAKAKES , Editor

‹‹ Material reduction in bottles from Nestlé Waters North America has been among the biggest success stories in sustainable packaging, although some consumers are complaining that it’s gone too far.

22

ackagers who want to use “sustainable” materials must first decide what the word means. Is it recyclable material? (And who decides what’s “recyclable,” anyway?) Or whittling material down as far as it can go and still be functional? Or perhaps using “renewable” bio-based material? The push toward packaging sustainability is unique among corporate trends in at least one important way: It’s not really being led by consumers. “Sustainability is this wonderful initiative, and it thrills me to see that corporate America has so completely embraced it,” says Stuart Leslie, president of the packaging design firm 4Sight. “But the challenge is that corporate America is ahead of the consumer, for the first time in their lives, maybe.” Instead, the push for sustainable materials has come largely from trade customers, especially Walmart. Its packaging scorecard, implemented in 2006, requires vendors to evaluate their packaging according to a standard set of metrics. Whole Foods instituted a similar scorecard last year, and others are reportedly considering doing so. The Walmart scorecard allows packagers several options in material choice, says Nancy Limback, a former packaging executive with Sara Lee who now serves as a packaging consultant. “There is not a ‘one size fits all’ magic bullet for targeting improvement on the Walmart scorecard,” Limback says. “Score improvements in material reduction, use of recycled content, recyclable materials

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❝

Sustainability is this wonderful initiative... but the challenge is that corporate America is ahead of the consumer, for the ϐirst time in their lives, maybe.” —Stuart Leslie, 4Sight

and renewable resource materials are all fair considerations. The impact to the overall score depends on the magnitude of the change.” Reduction

Source reduction is one of the most popular sustainability strategies, for a simple reason: Besides burnishing a company’s “green” credentials, it has the potential to save money. One of the most highly visible instances of source reduction has been in bottled water. With category leader Nestlé Waters in the forefront, bottled water has seen dramatic reductions in the amount of plastic used per bottle. Nestlé Waters has reduced the weight of its half-liter water bottles by 60% since they were introduced in the mid-1990s, according to Jane Lazgin, a spokesperson for Nestlé Waters North America. Doing so required some fundamental changes to bottle production. “By 2005 or so we realized that to go any lower [in weight], we would have to redesign the bottle,” Lazgin says. The company made a comprehensive effort in that direction, setting a Europe-based design team to look at all aspects of the bottle: ribs, waist, shoulders, footing. The result was the EcoShape, a bottle that weighed in at 12.5 grams for a half-liter bottle. In the last two years, the weight has been further reduced, to 9.3 grams. “We felt like it was completely justified to call it Eco-Shape because so much plastic had come out,” Lazgin says. The improvements to Nestlé Waters’ carbon footprint came not just because the bottle saved on plastic, but because its lighter weight reduced shipping costs both to and from the bottling plants. In the latest development, Nestlé reduced the size of its closure nearly by half. It’s an example of how source reduction can save money while burnishing a company’s green image—a true winwin situation. Nestlé Waters, along with the rest of the bottled water industry, can use the green credibility. Bottled water has taken some major hits on ecological grounds, with critics citing the alleged wasteful-

ness of using plastic bottles to package a product that flows from taps at a much lower cost. d, On the other hand, rewhen your material-reed duction efforts get noticed ot by consumers, that’s not he always a good thing. The es, ultra-thin Nestlé bottles, ps, with their shallow caps, ng have generated something of a consumer backlash. ge “You have a package that consumers hate,”” 4Sight’s Leslie says. “Consumers are cutting their hands when they go to open the package because it’s so difficult.” Lazgin acknowledges that the cap has presented some problems: “Consumers weren’t altogether, 100% unanimously in favor of the cap. It got very small, it had fewer threads, and so it was a little harder to grasp and open, and harder to put back on.” Nestlé is currently retooling the cap, hoping to maintain the lighter weight while adding a thread to make it more secure. The Nestlé situation is an example of how green efforts don’t always connect with consumers, Leslie says. “In a perfect world, consumers would be so on board with this sustainability message that they’d be thrilled to spill a little bit of water on the ground every time they open the package if they knew that that package had half the plastic of five years ago,” he says. “But the consumer is not quite there.” Leslie mentioned 4Sight’s work on bottles for ready-to-drink Lipton tea as an example of successful downsizing. The new design reduced plastic by onethird while incorporating swirls and other elements that differentiate it from PET water and soda bottles. “Talk about stabbing sustainability right in the heart—that’s a real easy way to tackle it,” he says.


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2011

‹‹ A bag made of compostable material for FritoLay’s SunChips was pulled after consumers complained it was too noisy. Frito-Lay recently announced plans to bring an improved, quieter version to market.


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CoverStory MachineryTechnology

❝

We know the technology exists to separate mixed plastics, but it’s expensive. A lot of companies want it, but it just isn’t around.” —Nancy Cobb, PMMI-certified trainer Recycling

‹‹ The redesign for this bottle for Lipton iced tea cut a third of the previous container’s weight.

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While source reduction may be invisible or even annoying to consumers, recycling is a sustainability strategy that just about every consumer can understand—at least, those interested in ecological issues. However, package recycling is more complicated than simply dropping a bottle in a bin. The package recycling setup in the United States has long been criticized as fragmentary and confused. The chasing-arrows symbols on most rigid plastic packaging exists just to help recyclers sort them by resin, without giving consumers a clue as to how “recyclable” a given package really is. Brand owners who want to tout recyclability explicitly on their packaging must follow regulations of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which make them take into account the availability of recycling in a given geographical area. A move to clarify package recycling by revamping the standard packaging symbols is underway, spearheaded by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), a project of the environmental nonprofit organization GreenBlue. The system would spell out such words as “widely recycled,” “store dropoff,” “check locally,” and “limited recycling” on a package and offering corresponding visuals oversetting the chasing arrows, such as slash through the arrows to connote the lack of recycling o p t i o n s . The SPC submitted this new labeling system to consumer testing and received the results in January. “What we found is that the [proposed] label is wellunderstood and that it does appear that it will prompt the correct consumer behavior,” says Anne Bedarf, the SPC’s project manager. The consumer feedback was


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2011

used to make minor adjustments to the symbols. The next step will be for some of the consumer packaged goods companies among the SPC’s members to try out the new symbols on selected products, which is scheduled to start in June. One of the big advantages of the SPC’s new system is that it would, in theory, remove the need for qualifying language now required by the FTC. (To be called “recyclable” under FTC regulations, recycling must be available in at least 60% of the municipalities in the container’s distribution area.) Another obstacle with recycling is the difficulty in using recycled packaging for its original purpose—so-called “closed-loop” recycling. Most post-consumer recycled (PCR) packaging plastic is used for non-packaging purposes like textiles. There have been some impressive strides toward closedloop recycling, such as Coca Cola’s joint venture in the world’s largest bottle-to-bottle PET recycling plant in Spartanburg, S.C. But these are exceptions. The recycling infrastructure in the United States still has problems meeting the demand for PCR. “We know the technology exists to separate mixed plastics [in the recycling stream], but it’s expensive,” Bedarf says. “A lot of companies want it, but it just isn’t around.” Renew

