OFF THE SHELF: Conagra's bag-to-bowl technology

Now available nationwide, this microwave popcorn package goes from flat bag to a bowl brimming with delicious popcorn. Pat Reynolds puts the new package through the paces.

Pat Reynolds
Apr 4th, 2011

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Companies in this article
ConAgra
Electronic position indicators simplify size changeovers. The status LEDs light up green when the actual and target values match precisely.
Position Indicators Speed Changeover
Three packaging machines handling powdered milk formula rely on monitored size changeover using electronic position indicators with IO-Link interface.
Jun 2nd, 2020
Ima Sensing Future Days
Ima Group's "Sensing Future Days" Virtual Event
The first session of IMA’s virtual event just concluded successfully, while the second one will take place from 10 to 12 June .
Jun 1st, 2020
Jorge Izquierdo breaks down the present state of the industry, with a positive eye towards a post COVID-19 world.
OEM COVID-19 #11 - State of the Packaging & Processing Industry
PMMI's Jorge Izquierdo predicts promising times ahead for packaging and processing despite current COVID-19 climate
May 29th, 2020
The wearable Kinexon SafeTag warns the user, audibly and visually, when the physical distance with another employee has been compromised.
Technology Steps Forward for Social Distancing
As more manufacturers are allowed to resume production amid the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping their workers distanced will be key to keeping them healthy. Here are some innovations to help achieve that.
May 28th, 2020
Film unwind on the new stretch wrapping system at Badoit.
Multipacking Optimized
Top quality natural mineral water and an exclusive bottle design are the trademarks of the Badoit brand, and now their multipacks are also consistently first class.
May 28th, 2020
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Sustainability in Secondary Packaging Lines
Secondary packaging lines need greater precision when handling materials with variances in content and weight, according to a new report by PMMI Business Intelligence.
May 27th, 2020
Now the packs use an abrupt, well-delineated break from the white at the top to the color at the bottom with no gradient, just the two contrasting colors.
Bumble Bee Tuna Package Redesign Retires Mascot, Focuses on Flavor
Bumble Bee Tuna’s iconic brand got a modern design update last month. Notably, the longstanding cartoon bumble bee mascot, Horatio, is no longer part of the design architecture.
May 26th, 2020
Pyraser Landbrauerei has recently invested in a KHS Innofill Glass DRS glass bottle filler.
New Filler for Beer
Pyraser Landbrauerei, founded in 1868 in the Franconia region of Germany, recently invested in a KHS Innofill Glass DRS filler.
May 26th, 2020
Nestlé is piloting reusable and refillable dispensers for pet food and soluble coffee products as part of its efforts to reduce single-use packaging.
Nestlé Pilots Reusable and Refillable Dispensers in Switzerland
Nestlé pilots digitally-integrated refillable dispensers for its Purina pet food and Nescafé soluble coffee products to reduce single-use packaging and food waste.
May 26th, 2020
Pat Reynolds Headshot
Packaging Post-Pandemic
Nobody can measure with any real accuracy what impact Covid-19 will have on packaging. But what packaging professional wouldn’t value a glimpse into how things might look post-pandemic, especially if that glimpse comes from an experienced veteran?
May 21st, 2020
Sustain 6
Looking Ahead to New Packaging Material Innovation
Packaging engineers and product developers must work together to create new sustainable initiatives in packaging material innovation.
May 22nd, 2020
Along with a new focus on function, Ethan’s has changed the color of each bottle to reflect the shots’ unique flavors and primary ingredients.
Function-Focused Rebrand for Wellness Shots
Organic energy shot company Ethan’s redesigns the labels for its 2-oz shots to clearly convey the occasion of use for each as well as emphasize the flavor and ingredient profiles.
May 20th, 2020
Sun-Maid Raisins 10-oz bag AFTER the redesign
Little Red Box Gets First Redesign in Decades
A brand refresh for Sun-Maid’s raisin and other whole-fruit products includes changes that aim to appeal to millennial shoppers looking for healthy snacks for their families.
May 19th, 2020
Like almost all of Spacestation’s beverage output as a copacker, the company’s own Flybeverage brands—Nectr and Uncle Arnie’s—use a shrink sleeve labeling system that is flexible enough for a variety of different combinations of bottle dimensions/heights, substrates, container transparency levels, and closure styles.
Shrink Sleeve Fits Fine for Cannabis Seltzer & Soda Line
With varied SKUs for CM/CP business, plus a quickly growing in-house brand of its own, this cannabis-infused beverage producer found that shrink sleeve labeling is the right solution for just about any and all form factors, whether glass, PET, or cans.
May 19th, 2020
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Economic Outlook: 2020 and Beyond
Discussing the current economic outlook amidst a “double black swan event,” Alex Chausovsky of ITR Economics presented “Guidance in an Uncertain Economy” last week as part of PMMI’s Executive Leadership Conference.
May 18th, 2020
BIC North America will be producing 2,000 medical-grade face shields per day at its factory in Milford, Conn.
BIC Uses Plastic Packaging Materials to Produce PPE
Global CPG BIC gears up to produce 2,000 medical-grade face shields per day at its Connecticut facility, using plastic packaging materials and scrap plastic from its lighter products.
