Bakery/Snack

FDA expands 'healthy' label to frozen and canned produce

Processors of frozen and canned produce are studying how best to take advantage of a new ruling by the Food and Drug Administration allowing frozen and canned fruits and vegetables to be labeled "healthy." Using that term to describe all fresh fruits and vegetables has been allowed since 1994, but no such broad allowance was made at that time for frozen or canned fruits and vegetables.

April 30, 1998

Industries: Page 803

Converting equipment

Water bottle vends like a can

Lancaster, PA-based Cloister Spring Water recently introduced its new H2O Cool spring water as "the first, the only 12-oz PET bottle that vends like a can." This allows the bottle to be sold through vending machines designed for canned soft drinks.

April 30, 1998

Consumer packaged goods

Supplier news: International agreements

Ramsey-Thermo Sentron (Minneapolis, MN) has agreed to acquire Goring Kerr (Windsor, U.K.), Best Inspection (Welwyn, Garden City, U.K.) and Allen Coding & Marking Systems (Redditch, U.K.) from Smiths Industries PLC (London, England, U.K.).

April 30, 1998

Bakery/Snack

Cereal grain products 'healthy,' too

FDA also approved the use of a "healthy" label claim for certain cereal grain products such as enriched flour, enriched rice and bread, even though until now they could not be labeled "healthy" because many do not meet the 10% nutrient requirement.

April 30, 1998

Closures

Automated bagger

The Paxem(TM) is a new high-speed automated bagger from Colt Eng. Corp. (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) that allows flexibility in product and bag sizes at high production rates.

March 31, 1998

Closures

HDPE bottle

Twin City Bottle (Minneapolis, MN) has designed its Apothecary bottle for use with lotions, hand soaps and other products. Extrusion blown in HDPE, the 250-mL (8.45-oz) bottle has "extended" round shoulders and a 28/400 finish compatible with most closures, pumps and sprayers.

March 31, 1998

Secondary Packaging

Case erector/bottom sealer

Schneider Packaging Equipment (Brewerton, NY) has introduced a large-frame case erector/bottom sealer that automatically erects and seals up to six cases/min.

March 31, 1998

Conveying & accumulation

Water bottling line completed by farmer (sidebar)

Making do

March 31, 1998

Containers

Hazmat shipper

As an alternative to steel or fiberboard drums in lab pack and hazardous material applications, Con-Quest Products (Elk Grove Village, IL) has introduced CoPack(TM) LP.

March 31, 1998

Sustainable Packaging

Grappling with eco-fees

Packagers shipping abroad can't afford to leave data reporting requirements and fee liabilities out of package design decisions.

March 31, 1998

Controls & Machine Components

Filamatic, a division of National Instrument LLC: CD-ROM aid

National Instrument Co. (Baltimore, MD) is offering electronic documentation to assist in line validation efforts. In a CD-ROM format, it allows users of Filamatic® and Capamatic® machinery access to a complete operators manual, a PLC code program listing, and an operation description and function sequence with full motion video and sound.

March 31, 1998

Consumer packaged goods

Photoelectric sensors catalog

Banner Eng.'s (Minneapolis, MN) 1998 catalog of photoelectric sensors is a 700-page book designed for engineers facing sensing problems. Company background, new products and detailed information on photoelectric and ultrasonic sensors and accessories are included.

March 31, 1998

Secondary Packaging

The Sunkist seal of approval

Open cases were a hassle for Sunkist Growers affiliate Baird-Neece Packing Corp. A dual hot and cold glue system solves the problem, and increases output.

March 31, 1998