One of the most attention-getting options when it comes to sustainable materials has been “renewable” bio-based plastics. Unfortunately, not all of the attention has been positive. Frito-Lay extricated itself recently from a debacle involving the use of polylactic acid (PLA), the most


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widely used bioplastic, for its singleserve bags of SunChips. Complaints about the bag’s noise when crinkled went viral, becoming the subject of several Facebook pages and resulting in mainstream media coverage. (FritoLay recently announced plans to introduce a new version of the SunChips PLA bag, with a new adhesive that eliminates the noise problem.) The SunChips fiasco shows how consumers simply don’t want to be inconvenienced for the sake of sustainability, Leslie says. “The mantra is, [packaging] is all about convenience,” he says. “It’s about imagery, it’s about emotion, but sustainability is so far down on the list.” On the other hand, bio-based materials have racked up some high-profile success, notably the PlantBottle, introduced last year for carbonated beverages and Dasani water from Coca-Cola. The decision to use bio-based material has to be motivated by more than a simple desire to score “green” points, says June Anderson, a founding partner with the consulting firm Packaging Knowledge Group LLC. “It depends on the core values of the company and their corporate culture,” Anderson says. “Renewable materials are very important to some organizations and not at all to others.” In any case, if improving their Walmart scorecard is the primary motivation, packagers might do better to look elsewhere, she says: “Generally speaking, renewable materials don’t give you as much bang for your buck as other strategies.” Material choices, like sustainability policy in general, need to hit the “sweet spot” of viability and consumer appeal, Leslie says.

howtorecycle.info

‹‹ “If you get them with the purchase decision, and you just make sure you deliver on all the real-world behavior stuff and the real-world sustainability, and you have a clear conscience that you’ve done something good for the planet, hopefully they’ll realize that, too,” he says. “That seems to be the sweet spot right there.” F&BP

A proposed revamp of the recycling symbol would spell out for consumers exactly how “recyclable” a given package is.

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MaterialsTechnology

LA B E L S

A LOOK AT THE LATEST IN LABELS The effects of digital technology and sustainability are making their marks on and in today’s labels. / by RICK LINGLE, Executive Editor

abels help make a first and lasting impression on consumers, one that can stick with them, consciously or otherwise, as surely as an adhesive backing. It’s a market that itself can be labeled as dynamic. We enlisted input from two industry experts as to where the trends and technologies were taking this segment of packaging. Mark Moorhead, director of marketing, WS Packaging Group Inc., points to activity in digital printing technology. “It’s growing to be a more and more significant part of the label printing market for a variety of reasons,” he says. “Many large brand owners use it for short runs of items they will test in the marketplace before they decide to scale up with a full launch. There is no sacrifice in print quality when using digital printing. We can fingerprint a press to match the digital print quality so that there will be no discernable difference between the test market print run and the full-scale-launch production run. Also, users can save plate costs. For companies that face frequent regulatory or copy changes, shorter digital runs can help reduce or eliminate inventory obsolescence.” Digital printing was the focus of a study, Color Digital Printing in Packaging and Prime Labels, released a year ago by InfoTrends, which noted that the technology is leading to incremental growth. “There’s no displacement of printing in packaging by electronic

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Mrs. Wages products were positioned as relevant for today’s consumer using digitally printed labels with a high-end photo for each of the SKUs.

PHOTO COURTESY OF INNOVATIVE LABELING SOLUTIONS

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media,” says Bob Leahey, associate director. “Instead, packaging is growing with the human population, and color digital print is growing within packaging.” According to the study, gross billings from digital printing systems used by packaging and label converters topped $1.8 billion worldwide in 2009. Innovative Labeling Solutions (ILS) offers digital printing to provide customized, fast turnarounds on orders. Kathy Popovich, director of marketing and communications, believes that the tide has turned for digital printing that had been restricted to prototypes, mockups and sales samples. “The latest generation presses can do full production runs, and that has changed the game,” Popovich says. “It’s not just the speed to market, but also the flexibility of digital printing that allows customers to react quickly to shifting trends and market conditions. With digital printing, companies can make changes pretty much to the last minute. And they can make those on everything from pressure sensitive labels to flexible packaging to folding cartons. ” A deeper shade of ‘green’

Another trend is in sustainability, though Moorhead sees it as a deeper issue beyond the use of more sustainable substrates: “It is encouraging to see more and more ‘green’ alternatives in the forms of materials from our suppliers. But probably the most overlooked issue that brand owners should pursue is a thorough vetting of their suppliers with regard to documentation of their manufacturing processes, not just the green materials they can offer. Are their manufactur-

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Digital label brings bistro’s private-label personality quickly to life armella’s Italian Bistro is a family-owned restaurant in Appleton, Wis. In early December 2010, Carmella’s jarred House Marinara Sauce was introduced at the restaurant and regionally at select area retailers. Digital labels designed by Directions Inc. and produced by WS Packaging helped make that a reality. “For the primary label design we featured a large and lively sprig of freshly-picked basil leaves to communicate the fresh, all-natural ingredients inside the jar,” explains Aaron Graff, Directions art director. “The simple, clear jar with a black lid allows consumers to visually capture the freshness of the product, in conjunction with the simple elegance of the label design. By working together, the label design and package help drive the brand image and enhance shelf appeal.” Due to the short run, Directions elected to have the labels digitally printed. The cost-effectiveness of the digital process combined with pressure-sensitive labeling material optimized for digital printing.

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A stock jar and lid with a custom-crafted label permits Carmella’s Italian Bistro to assess the product’s regional reaction ahead of a larger-scale rollout.

ing practices documented and have they been verified by third party organizations? What ongoing practices do they have in place, and how have they improved?” To Popovich, green blends in with a whole spectrum of labeling options that center on differentiation. “People are looking for something different, whether that’s a substrate that’s more environmentally friendly with FSC [Forest Stewardship Council] certification or whether they’re looking for a label-less look using a thinner, ultra-clear material,” she offers. Popovich also sees brands trying to develop more regionalization or customFOR MORE INFORMATION ization, either by retailer or channel or geography. InfoTrends Moorhead also notes 781 616 2100; www.infotrends.com the impact of private label Innovative Labeling Solutions branding. “We have seen a 888-860-2457; www.ilslabels.com large growth in the area of point of sale and couponing WS Packaging Group Inc. due to the increased com800-236-3424; www.wspackaging.com petition at the shelf,” he re-

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A facestock typically used for wine labels was selected: Fasson Estate #4 with matte UV varnish. The material is on the natural side of white with a ribbed texture. The labels are run on an HP Indigo WS4500 press, and printed 4-color process. A matte UV varnish is applied to the labels for protection against moisture and abrasion. “The stock has a strong tactile feel that gives an intimate sense of quality and authenticity,” notes Graff. “It also heightens the level of differentiation with visual characteristics that add depth.” The result is a labeled jar with that would make a good impression on any shelf. Directions Inc. 800-236-2189; www.directions.com Fasson Roll North America Div. Avery Dennison Corp. 626-304-2000; www.na.fasson.com HP Indigo 866-312-8943; www.hp.com

lates. “That competition has always been there, but the growth in store brands throughout the recession has them in fierce competition with national brands.” Moorhead sees couponing as a means to a bigger end: Capture demographics, cross-sell, build loyalty, and get customers to interact in a touch and feel way even closer with the brand. Those goals resonate with Popovich, who says, “Companies are tapping social media that’s driving a lot of Generation Y consumers to look for engagement and interaction whether that’s printed QR [Quick Response] codes or other techniques.” Labels are called on to do more then ever before. “Historically, consumers have been driven to loyalty by traditional advertising, but that market has become more fragmented,” says Popovich. “The first ‘moment of truth’ on shelf is becoming more important to grab consumers’ attention and to deliver the essence of the brand.” Labels can play a crucial role to help instantly deliver the messaging and the goods. F&BP

