Flexibles

Imported packaging costs get portly

Packaging reaching U.S. ports is subject to new FDA requirements as well as charges from customs brokers.

August 31, 2003

Bakery/Snack: Page 79

Coding, Printing & Labeling

RFID: At Wal-Mart, distribution packaging only

Although some consumer groups claimed credit, Wal-Mart says it had never agreed to work with Gillette on in-store test of RFID tags.

August 31, 2003

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

Snyder of Berlin: Weighing of potato chip snacks

On the two potato chip lines, the vf/f/s machines are topped with 14-head Ishida scales from Heat and Control.. Product giveaway has been reduced on several vertical form/fill/seal lines at Snyder of Berlin thanks to greater accuracy of 14-head scales, such as the one shown here. A combination of buckets is selected to dump the amount of snacks that best meet a bag’s target weight.

July 31, 2003

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

Snyder of Berlin: Vertical form/fill/seal, bag discharging for cheese curl and corn puff snack

These continuous-motion vertical form/fill/seal Robag 2Ci machine are from TNA North America. To meet growing sales of its potato chips, Snyder installed two 2Ci machines, and then later a third. The new vertical form/fill/seal machines replace outdated equipment at Snyder of Berlin.

July 31, 2003

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Label foods for choking risks

The Food Choking Prevention Act introduced by Reps. Mike Honda (D-CA) and Mike Ferguson (R-NJ) encourages FDA to develop food-labeling regulations for products that pose a choking hazard for young children.

July 31, 2003

Flexibles

Creating a national brand

Parmalat Bakery Group recently selected Ionic Communications Group to create the branding and packaging strategy for Parmalat’s line of cookies marketed under the brand name Mrs. Alison’s.

July 31, 2003

Flexibles

Low-impact material wraps M&S butter

Retailer Marks & Spencer has become the first in the United Kingdom and Ireland to use Lean®Cover packaging to wrap its butter products. The new material, made by Ecolean AB in Sweden, is supplied by National Flexible, Ecolean’s sole representative in those countries.

July 31, 2003

Closures

Super-sized design

To answer the consumer call for greater convenience at a better value, John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc, maker of Fisher nuts and other snack foods, has expanded from three peanut items in sizes from 16- to 40-oz PET containers to a line of nine flavors packed in various sizes totaling 18 SKUs.

July 31, 2003

Coding, Printing & Labeling

MPCs labeling in NY

The New York State Assembly is considering a measure to require a prominent label for products containing milk protein concentrates (MPCs), including the MPCs’ country of origin.

July 31, 2003

Coding, Printing & Labeling

No dough for COO

A House agriculture subcommittee voted unanimously on June 17 to deny the U.S. Department of Agriculture funding to carry out the COO labeling program contained in last year’s farm bill.

July 31, 2003

Flexibles

PipeLine: Retort pouches: Has their time come?

In the last year or two, one of the warmest trends in flexible packaging has been the resurgence of the retort pouch for seafood products and also for pet foods.

July 31, 2003

Containers

Snyder snacks on efficiency

New vf/f/s machines replace outdated equipment, adding speed while reducing costs for labor, replacement parts, and product giveaway.See in-plant video

July 31, 2003

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Country-of-origin Web site

The Food Industry Trade Coalition, a group of food and agricultural organizations concerned about mandatory country-of-origin labeling, has launched a new Web site, www.countryoforiginlabel.com, to consolidate information about the impact of the program on various sectors. Mandatory COO labeling applies to meat, produce, seafood, and peanuts.

June 30, 2003