Machinery

Packaging lines have incorporated automatic checkweighers for so long the devices are easy to take for granted. But at Biocraft Corp. of Fairlawn, NJ, where powdered drugs are made and packaged for a variety of drug marketers, 100% checkweighing of all bottles is only a little more than a year old, having replaced a reli- able but more labor-intensive system of random checks.

To prevent unforeseen problems, Engraph Label Group (Charlotte, NC) is offering a "Checklist for Labeling Success." The free checklist details up to eight parameters for each of five categories, including container, facestock, adhesive, graphics and application.

It must depend on who is asked. GMA claims that an "overwhelming majority of consumers" read food labels, and that 63% of consumers find the nutritional information on the label to be "easier to understand." However, a survey by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and Prevention Magazine reported that most food shoppers are not familiar with the new nutrition label.

Barring a court injunction being sought by dairy industry groups, manufacturers of dairy products will be subject to Vermont's mandatory BST labeling regulations as of September 12, 1995.

rommeLag USA (Fords, NJ) has formed a new company, Holopack Intl., to meet specialized contract packaging needs in the pharmaceutical liquid filling markets.

In an effort to bring California into compliance with federal environmental advertising claims guidelines by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), industry is backing a state environment labeling bill prohibiting environmental marketing claims that do not meet or exceed requirements for substantiation, are not consistent with examples in the FTC guidelines, or are identified as deceptive claims by those guidelines.

Aidlin Automation's (Bradenton, FL) CFSC-2024 orients and feeds push-pull sports closures at speeds to 800 containers/min. This elevator-type unit feeds the closures using specially designed orienting cleats and then transfers them into an existing capper.

Alpha Plastics (St. Louis, MO) now has tooling to produce injection blow-molded pharmaceutical and vitamin bottles that accept Seda's (Los Angeles, CA) J-Cap(TM), Hinge Guard(TM) and TE closures.