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MarketTrends

S N ACK S

EXPLOITING THE NATURAL APPEAL OF SNACKS Many savory snacks have a short ingredient list that can be parlayed into a consumer positive with the right packaging. / by PAN DEMETRAKAKES, Editor ow do you make consumers feel good, or at least less guilty, about eating salty snacks? Get back to basics. Like many foods high in fat and carbohydrates, fried snacks like potato chips have a relatively short shelf life that can’t be extended by preservatives. That, plus the inherent simplicity of the formulation (potatoes, oil and salt), gives them a natural appeal—literally. Stuart Leslie, president of the design agency 4Sight, recalls eating a bag of Lay’s Potato Chips while his wife snacked on SunChips, both from Frito-Lay. “She was telling me, ‘How can you eat that stuff?’ And I said, ‘Well, you read your ingredient list, and I’ll read mine.’ And she was shocked,” Leslie says. “When you look at what’s in the ‘healthier’ foods, especially when you get into artificial sweeteners and preservatives, you end up with an ingredient list that you have to be a chemist to figure out what you’re eating.” Lee Sucharda, president of the Design North graphic/design firm, echoes that sentiment, noting that taste is always the No. 1 consideration for salty snacks, but the benefits of a simple ingredients list are becoming a close second. “They work on their taste profile first, and then what they try to do is create a really simple ingredient deck which helps consumers to believe that there’s none of these bad things in there that you can’t pronounce,” Sucharda says. Frito-Lay is well aware of that phenomenon. Its CEO, Indra Nooyi, recently told a Fox Business Network interviewer that Frito-Lay’s Doritos tortilla chips are “nothing more than corn mashed up, fried up in oil, and flavored in the most delectable way.” She’s used a similar “potatoes, oil and salt” line about potato chips. “The consumer is starting to move toward simplicity of ingredients, and that’s real easy to work with from a packaging standpoint, too,” Leslie

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A revamp of packaging graphics for Deep River Snacks emphasizes the wholesome nature of the formulation while maintaining a colorful presentation.

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says. “If you start with something that’s simple at its core, then you can design packaging that really reinforces that to the consumer.” Frito-Lay, as the category leader, is in a unique position to capitalize on that. The packaging graphics for its flagship Lay’s Potato Chips play up the product’s simplicity: They depict a whole potato transitioning into slices, then into chips, all against a sunny yellow background.

How to say ‘simple’

Smaller competitors are adopting similar tactics. Simplicity and naturalness can be expressed through various means: retro graphics/typography, an uncluttered front panel, a white or light-colored background, a kraft paper-like material or shade, a matte finish. It also helps to make health claims like no trans fat or no cholesterol. One example is Deep River Snacks, a salty-snack processor based in Old Lyme, Conn. Its redesigned graphics, rolled out in January, play up the “natural” trope, with the Kettle Cooked Potato Chips featuring a drawing of potatoes (one of them sliced) in front of a steaming kettle of oil, rendered in an oldfashioned style that’s almost like a woodcut. Debbie Bardin, marketing director for Deep River Snacks, says that playing up the simplicity and “naturalness” of salty snacks makes it easier, in a way, for consumers to indulge. “I think the main reason [for the “natural” trope] is that, when people are going to indulge, they’re going to indulge, but the consumer today still wants to choose wisely,” Barden says. She points to Deep River’s introduction of multigrain tortilla chips at the beginning of this year: “If you can have a tortilla chip that tastes as good or better then a Dorito, yet it is all-natural, doesn’t have all the dyes and preservatives, and it’s a multigrain chip, yet you’re still going to be satisfied and have that flavor, why wouldn’t you choose something healthier?” No clichés, please

Some of the graphic elements used to present a “natural” message have been used so often that they’re in danger of becoming clichés. Deep River avoided that by retaining the bright colors and other standout elements of its previous packaging. “Everybody seems to be going more towards the white package that has maybe a picture of the ingredients on it,” Bardin says. “We still wanted to stand out in a crowd. We’ve always had very good feedback to our packaging because people could

resonate with the colors related to the different flavors, that they were bright and cheerful, and we didn’t want to lose that aspect. We are a more gourmet chip, but we wanted to have fun at the same time. We don’t want to just completely follow the trend of, ‘Hey, let’s just throw a picture of a potato and rosemary and a bottle of olive oil’ because those are the main ingredients.” Sucharda says getting noticed on the shelf is always a top priority for any package design, which makes it necessary to break away from clichés. “If everybody else in that category is in an earth tone, uncoated stock, trying to really play up the all-natural [angle], then we would say let’s not do that,” Sucharda says. “Let’s take more of a mainstream approach and really ensure that we get noticed in this category. And then once we get noticed, let’s really give consumers a reason to pick our brand over the competition, so let’s tout the natural qualities of this product.” Design North has put this strategy into practice with two of its clients. Both Snikiddy baked fries from Snikiddy LLC, Boulder, Colo., and Crunchmaster crackers from TH Foods Inc., Loves Park, Ill., use bright yellow backgrounds and appetizing photos (in Snikiddy’s case, reminiscent of the paperboard container for fast-food fries) to spike shelf appeal. They play up the better-for-you aspects with verbiage like “GlutenFree,” “100% Whole Grain,” “All-Natural” and—in the case of Snikiddy—“Have a Healthy Day.” Leslie notes that simplicity has become a selling point for all sorts of consumer products, ranging from food to electronics. Fried snacks are a natural fit for that trope. “Your overall perception of it is, it’s simple, it’s approachable, it’s friendly, it’s familiar,” Leslie says. “It’s something that I can like easily and not have to get used to. And so that fits in hand-inhand with a product that’s already that way from its ingredients.” F&BP W W W . F O O DA N D B E V E R A G E PA C K A G I N G . C O M

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‹‹ Packaging for multigrain crackers combines better-foryou claims with bright colors and appetizing product shots.


