Automation Shines at Heinz

At the Heinz Pocatello, ID, plant, Smart Ones frozen meals are run through a highly automated line that includes automatic depositing of a vegetable/rice mixture (www.multi-fill.com), weighing of protein chunks (chicken, pork, etc.) on a pair of combination scales (www.yamatocorp.com), sauce depositing (www.raque.com), heat sealing of film to filled trays (www.raque.com), metal detecting (www.mt.com), lane dividing, tray infeed to cartoner (www.rajones.oystar-group.com), laser coding of cartons (www.domino-printing.com), vision inspection of cartons (www.cognex.com), metal detection (www.mt.com), case packing (www.douglas-machine.com), case coding (www.markem-imaje.com), and case code inspection (www.cognex.com).

May 12th, 2008

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Without Wholesale Venues, Brands Reaching Out to Consumer

Social media, e-commerce and donations to those in need are various ways brands are trying to directly reach consumers in light of COVID-19 cancellations and closures.

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COVID-19 Survey: Early Results Reflect Current Resolve, Future Uncertainty

Responses indicate that companies producing packaged goods tend to be “So far, so good, all things considered” as one phrased it, and supply chains remain intact. But when asked to forecast into the future, there's far less consensus.

Each package of 15 compostable bags costs $4.95.

Compostable Steam Bags

UK-based Planit Products, owner of the Toasta bags brand, has added renewable and compostable film to its portfolio for its new microwavable steam bags, sold in retail outlets in the UK.

Concerns over the long-term impact of the coronavirus outbreak on key European recycling markets sharply escalated last week following the adoption of further containment measures across the continent.

European Recycling Markets Reel from Coronavirus

Changes in consumer behavior, the reduced cost of virgin materials, logistics disruptions and other trends driven by COVID-19 may have a lasting effect on the European recycling industry.

Anne Marie Mohan, Editor, Contract Packaging magazine

CBD: Cooperation to Outdo Competition

At the CPA 2020 Annual Meeting, Bruce Bernstein, President of UBIX Processing, talks about the opportunities for CPGs and contract packagers in the growing CBD market.

An Appeal to Support Our Essential Services and Critical Infrastructure Workers

The COVID-19 pandemic is proving to be a tremendous global challenge that we must work together to defeat. Now, our essential and critical workers are being relied upon to provide the services we expect every day and we must do everything to support them.

PACK EXPO Rewind: Risk Assessment

Hear PMMI’s Bruce Main, Safety Expert and Technical Advisor, and Sean Riley, Senior Director of Media & Industry Communications discussion of risk assessment at PACK EXPO East earlier this month.

According to PMMI Business Intelligence, a move to smaller dogs is driving a change to smaller packaging formats.

Pet Food Market Shows Solid Growth through 2025

The U.S. leads the world in pet food sales, says a new study from PMMI Business Intelligence, as pet owners around the world seek fresher, healthier and ethically produced ingredients—the same as they expect for themselves.

HR Pharmaceuticals won an FPA silver award for EcoVue by Glenroy. It is a flexible package for ultrasound gel featuring custom film requiring less energy to manufacture and transport.

Ultrasound Gel Pouch Gets Ergonomic Design, Reduces Waste

Designed to be easy to hold and evacuate more product, this multilayer spouted pouch replaces the traditional bottle while requiring less energy to manufacture and transport.

Skye Clarke (front) and Sam Epperson (back) of Cardinal Spirits fill bottles of hand sanitizer that are headed to a senior living community.

Distilleries Refit to Fill Hand-Sanitizer Gap

During World War II, Ford made tanks instead of cars and Maytag made plane parts instead of washing machines. With hand sanitizer being the small-arms munitions of today’s pandemic crisis, cosmetics and distilleries are joining the war effort.

Master motivator Dan Clark provided the keynote for the 2020 CPA Annual Meeting.

CPA’s 2020 Annual Meeting a Huge Success

CPA – The Association for Contract Packagers and Manufacturers shares news on its recent Annual Meeting, the PACK EXPO East Sourcing Center, and upcoming events.

COVID-19’s Impact on the Canadian Market

OEM COVID-19 #5: BellatRx & Mpac Langen

UnPACKED with PMMI podcast with Canadian OEMs highlights communication early and often.

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Why Women are Under-Represented in the C-Suite

If companies with more women in leadership roles have greater innovation, increased productivity, higher employee satisfaction, and higher employee retention, why are there so few in the C suite?

