Conveying & accumulation

Government funds casing upgrade at Boyd Coffee

With R&D funding from Oregon’s OSHA, Boyd Coffee develops a custom case packer that addresses repetitive motion injuries attributable to manual packing. Machine also reduces giveaway.

July 31, 2000

Labeling: Page 169

Conveying & accumulation

Portland nixes reshippers

Portland Brewing cuts costs and gains flexibility by moving away from reshippers and into bulk glass. It now forms its own six-pack carriers and corrugated shippers.

July 31, 2000

Secondary Packaging

E-commerce seminar analysis

Packagers, material suppliers and other firms addressed ‘Packaging for e-commerce direct-to-consumers’ at a June conference. Here’s an analysis from one of the conference's panel moderators.

June 30, 2000

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Quadrel Labeling Systems: Semi-automatic labeler

Using a product fixture to hold the container, the Model TL2 labeler from Quadrel Labeling Systems (Mentor, OH) can tamp up to 25 labels/min with ±1/32” accuracy, says maker.

June 30, 2000

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Meat nutrition labels

Plugging a hole in the government’s mandatory nutrition labeling, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture announced it would seek such labeling on all fresh meat and poultry.

June 30, 2000

Coding, Printing & Labeling

UVA risk questioned

Sunscreen labels give little indication of the amount of protection from harmful UVA rays.

June 30, 2000

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Rules for GM foods

The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) along with other food groups filed formal petitions with the Food Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission to establish clear guidelines for the voluntary use of genetically modified designations such as “GM-free,” “Non-GM,” and others on product labels or in advertising.

June 30, 2000

Coding, Printing & Labeling

The legend of Jimmi; an ode to cosmetics

Last month in this space, you learned a bit about how some of us view package design, another way of saying, the “cosmetics” of packaging: how great printing or decorating of a container can attract customers.

June 30, 2000

Secondary Packaging

Kringle tray's a sweet success

Racine Danish Kringles is first to use a thermoformed, E-flute corrugated tray for its baked pastries. Tray delivers strength and environmental and marketing advantages.

June 30, 2000

Additives, coatings & inks

Cremora's switch to PET

Eagle Family Foods Inc.’s switch in packaging materials in its 1-kg size of Cremora powdered non-dairy creamer was the first move in an across-the-board transition.

May 31, 2000

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Goodbye to drug package inserts?

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America has formed a “Paperless Labeling Task Force” to investigate how timely distribution of full prescribing information can be provided to pharmacists using new technologies instead of relying on the printed package inserts now required by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA).

May 31, 2000

Bag/pouch fill/seal (pre-made bags)

Flex America Inc: Flex America Inc: Labeler for vf/f/s machines

Designed for integration with Ishida Apex vf/f/s equipment, the Flex-Pac labeler from EPI (New Freedom, PA) applies p-s labels—including coupon, multi-ply and reclosable styles—to fronts or backs of packages.

May 31, 2000

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Congressional report also touts biotech products

Agricultural biotech also got a strong thumbs-up in a report issued by the House Subcommittee on Basic Research. In a letter accompanying the report, subcommittee chairman Rep.

May 31, 2000