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MaterialsTechnology

C LU B STO RE S

by RICK LINGLE, Executive Editor

PACKAGING THAT BELONGS IN A CLUB Insider advice and guidelines for package designs and trends in club store channels. lub stores present a world of packaging unlike any other venue. It’s graphically apparent to designers that this is a markedly different environment than supermarkets or supercenters to try to catch the attention of category buyers and consumers while maximizing efficiency and reducing the environmental impact through the supply chain. “We design packaging for club stores with larger elements and maximize color, as the consumer on average is further away from the package and views it for less time than in retail stores,” offers designer Paul Sewell of product development company LC Marketing, which has a customer base that includes club stores. “We also need to get the message across within that time, so we keep the elements simple and clear. The club store tends to display the individual units in the outer boxes and on pallets, so these pieces or real estate play an imperative role in identifying the product. Also, because of this, the key elements sometimes need to be placed differently.”

your product is; he or she will move on to the next one. You just lost your opportunity. The warehouse clubs sell most of their items in full pallet displays, usually in a tray or carton. Most trays have a standard three-inch lip, so make sure the graphics that explain your product is above the tray. “The manufacturer should think of the pallet as a billboard. What is the best possible way to simplify and convey my message? Does it resonate with 95% of the customers walking in the building? Every product in the aisle is fighting for the same customer to buy their product. It is important to keep in mind that warehouse clubs do not sell lines, they sell items. Each item has to stand on its own sales numbers—and packaging can be the key to a new product’s success or failure. Have you conveyed your message?” Cohen discussed the packaging basics for Healthy Chicken Noodle Soup from subsidiary Home Chef Kitchen that’s poised for club store introduction. “We wanted a package that was colorful, yet clean and informative, and would stand apart from the already crowded soup category,” says Cohen. “In doing so, we wanted a package that would be beneficial to both the consumer PHOTO COURTESY OF LC MARKETING/IMAGE BRANDS First, fast and last impressions and the environment. Instead of Image Brands is LC Marketing’s graphics arm, using the traditional soup can, we decided to use a formed 20 years ago, that specializes in club stores. bisphenol-A-free, recyclable Tetra Pak carton. ConAccording to CEO Lisa Cohen, packaging in this sidering the numerous benefits of this product, it unique market faces a tremendous amount of inwas difficult to keep the information on the front stant pressure. to a minimum. We therefore utilized the side and “The average club store customer makes a decision back panels.” whether or not to buy your product in four seconds In another example, the company developed a from six feet away,” she explains. “Does your product 24-count box for club sale that offers photography tell your story from a distance? The customer is not of the raspberry pastry and incorporates the Dangoing to turn over the carton to try to figure out what ish flag along the top, bottom and side, as well as

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This aseptically packaged soup set for club store introduction leverages healthful aspects in a colorful carton.

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‹‹ Heinz ketchup is unitized in multipacks with neck collars and displayed in H-style bliss box that provides strength and a impactful shelf display. PHOTO COURTESY OF MOEN INDUSTRIES

the famous Nyhavn Canal in Copenhagen. “There is no guesswork on what the product looks like out of the box,” emphasizes Cohen. The soup carton hits on the strong “green” aspect that works as well in the club environment as anywhere. “Club stores request sustainable packaging wherever possible,” Cohen says. Sales and marketing administrator Iris Walker of Moen Industries concurs. “We have learned that our customers’ goals are to reduce scrap and material usage while increasing stacking strength and, in many cases, product ‘displayability’,” she says. Noting the utility of the company’s bliss-style boxes and trays, she adds, “In addition to reducing scrap and material usage in most cases compared to regular slotted containers, these displayable boxes and trays offer top-tobottom compression strength and stacking strength for end-cap displays without sacrificing an option for good graphics.” Some examples she sites include Ocean Spray Cranberries’ T-Fort bliss display for Ruby Red grapefruit juice, H.J. Heinz’s H-Bliss display for condiments (seen above), ConAgra Foods’ E-Fort bliss for cooking oil, and Paramount Farms’ four-sided, three-piece bliss display for pistachios. For the club perspective, Costco’s 2010 annual report, released in January 2011, is indicative, and offered this summary: “Our merchandise packaging is also becoming more environmentally sustainable. In collaboration with our vendors, we pursue opportunities to eliminate polyvinyl chloride

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MaterialsTechnology (PVC) plastic in our packaging and replace it with recycled or recyclable materials. Likewise, packaging design changes, as in the case of our nuts and snacks packaging changes from plastic jars to reclosable bags, have allowed us to increase the amount of product on a pallet, ultimately resulting in fewer delivery trucks on the road.” With the proper package considerations, packagers can develop products that are not only acceptable, but that positively “sing” in the clubs. F&BP

FOR MORE INFORMATION LC Marketing/Image Brands Inc. 858-453-7808; www.imagebrandsinc.com Moen Industries 562-946-6381; www.moenindustries.com Tetra Pak Inc. 847-955-6000; www.tetrapak.com

An expert’s view on club store packaging e asked Michael Clayman, president of HHC Publishing and publisher of Warehouse Club Focus, about packaging for this specialized channel. F&BP: What packaging aspects need to be considered when developing products for the club stores? Clayman: Engineering a product’s package to maximize the number of units on a pallet can directly influence a product’s potential success. A vendor needs to make sure they engineer a pallet to face both the 48-inch side and the 40-inch side.

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In eliminating slip sheets as a sustainability ploy, Kraft’s unit load leaves only a pallet behind when empty.

Understanding the member or members who will potentially purchase your product is important, since that identification should affect the packaging design/graphics message. Utilizing pallet skirts/wraps to manage your product’s inventory is an effective way to reduce that inventory risk for products whose volume does not require a full pallet display. For items like these, the vendor will create a half-pallet merchandising display that sits on empty pallets and is surrounded by a corrugated wrap promoting the item/vendor. F&BP: How do the various clubs approach their packaging strategies differently? Clayman: BJ’s philosophy of stocking 7,350 items and better meeting the needs of its consumer members differs from Costco, which stocks around 4,000 items and Sam’s with 5,350 items. To be able to fit the extra 1,800 to 2,800 products in a smaller footprint, BJ’s, in many cases,

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utilizes pallets that are approximately one-half to twothirds the height of a traditional 52-inch high pallet. Those shorter pallets enable BJ’s to merchandise two SKUs in the same space a single SKU is typically stocked. Costco’s approach to packaging and private label is clearly evident when it co-brands its Kirkland Signature name with a brand name. Company examples include Jelly Belly, bacon strips with Hormel and grape juice with Newman’s Own. F&BP: How have sustainable packaging requirements affected the club channel? Clayman: First, the clubs still accept and stock items packaged in clamshell or blister packages. However, the packaging materials need to be recyclable and/or environmentally friendly. Sam’s Club created a symbol that identifies products that are environmentally friendly, which will appear on products that have been recognized by a third-party organization or have taken steps to be better for the environment but do not have a certifying organization available for their product or industry. The third-party sustainable organizations include: Fair Trade Certified, USDA Organic Certified, Forest Stewardship Council, and Carbon Neutral Certified. Given that, the clubs are more concerned with making sure the perception of the packaging of the products it sells is environmentally responsible. From using more corrugated and less plastic to eliminating as much secondary packaging, sustainability is important. One of the ways the clubs and vendors are addressing the sustainable packaging issue is to eliminate secondary packaging. Some club items have no display cases and no slip sheets in between layers, and when the product is gone, the only thing left on the floor is the pallet itself. A good example is in the dry grocery department: a package of eighteen 2.15-ounce packages of Kraft Easy Mac macaroni and cheese (shown). HHC Publishing Inc. 617-770-0102; www.hhcpublishing.com

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ROBOTS GET A GRIP ON FOOD AND DRINK Ruggedness, versatility and dependability help robotics make inroads into the food and beverage industry. / by THE ROBOTIC INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION obotic systems are used extensively for handling bags, flow packing and packaging multi-component products like meal kits. It is common to see robots in palletizing and depalletizing operations, and the ability to store many program variations allows users to have multiple mixed pallet specifications for their customers. In the food and beverage industry, those who most efficiently pack and ship specialty orders win. Robot makers have responded with new products and approaches that are flexible and take the hassle out of specialty orders. The trend is so pronounced in food and beverage packaging that it is one of the top five growth areas for robotics according industry statistics from the Robotic Industries Association (RIA). Orders in this sector, which includes consumer goods, increased 41% through the first three quarters of 2010. Full year statistics are available from RIA.