Alison Keane, President, FPA at the 2020 CPA Annual Meeting

Fighting Back Against Anti-Plastics Legislation

At the CPA Annual Meeting, FPA President Alison Keane shares how the organization is working to help shape legislation around plastic packaging, rather than just react to it.

Cornell Creates Detailed Covid 19 Website For Food Industry

Cornell Creates COVID-19 Website for Food Industry

Helps food processors determine what’s necessary to protect the public and employees, while helping to maintain safe U.S. food supply

Opinion: Packaging Industry Begins COVID-19 Response

Rapid response to crisis seen industry wide, inspiring hope and reflecting resilience in the time of a crisis.

Automatic full-pallet infeed capability ahead of the empty-can depalletizer is a recent addition to the range of equipment made by Ska Fabricating. Allagash was the first to install it.

‘Quality Conscious’ Canning

This Portland, Maine, brewery decided to “dip our toes in the can market” by installing a small filler/seamer. It quickly became clear that a 300 cans/minute line was going to be required.

CPGs: Build Relationships for Contract Packaging Success

Robby Martin of Bush Brothers shares those factors that go into building great relationships between Consumer Packaged Goods companies and contract packagers/contract manufacturers.

Flexible Packaging for Infinite CBD Gummies

Popularity of Cannabis Formats Evolving, Packaging Follows Suit

Dried flower is giving way to creams, gels, dried teas/powders and inhalers, products that doubled in growth in two years’ time. Packaging for cannabis is expanding to meet this growth.

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Opinion: COVID-19 Swings “Reusable” from Good to Bad

More in Home

Global Pet Food Market Surpassed $94.6 billion in 2019

A new study from PMMI Business Intelligence, “Trends and Drivers Impacting The Pet Food Industry,” reveals North America is the top market for pet food, with an annual growth rate of 4.5% in the next five years.

The coffee is packaged in clear, recyclable, round-bottom vial-like tube with a screw-on cap that offers a number of advantages over multilayer sachets.

Premium, Single-Origin Instant Coffee is Totally Tubular

Boston area-based specialty coffee roaster introduces an instant coffee product produced using a new freeze-drying process and packaged in a PP tube that provides a nine-month shelf life.

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Packaging and Processing Industry COVID-19 Resources

PMMI collated resources for the industry to navigate business in uncertain times.

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All Roads Lead to Delay in the Time of COVID-19

Land, sea or air – the supply chain is being hard hit by shortages, delays, rising costs and lack of workers due to the coronavirus.

Nominations open for Packaging and Processing Hall of Fame

Now's the time to nominate deserving candidates for the 2020 class of the Packaging & Processing Hall of Fame. Nominations will remain open through June 5, 2020.

Musings on Sustainability

Read what Jim Chrzan, VP of Content & Brand Strategy at PMMI Media Group, and Sean Riley, PMMI’s Senior Director of Media & Industry Communications, had to say about the state of sustainability during a lively conversation at the show earlier this month.

A heatmap of the economic impact of the coronavirus on North American industries shows low exposure for food and beverage processing, and packaging, among others.

Moody’s: Food Processing, Packaging Largely Resilient in the Face of COVID-19

A heatmap of the economic impact of the coronavirus on North American industries shows low exposure for food and beverage processing, and packaging, among others.

The COVID-19 Outbreak and Food Production

Food and beverage industry workers are deemed essential to critical infrastructure; FDA suspends some inspections.

How Morrison Container Handling Solutions and F.R. Drake Company are Navigating COVID-19

OEM Covid-19 Response #4: Morrison Container & F.R. Drake

Special UnPACKED with PMMI podcast series offers operational best practices for dealing with the pandemic.

How Polypack, Inc. and Garvey Corporation are Navigating COVID-19

OEM Covid-19 Response #3: Polypack, Inc. & Garvey Corp.

Special UnPACKED with PMMI podcast series provides an evolving look at how OEMs are forging ahead after employing proper caution.

Market Snapshot: Dairy

Retail-ready and flexible packaging demand is growing, and pouches and bags are expected to grow in milk packaging use.

A notable feature on the CCA440+ plastic carrier handle applicator is the overhead carrier queue. It lets an operator load up multiple stacks of carriers in one go and then turn to other tasks as the carriers are methodically conveyed into the feed station.

Revolution Brewing is All In On Cans

Though glass bottles were once a part of the mix at this well-known Chicago craft brewer, recently it’s been all about aluminum cans in multiple sizes.