Containers

Glass jar reflects happiness

When this German maker of jams and marmalades launched a new line of fruit spreads, management wanted a custom-designed glass jar for on-shelf differentiation.

November 1, 2017

Fruits/Vegetables: Page 6

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

Bagging hops goes automatic

This Yakima broker used to buy hops pellets and bag them by hand. Now the firm takes in baled hops, mills its own pellets, and then packages the pellets with a combination scale and bagger.

September 5, 2017

Closures

Pre-tapped coconuts at Whole Foods are a #gamechanger

Whole Foods Market introduces Coco Vinny’s Coco Taps pre-tapped young coconuts at 56 of its stores, providing consumers a simple and convenient way to enjoy fresh coconut water.

February 12, 2017

Form/fill/seal - horizontal

Organic farmer optimizes packaging

Once a one-man operation, this English supplier of organic produce has grown so steadily that upgrading to a sophisticated combination scale was essential.

February 2, 2017

Sustainability

Tomato fiber-based packaging finds commercial applications

Canadian grower Pure Hothouse Foods and French grower Idyl switch to solid board packaging for their vegetables that is enriched with tomato plant fibers.

December 25, 2016

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Case printing upgrade enhances traceability

Prima Frutta delivers denser, higher-definition product identification and GTIN bar codes on each shipping case.

November 4, 2016

Weighing/combination scales

Family farm’s new scale systems eliminate excess product giveaway

New scales yield ROI in a week by avoiding overfilling sweet potatoes and watermelons. For Corey Farms, the subsequent savings are no small potatoes.

October 18, 2016

Fruits/Vegetables

Scientific research shows how corrugated stops bacteria

New scientific work reveals that microorganisms die when they get trapped in paper fibers and die due to a lack of water and nutrients.

September 15, 2016

Secondary Packaging

Apple packing plant automates palletizing

Washington Fruit & Produce significantly reduces labor and product damage when it implements robotic palletizing systems at its two apple-packing plants.

August 8, 2016

Operational Excellence

Shelf life extension for produce exports

An exporter of pomegranates that is based in Mumbai, India, is getting improved shelf life since it began using a novel flexible film designed to allow produce to respire at an optimal rate.

April 30, 2016

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Printers picked for reliability

Family-owned fresh produce business S&A Group in the U.K. is using Zodiac thermal-transfer overprinters to help reduce packaging costs and increase coding efficiency across its two production sites in Herefordshire and Kent.

October 16, 2015

Flexibles

Bags keep cut watermelon fresh up to 11 days

A gusseted bag for sliced watermelon provides an extended shelf life and adds consumer convenience with a carry handle, resealability, and the option to buy smaller portions.

June 22, 2015

Controls & Machine Components

Unique serialization comes to fresh produce

Proudly representing the food industry at The Automation Forum, and the produce industry in particular, was Dewey R. Scott, Operations Manager at North Carolina sweet potato packer Scott Farms.

May 19, 2015