R

‹‹ Robots can be used for a wide range of food products, including products that require gentle handling.

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“Retailers especially like to differentiate themselves by offering unique combinations of goods on their shelves,” said Brian Huse, the RIA’s director of marketing and public relations. “Volumes may rise and fall seasonally, further complicating matters. Robots are designed specifically to handle variations in product and volume.” Robots are usually more affordable and use less space than fixed automation. Plus, their deployment helps eliminate repetitive motion injuries for tasks other automation can’t handle. Return on investment can often be measured in months, and unlike most dedicated machines, robots can adapt easily when the product changes. “Now we see new tooling that allows a robot to change gripper size on the fly, and many innovations in man-machine interfaces to make the robots easier to program and operate,” Huse says. Safety concerns have driven some of the advancements in robot design. Robot makers are now producing robots that have the control reliability needed to eliminate some physical barriers. This means work cell setup is less complicated and less expensive. “A new national robot safety standard is in the pipeline, and some robot makers already have products that comply,” Huse says. “Customers will benefit from cost savings and more flexibility.” Workplace safety is always important, but sometimes people worry more about the effect robots have on jobs. With an economy still tainted by high unemployment, why should the food industry invest in robotics? When labor is cheap and there is no concern about staff turnover a robot may not make sense, but improvements in safety and sanitation often help offset those issues. For that matter, it is quite common to hear that employees are shifted to better jobs (running or maintaining robots, for instance). More importantly, better efficiency and quality (hallmarks of robot systems) create a competitive advantage that can be leveraged into more business. More customers can lead to steady or increased staffing. “Food and beverage applications will continue to grow at a dramatic pace,” says Dean Elkins, RIA chairman and senior general manager of Motoman Robot-


‹‹ Articulated-arm robots are often used in packaging applications.

ics. “Also, case packing and palletizin palletizing will shine.” He predicts China, India, Brazil and Sout South America as hot spots for more robot sales—places not traditionally known for labor shortages or high wages. w turnov is one factor In any country, employee turnover that helps drive demand for robo robots. However, robots can handle large loads with without physical insi jury; robots don’t tire or call in sick, and they are used often to increase production at the end of the line. Furthermore, the cost of injured workers in America can be very high, and robots help minimize that by taking on the heavy lifting of pallets or large, heavy, awkward items. People don’t do so well in damp, cold environments like freezers, so that is another great place for robots. Best of all, robots are good at handling custom orders and different pallet configurations, plus there are many choices in tooling that allow companies to respond quickly when a customer changes an order.

Fundamentals and more advanced concepts about robotics will be examined at the Automate Conference, March 21-24, 2011, at Chicago’s McCormick Place. Held biannually, Automate is co-located with ProMat, sponsored by the Material Handling Industry of America, which is North America’s premier material handling and logistics show. Three associations sponsor Automate 2011: Robotic Industries Association, Automated Imaging Association and Motion Control Association. To learn more about the show, visit www.Automate2011.com. F&BP

‹‹ Delta-style robots are suited to pick-and-place applications, especially with delicate items.

Automate to showcase the best of robots utomate 2011, to be held March 21-24 at Chicago’s McCormick Place, is the premier trade show for robotics and automation in a range of industries, including packaging. Formerly known as the International Robots, Vision & Motion Control Show, Automate 2011 will feature the latest in robotics, vision and automation technologies. It is expected to draw some 35,000 visitors. The show is being sponsored by the Automation Technologies Council, an umbrella group for the Robotic Industries Association (RIA), the Automated Imaging Association (AIA) and the Motion Control Association (MCA). “Right at the front of our show we’ll feature a pavilion of leading system integrators who will demonstrate solutions for a wide-range of industries. This is a major change in our show layout—we want visitors to see solutions first,” says Jeffrey Burnstein, president of

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the Automation Technologies Council. “Then, once our visitors see how everything works together, they can search the show for leading companies, new products, and importantly, industry expertise to help them develop solutions that meet their specific needs.” This year’s show represents a couple of firsts. It’s the first appearance at McCormick Place; it had been held in a smaller venue in Rosemont, Ill. And it will be the first time the show has been held in conjunction with ProMat, a show for the material handling industry and logistics industry sponsored by Material Handling Industry of America (MHIA). For more information about Automate 2011, call 734-994-6088 or access www.automate2011.com.


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GETTING ‘INSIGHT’ INTO ROBOTICS An interview with Rick Roszkowski senior director of marketing, Cognex Corp.

Q: What is InSight, and how is it used in robotics? A:

Q: Why is Cognex a good “partner” for a robotics application? A:

The InSight product line is a general-purpose machine vision system. It is often used in robotics for basic alignments, or guidance, where the camera would be taught to look for a particular object and we would identify the location of the object to the robot, so the robot could pick it up. Or, additionally, we may provide a destination location, a target, and direct the robot where to place it.

Cognex has a long history in vision tools specifically geared for pattern recognition. Our mainstream vision [software] tool is called Patmax. It is extremely capable in terms of dealing with the natural variations that may occur when trying to recognize a product. So for example, it can deal with 360-degree rotation in a very timely way, it can deal with other things, occlusions, noise in the background. Patmax has the ability to wade through all the ambient features of the image to identify the product and precisely locate it.

Q: How is this helpful? A:

the InSight serve other functions while it guides Q: Can the robot arm? A:

If you have a packaging line, fewer and fewer companies are building rigid fixtures on their conveyor lines to get things properly oriented. Instead, they’re allowing the robot to identify where it is through the use of a vision camera to then pick that up and place it in a case, using vision to direct [the robot’s] movements.

Absolutely. In many cases, where locating a product was the primary objective, we’re seeing a trend where more customers are adding in the inspection capability to identify the product, see if the label’s in the right spot, or track it by reading the bar code.

Automate 2011 Booth Preview The MLX100 robot gateway is a best-in-class modular architecture that enables the control and programming of Motoman®robots directly from the ControlLogix®platform using RSLogix™ software. For the first time, a wide range of robots can be deployed and supported by existing in-house PAC/PLC expertise. The power of the MLX100 is not limited to just palletizing robots, but is applicable to packaging robots and even multiple robots on the same controller.

1/11 8:39 AM 001_FBP0211_Cover.indd 1

>> VISIT US ONLINE AT:

www.foodandbeveragepackaging.com 38


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www.motoman.com


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Which makes using Cognex an easy choice. To find out more, download the “10 Reasons to Choose Image-based ID Readers” guide from www.wecanreadit.com.

