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

Fruits/Vegetables: Page 7

Conveying & accumulation

Easy-clean conveyor network

Monterey Mushrooms installs multiple conveyors to ramp up six-lane packing line speeds and simplify sanitation operations.

May 4, 2015

Fruits/Vegetables

Playful packs make beets more approachable

Love Beets ready-to-eat beets get a new package design that makes the traditionally hard-to-prepare vegetable more convenient and accessible for consumers.

December 26, 2014

Sustainability

Off The Shelf: Tomatoes bust out of the clamshell syndrome

Mastronardi Produce of Kingsville, Ontario, has introduced its Wild Wonders Gourmet Medley tomatoes in a thermoformed PET that is interesting because it is not a clamshell.

November 11, 2014

Blisters/clamshells/thermoforming materials

New produce packs steal the show

New plastic produce packaging spotted at the United Fresh show encourages snacking on fresh fruits and vegetables and offers new meal solutions.

June 17, 2014

Fruits/Vegetables

Machine vision brings PTI compliance

Sun Pacific, the largest grower/packer/marketer of citrus fruits in the U.S., is reaping the benefits of machine vision in its packing houses.

April 28, 2014

Coding, Printing & Labeling

On-case inkjet printer saves time, labor, and materials

Switch from hand-applied p-s labels expands flexibility and provides opportunity to print more data on much larger shipping case panels.

April 2, 2014

Material handling

Sweet potato packer implements PTI

Produce packer implements inventory, traceability, and case-labeling solution for Produce Traceability Initiative compliance, while maintaining packaging line speeds of 700 cases/hr.

February 5, 2014

Cartons and boxes

Study: Shipping strawberries in corrugated saves $6.6 million

A new study from the Corrugated Packaging Alliance compares the costs for shipping strawberries in corrugated containers versus the use of RPCs.

January 20, 2014

Filling/capping, liquid & viscous

Hirzel doubles down on aseptics

This fourth-generation Ohio marketer of tomato products believes there is a certain segment of U.S. consumers who want a package format other than a can.

January 16, 2014

Recycling

Tasteful salad-kit packs are a jewel in the produce aisle

New Ruby Fresh Salad Kits with pomegranate arils are decorated with elegant packaging graphics, appealing to consumers who want a ‘high-end, high-quality variety pack.’

November 14, 2013

Recycling

Healthy yet busy lifestyles influence produce packaging trends

A 3.3% per year growth in produce packaging through 2017 will be driven by population growth, trends toward healthier eating, and the increased availability of ready-to-eat fruit.

November 12, 2013

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Digital ink jet printing enhances food safety

Grower/packer implements advanced on-film labeling technology to track and trace fresh produce from field to store to kitchen.

October 24, 2013