May 18th, 2020
Direct digital printing on aluminum cans is what made this slogan-and-rainbow campaign possible.
Direct Digital Print Brings AR Experience to Beverage Cans
By printing a QR code on the side of aluminum beverage cans, this Canadian firm and three partnering beverage producers are lifting spirits in this time of pandemic.
May 18th, 2020
The slim, e-com shipper comprises a hinged tray fitted with movable inner trays that securely hold the bottle and product literature.
Smart Supplement Shipper is Letterbox-Friendly, Sustainable
Brain health company Heights launches its D2C supplement product in a unique bottle and shipper made from bio-based materials that together measure less than one inch deep.
May 15th, 2020
This robot picks freshly printed cans six at a time from the vacuum conveyor discharge and places them on the infeed conveyor of the curing oven.
Breakthrough in Direct Digital Can Printing
Tonejet’s electrostatic drop-on-demand can printing technology has taken some time to mature since it first burst onto the scene. That makes this SoluCan installation awfully interesting.
May 14th, 2020
Just like in this iceberg image, hidden operating costs can sink you. Total cost of ownership enables gathering better data and understanding for better informed decisions.
It’s All About the Cost, Not the Price
Just like all change management, total cost of ownership is a journey that has transformational results when successfully implemented.
May 14th, 2020
More in Home
The three shippers include a 24-ct, a 12-ct, and a four-count case illustrated to resemble vintage turntables and a boombox. A booklet designed to look like a cassette tape provides an introduction to the brand and its varieties.
Boombox-Inspired Shippers Reinforce ‘Soda with Soul’ Proposition
With the COVID-19 lockdown, U.K. craft soda company Dalston’s unveils new shippers for its growing online sales that pay homage to its music roots, while introducing new consumers to the brands’ values and personality.
May 13th, 2020
Sustain 4
Machine Efficiency and the Impacts of Sustainable Packaging
Many primary packaging lines are no longer dedicated to a single product as SKUs increase, impacting line efficiency. Sustainable material changes may also create challenges.
May 13th, 2020
The highly compact XTS has a circumferential track length of 22 m and uses a total of 40 independent movers. The L’Oréal Group produces high-quality skin care products, mascaras, and foundation makeup for its Division Luxe.
L’Oréal Replaces 5 Machines with One Smart System
Facing SKU proliferation and shorter runs, the L’Oreal Group replaced an outdated system with a new track-based system of movers that brings fast changeover and high output.
May 12th, 2020
Abe Eshkenazi, CEO of the Association for Supply Chain Management
Supply Chains Race to Match Shifting COVID-19 Consumer Behavior
Abe Eshkenazi, CEO of the Association for Supply Chain Management, discusses what retailers can expect in terms of changing consumer behavior—namely a shift away from commercial/foodservice, and toward e-commerce and retail.
May 12th, 2020
Each & Every has rolled out a 2.5-oz deodorant tube made from bioplastic and a special black colorant that the company says can be detected by infrared scanners for recycling.
Sugarcane and Corn: ‘Ingredients Matter’ in New Deodorant Packaging
Vegan, cruelty-free deodorant from Each & Every introduces primary packaging made from sugarcane-based plastic and a corn-based bioplastic shipping envelope.
May 11th, 2020
Five experts from the packaging and supply chain world offered a multi-sectoral analysis of COVID-19’s impacts on the Latin American industry, in an EXPO PACK webinar attended by 280 professionals from the entire region.
Packaging Innovation Post-Pandemic
Anti-pathogenic packaging, disruptive structural formats and graphic design that responds to the exponential growth of e-commerce in Latin America, and new approaches to sustainability in packaging will drive the future post-pandemic.
May 11th, 2020
Pepsicolockupbrands 2line
PepsiCo Opens Two New E-Commerce Outlets
PepsiCo launches new direct-to-consumer offerings to deliver food and beverage products and meet increased demand amid pandemic.
May 11th, 2020
Sustain 4
Quest for a Plastic Packaging Circular Economy
Eliminating unnecessary plastic, sustainable innovation, and circulating plastic within the economy are the three goals of more than 450 global partner companies seeking to keep plastic waste out of the environment.
May 11th, 2020
Op X Horizontal
Food Processing and Packaging Industry Turns to Remote Access and Virtual Factory Acceptance Tests
OpX Leadership network takes a key role in preparing CPGs and OEMs for life after Covid-19 with tools on Remote Access and Virtual FATs.
May 8th, 2020
Sustain 3
Sustainable Package Reformatting on the Rise
According to a new report by PMMI Business Intelligence, over half of CPGs are changing product packaging to meet sustainability goals by moving from one format to another.
May 8th, 2020
Smooth handling of bottles and partitions is a hallmark of the Wrap-Around case packer.
End-of-line Automation for Aussie Winery
Part of the LVMH group, Domaine Chandon Australia is a down under specialist in sparkling wine.
May 7th, 2020
Covid19 Getty Images 1205740031
COVID-19 Survey: Early Results Reflect CPGs’ Current Resolve, Future Uncertainty
At press time, survey responses indicate that companies producing packaged goods are handling the disruptions, and though strained, supply chains remain intact. But when asked to forecast the future, there’s less consensus.
May 7th, 2020