SupplierNews

03/11

NEWS / TECHNOLOGY / PEOPLE

FILM RESIN PRICES

ON THE WAY UP aw material prices for film are likely to rise because more resin suppliers are targeting non-food applications like electronics, according to a major supplier. Price increases for resins, especially polyethylene terephthalate (PET), have come about at least partly because PET producers are targeting durable goods industries, Stephen Clarke, managing director of API Foils, told Foodproductiondaily.com.

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Film prices are rising due to other applications that compete for PET and other resins.

Clarke mentioned other factors, including a rise in the price of cotton (which increases demand for polyester fiber as an alternative) and a slowing of investment in resin processing plants. In an interview earlier this year with Food & Beverage Packaging, an executive of resin producer DAK Americas said mergers within the industry probably will mean slow or no growth in production capacity for PET and other resins. He was speaking in the wake of DAK’s acquisition of the PET business of Eastman Chemical. F&BP

SUPPLIER MERGERS ON THE REBOUND ergers and acquisitions among packaging suppliers started to rebound in 2010 after declining in 2009 to the lowest level in almost a decade, according to BMO Capital Markets Packaging Group. Deals among packaging suppliers increased both globally and in North America, reflecting a rebound in the general economy. Globally, there were 226 transactions in 2010, a 35% increase over 2009; in North America, there were 79 announced deals, up 18% from 2009. Both globally and in North America, rigid packaging accounted for a greater share of transactions than any other packaging segment. This has been the case since 2005. Rigid packaging accounted for 36% of the deals globally and 40% in North America. Flexible packaging was second in deal intensity, accounting for 22% of global volume and 20% of North American volume. Paperboard was also up, while labels remained flat. Both globally and in North America, merger and acquisition activity among packaging suppliers has paralleled the general economy: a precipitous drop from 2007 to 2008, a smaller drop in 2009, and recovery in 2010. F&BP

M

PACKAGING SUPPLIER DEALS BY SECTOR GLOBAL 8%

NORTH AMERICA

4%

5% 14%

Rigid

36%

12%

Flexible

40%

Paperboard Machinery

11%

Other Labels

18% 22%

10%

Source: BMO Capital Markets www.bmocm.com/industry/packaging

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20%

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RPC Group has bought Danish rigid packaging supplier Superfos for $324 million. The seller is financial investors IK Investment Partners and Ratos. Tripack, a supplier of shrink sleeve application equipment, has moved to new headquarters in Florence, Ky. Bosch Packaging Technology has changed the names of its subsidiaries Sigpack Systems AG and Paal Verpackungsmaschinen GmbH. Sigpack will become Bosch Packaging Systems AG, and Paal will become Bosch Packaging Systems GmbH. >>

Morrison Container Handling Solutions, a supplier of feed and timing screws and other change parts for packaging equipment, has hired Cezary Mroz for the new post of director of engineering and development. FleetwoodGoldcoWyard, a supplier of material handling and end-of-line equipment, has promoted Mroz Neal McConnellogue to executive vice president. McConnellogue will assume the financial accountability of CBI Fleetwood Ltd., a FleetwoodGoldcoWyard company operating in South Yorkshire, England.

>> Conveyor supplier Dorner Manufacturing has established a new landing page on its website for threedimensional computer-aided design. Accessing www.dornercad.com gives potential customers a quick direct link to more than one million model possibilities and will allow users to draw virtually any conveyor model with lifelike 3D clarity. Flexible packaging supplier Pregis Corp. has set up a toll-free service hotline manned 24/7 by live staff. For more information, call 877-692-6163. InspX LLC, a div. of Peco Controls that supplies X-ray inspection equipment, has moved its headquarters and operations to a new facility in Fremont, Calif. >>

B R IEF S

Edwin (J.R.) Reeser has been recently named area sales manager for a newly formed Midwest sales region for Piab USA Inc., a supplier of vacuum systems and suction cups for robot arms and other packaging equipment. Pacepacker Services Ltd. of the United Kingdom has named Spiroflow Systems Inc. their exclusive Reeser North and South American representative for the company’s bagging, pick-and-place and robot palletizing systems.


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SupplierClose-up

C O MPAN Y CAPABIL ITIE S

THE BRIGHTER SIDE OF PACKAGING How DayGlo is helping the food packaging industry build unique brands through color.

‹‹ DayGlo colors, FDA-approved for food contact, open up a new range of possibilities for packaging color.

44

uring a struggling—and even recovering—economy, differentiating a brand and building consumer recognition for products has never been more important. With the growth in sophistication of and competition between private label and national brands, the ability to develop a new brand, or refresh an old one, can mean the difference between success and failure. Color remains the most cost-effective way to both differentiate and enhance a brand. DayGlo Color Corp., the global leader in customized color solutions for products and packaging,

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holds that introducing new colors into a brand (or enhancing existing colors with new effects) can help companies: • Innovate and design new and differentiated packaging, and printed material • Achieve new dimensions for package design • Refresh packaging and brands with minimal investment • Add color accents that bring products and packages to life • Attract consumer attention for packaging and products

As the originator, and the world’s largest manufacturer, of daylight fluorescent color, DayGlo is working with the food industry to enhance their products through color by incorporating rich, subtle or bold color effects with eye-catching results. The company has invested considerable research into specific food and beverage applications, which DayGlo sees as a largely untapped market for enhanced packaging color.

opment and technical leadership at the company, helps companies with incorporating specialty color effects into their packaging. Team members work closely with designers to create packaging that builds successful brand identities with strong shelf appeal, as well as with manufacturers and packaging materials developers to advise and assist on how to integrate DayGlo color effects into their products and processes. F&BP

/CEJKPGT[DWKNVHQTSWCNKV[FGRGPFCDKNKV[CPFFWTCDKNKV[ 5[UVGOUDWKNVHQTURGGFEQPUKUVGPE[CPFRTGEKUKQP 'XGT[VJKPIFGUKIPGFCPFOCPWHCEVWTGFVQſV [QWTTGEKRG [QWTHCEKNKVKGU CPF[QWTPGGFU The result has been the launch of two new color ranges that are safe for direct contact with food and beverages: the GloPrill and Gem-Tone lines. Both color palettes can be used without a functional barrier, opening up new color options for high-interest areas like graband-go foods, helping food and beverage companies address hot-button trends in packaging, including shelf appeal, food safety, and lifestyle convenience. DayGlo’s GloPrill palette of colors are bright and eye-catching, and can be used in any room-temperature or below packaging application, from ice-cream wrappers to children’s candy. The first and only fluorescent pigments that are FDAcompliant for direct food contact, GloPrill pigments can be used in high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) food and beverage packaging. The Gem-Tones range is a line of beautiful transparent colors that make any food packaging look good. Highly versatile, suitable for both freezer and microwave, Gem-Tones are FDA-approved for use in clarified PP food and beverage packing, making them perfect for all manner of convenience foods. DayGlo’s Brand Action Team, composed of marketing, business devel-

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FOR MORE INFORMATION DayGlo 216-391-7070; www.dayglo.com W W W . F O O DA N D B E V E R A G E PA C K A G I N G . C O M

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SupplierForum

Cartoner is versatile, modular, reliable

For companies that print large, variable data codes on both porous or nonporous substrates, the new Model 2120 large character ink jet printer from Videojet Technologies can apply characters on everything from cardboard and paper to plastic and foil. An automated setup wizard makes printer startup easy and fast, and preprogrammed templates help reduce coding errors, maximizing productivity. Multiple printhead and ink options provide the flexibility to configure the printer for different products and packages, regardless of the substrate. The Videojet 2120 comes preprogrammed with a range of common jobs ready for use, which can be customized easily to meet companies’ specific coding needs.

Model CV6-350C is a continuous motion vertical cartoner that features a streamlined, modular design; patented dynamic carton cell chain; volumetric filler; and integrated vision system. It will load a variety of carton sizes and styles, including theater boxes. With a four-spindle rotary carton feeder, Model CV6-350C is designed to run at up to 350 cartons per minute. Features include a patented product streaming delivery system that increases production and uptime, eliminates bridging and clogging; volumetric fillers with automatic adjustment via feedback from the integrated checkweigher, resulting in less product waste; a patented dynamic carton cell chain that provides perfect carton squaring, no scuffing, and runs theater boxes with ease; and quick, tool-less changeovers and recipe-driven flexible system that can run a wide range of carton sizes with no change parts.

Videojet Technologies Inc. 800-843-3610; www.videojet.com

Z Automation 847-483-0120; www.zautomation.com

Large-character printer can service many substrates

6-axis robot now in 110-volt version Epson Robots has introduced a 110volt version of its high-performance Model C3 Compact six-axis robot for environments like pilot plants where a standard industrial 220-volt connection may not be available. The 110-VAC six-axis robot is available with Epson’s PC-based RC620+ controller, which provides the power and flexibility of open architecture. Fully integrated software options include Vision Guidance, .Net support, Profibus, DeviceNet, EtherNet/ IP and more. Epson Robots 562-290-5910; www.robots.epson.com

Magnet depalletizes empty steel cans

CONVEYOR IS COMPACT BUT POWERFUL 3200 Series iDrive belt conveyor saves space by integrating the motor, gearbox and motor controller within the frame of the conveyor. Designed for heavyduty applications, it comes with indexing capabilities to handle more sophisticated conveying applications. The 3200 Series iDrive comes with three control options and is ready to use for quick integration into existing packaging and processing lines. Side controls allow operators to adjust speed and direction with ease, and an internal brushless DC motor is maintenance-free. Dorner Manufacturing 800-397-8664; www.dornerconveryors.com

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Magnetic depalletizer readily transfers steel cans to varying processes along a production line. Rather than relying on manual labor to stack and move cans, which can be risky and costly, an ultra-strong ceramic magnet located inside a housing is activated with a hydraulic switch. Once triggered, the steel cans affix themselves to the housing and can be transferred by a robot, gantry or pick-and-place loader to other processing locations. To remove the cans from the magnetic depalletizer, the operator simply moves the switch and the cans are released.. Magnetic Products Inc. 248-887-5600; www.mpimagnet.com


VFFS BAGGERS HAVE UDSA, 3A SEALS X-Series of vertical form-fill-seal baggers are USDA and 3A-Sanitation Certified for both intermittent and continuous models, including forming tubes. Adhering to strict 3A sanitary standards, Triangle’s X-Series 3A features include electropolished stainless steel, ground welds, laser sealed die-filled film roller and sloped control box for product runoff. Control box finishes come with NEMA4X certification, and electrical components have an IP65 rating. The machine operates on Rockwell Automation’s ControlLogix software platform. Triangle Package Machinery Co. 800-621-4170; www.trianglepackage.com

Table-top printer handles serial data MPS family of offline reel-to-reel label printing systems combine a Norwood printer with integration from Code-in-Motion. The MPS prints serialized, variable and/or batch data to pre-printed or blank labels. With its optional vision inspection and traceability software, MPS complies with track-and-trace and electronic pedigree serialization initiatives to improve inventory management and assure consumer safety. The table-top model is a standalone unit that automatically unwinds, indexes, prints and rewinds a roll of label media for offline printing. Customers then use this printed roll of label media on their label application systems. If needed, the offline reel-to-reel MPS can be upgraded at a later date in the field to print online. Norwood Marking Systems 800-626-3464; www.itwnorwood.com

Printers are reliable and easy to use

Bottle infeed is reliable High-speed servo-based infeed system runs up to 1,500 bottles per minute (BPM). When backlog is lost, there is no need to stop to re-establish feed on the servo unit. It will smoothly restart feed at speeds up to 500 BPM. With the highspeed servo infeed, the bottle filler can keep running with no need to stop and re-start as backlogs are re-established. Morrison Container Handling Solutions 847-853-9400; www.morrison-chs.com

ASEPTIC FILLER IS FAST, CONVENIENT Scholle SureFill 30 LA aseptic filler will bring dairy and beverage processors the ability to offer popular aseptic products to large-volume customers with product end-use flexibility, while cutting manufacturing costs. It offers processors bag size and fitment versatility, filling speeds up to 15 one-gallon bags per minute, decreased operations downtime, automatic changeovers, longer run periods between cleanups, and enhanced product and operator safety. Scholle Packaging 708-836-3653; www.scholle.com

RX Series small-character ink jet printers expand the reliability and product functionality Hitachi PXR’s and PB Series printers. Features include a cost-reducing ink circulation system, automatic nozzle cleaning with auto shut-down, a 10.4-inch large color LCD touchscreen with increased resolution/viewing angle and WYSIWYG display, Ethernet connectivity, an IP55 stainless cabinet enclosure rating and more

Air Blast Inc. specializes in high-velocity, high-efficiency air knife blow-off systems. Air Blast Inc. systems operate using directdrive standard centrifugal blowers with velocities from 5,000 to more than 38,000 feet per minute. Air knives are available in diameters of 2.5, 4 and 6 inches, which allows compactness as needed and lowers pressure losses on larger applications. Air Blast Inc. has a variety of hardware that make mounting and setup very simple. The mounting hardware also allows quick and easy line changes.

Hitachi America 704-494-3008; www.hitachi-america.us

Air Blast Inc. 626-576-0144; www.airblastinc.com

Air knives can fit any application


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To place your classified ad in Food & Beverage Packaging call Catherine Wynn at 847-405-4010 Fax: 248-502-9109 E-mail: [email protected] AUCTION

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State of the Art Bottling Operations and Printing Facility for Private Brands • Husky Hypet 120 Injection Molder Hydraulic System • Glycol Chill Plate Chiller, 32 cavity 28mm PCO molds, Cool Pix robot, • HP 4500 Printing System including HP ws4500 ConAir first stage dryer, dryer control and chiller, and digital printer second phase dryer. Installed 2007. • Rotoflex Converting Line Installed 2007. • Evapco Cooler ATW900 with 600-gallon process tank • Blow Molders Four Cavity Blow Molding System, • Carbonation Bottling Line with Tri-Block pressurized Isolated Sealed Machine Room, Six Cavity Blow filler, rinser, and capper. Installed 2010. Molding System. Installed 2006. • (2) Bottling Rooms Clean room air filtration and • Ultraviolet Pretreatment System • Reverse Osmosis Pretreatment System pressurization system • (2) Bottling Lines Automatic Bottle Un-scrambler, • 4,300 Gallon Water Storage Tanks Bottle Rinser, Bottle Filler, Capper/Labeler, Cap • (3) Ozone Systems with 50 GPM Dual Pumps Monitor Cincher/Tightener, 12' x 12' Accumulation Conveyor, • Large Qty. of Test Equipment for In-House Production Code Printer, Heat Shrink Wrapping System, Heat For further information please contact Mark Reynolds Tunnel, Shrink Pallet Wrappers at 205.595.5999 or Email [email protected] These are partial listings only. For more info. on additional auctions or to subscribe to our email/mailing lists, visit

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MARCH

2011


To place your classified ad in Food & Beverage Packaging call Catherine Wynn at 847-405-4010 Fax: 248-502-9109 E-mail: [email protected] EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

NEW AND USED PROCESS AND PACKAGING EQUIPMENT • Automatic Blister Pack Machine DPP-130B

• Craftex Dust Collectors CT031 & B2151A

• Marburg Neck & Full Body Bander M-725-FB

• Videojet Excel Model 2000 Ink Jet Coder

• Marburg Stainless Steel Heat Tunnel CR-6000

• Abacus Wraparound Labeler BA100/01GR

• New & Used Net Weigh/Fillers(customizable)

• Skin Packaging Machine, Model TB390

• New & Used 3’-16’ Long Stainless Steel Conveyors

• Semi-Auto S/S Auger Filler FLG-500A

• New & Used 40”-60” S/S Feed & Accumulate Tables

• Jet Heat Tunnel, Model BS-4535LA

Complete Packaging Lines for for Tablets, Capsules, Liquids, and Powders Complete Packaging Lines for Tablets, Capsules, Liquids, and Powders Process Equipment: Mixers, Tanks/Kettles, Granulators, & Coating Pans

Process Equipment: Mixers, Tanks/ Kettles, Granulators, & Coated Pans www.djsent.com • e-mail: [email protected] MOST EQUIPMENT CAN BE INSPECTED IN TORONTO!!!

2700 - 14th Avenue, Unit 6 - Markham, Ontario L3R 0J1 Phone: 905-475-7644 • Toll Free: 888-DJS-SALE • Fax: 905-475-7645

Advertise in the Food & Beverage Packaging Classified Network Call Catherine Wynn at 847-405-4010

TABLETOP POWDER FILLER

EB

Perfect for use in small medium or large facilities

R AT IN

G

Capper For Sale 1931

CEL

Model TNU 153 ND

Capper For Sale 2010

1 8o 8 0 - 2 0 1 0 f n o fami ly traditi

YOUR TRUSTED RESOURCE FOR EQUIPMENT SOLUTIONS FOR 130 YEARS Equipment Sales, Purchases, Rentals & Leasing Auction & Liquidation Services Certi¿ed Market Appraisals Asset Based Loans 130 ACRES FOR 130 YEARS - To learn about Loeb’s carbon offset project and watch our progress in reaching 130 acres of rainforest conservation, visit: WWW.LOEBEQUIPMENT.COM

(800) 560-LOEB

(773) 548-4131

[email protected]


• Fill range 10 g-5 kg • Accuracy control system • Variable speed control • Fill Food, Pharma, Healthcare, Chemicals and more • Eco Friendly energy save • Cleaning time approx. 10 minutes by hand

www.dreamfill.com

MARCH

2011

206-274-8118


51

To place your classified ad in Food & Beverage Packaging call Catherine Wynn at 847-405-4010 Fax: 248-502-9109 E-mail: [email protected] MATERIALS & SUPPLIES

CONTRACT BOTTLING

www.unitednutritionlabsinc.com

HOT FILL, COLD FILL & PASTEURIZATION

JUICES, TEAS, SAUCES, SYRUPS, ENERGY DRINKS, ISOTONICS, ETC. BOTTLE SIZES 3oz - 30oz, PET

OR

GLASS

Contract Shrink Sleeving & Banding, Encapsulating, Tableting, Coating, Pouching, Blister Packs, Powders, Softgels, Package Printing, & More! Private Labeling Available on 100+ Stock Products (24 Minimum)

1-866-692-1997 Direct All Inquires to Cliff [email protected]

5135 OLD US HWY 322 REEDSVILLE, PA 17084

CERTIFIED

CONTRACT PACKAGING

**Portion Control!**

Packaging, Inc. ◆ ◆ ◆

AIB, Kosher, HACCP: TOTAL Commitment to Quality Assurance

Hot, Cold, Viscous, Cheeses, Liquids, Powders, Dry, Pre-wrapped

Low-to-High Volume. No Minimums

◆

Turnkey solutions from concept to consumer

◆

Processing, Fullfillment, Assembly, Labeling, Sleeving

◆

Cups, Tubs, Canisters, Rigid Containers

(877)347-9725 F:(815)624-8170

www.cuppac.com [email protected]

Advertise in the Food & Beverage Packaging Classified Network. Call Catherine Wynn at 847-405-4010

Food & Beverage Classifieds Contact Catherine Wynn 847-405-4010 W W W . F O O DA N D B E V E R A G E PA C K A G I N G . C O M

MARCH

2011


53

DataWatch

PERCENTAGE OF CONSUMERS WHO CHECK LABELS FOR THINGS THEY WANT TO AVOID

INTEREST WANES IN NUTRITION INFO

1990

ixteen years after Nutrition Facts panels were put on the back of nearly every food and beverage in stores, and about two months after they were added to meat and poultry packages, interest in reading them has steadily waned among U.S. households, according to food market research by The NPD Group. The Nutrition Facts labels were required to be added to food packaging in 1994 as a result of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) of 1990. NPD asked consumers their level of agreement with the statement, “I frequently check labels to determine whether the foods I buy contain anything I’m trying to avoid.” In 1990, 65% of consumers completely or mostly agreed with the statement. That decreased to 60% just before Nutrition Facts panels began appearing on food packaging, and rose back up to 64% in 1995 after they appeared. Since 1995, the percentages of consumers in agreement have ranged from a high of 61% to a low of 50%. F&BP

S

1995

63.5%

2005

50.3%

2006

51.1%

2007

52.8%

2008

52.1%

54.3%

2009

51.8%

2010 0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Source: NPD Group; 866-444-1411; www.npd.com

PAGE WEB SITE

AdvertiserIndex

64.9%

PAGE WEB SITE

14 www.arpac.com 21 www.enhanceyourbrand.com

10,11 www.marchantschmidt.com

39 www.cognex.com/plusid

35 www.marq.net

17 www.cpflexpack.com

2 www.matroximaging.com

56 www.diagraph.com

Quality Corrugated Packaging Equipment

7 www.ecologic-llc.com

41 www.motoman.com

27 www.emerson.com

5 www.o-i.com

3 www.evergreenpackaging.com/sustainability

48 www.packagingthatsells.com

44 www.fallasautomation.com

25 www.paktech-opi.com

18 www.foggfiller.com

45 www.raque.com

55 www.harpak.com

43 www.staubli.us

9 www.hitachi-america.us/ijp

19 www.ttco.com

13 www.ice-x-usa.com

15 www.videojet.com

USA

12 www.ilslabels.com

16 www.wspackaging.com ®

54

33 www.moenindustries.com


MARCH

2011


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