Coding, Printing & Labeling

The dirt on lawn and garden packaging

Charles Ratterree is art director as well as flexible packaging materials buyer for privately held Fafard Inc., a lawn and garden products company with headquarters in Agawam, MA.

May 31, 2004

Machinery: Page 815

Converting equipment

China: The Yin and the Yang

A number of conversations have kept the subject of China and packaging on my mind. First was a fresh flood of e-mails consisting of Chinese characters that regularly crashed the old Macintosh—the new Macintosh, too.

May 31, 2004

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Companies

Robert Bosch Verpakkingsmachinenes B.V.

May 31, 2004

Labels

People

MRI Flexible Packaging hired Jim Mallon as vice president of sales and marketing.

May 31, 2004

Coding, Printing & Labeling

GM labeling in Europe takes effect

Tough new labeling and traceability requirements for genetically modified (GM) foods in Europe took effect April 18, 2004. Foods that contain or consist of genetically modified organisms or that are produced from them must be so labeled.

May 31, 2004

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Sunkist goes voluntary on COOL

Hoping to demonstrate that a voluntary country-of-origin labeling program works better than the government’s proposed mandatory program, Sunkist Growers, Inc., has decided to add “USA” to the labels placed on individually sold oranges, lemons, tangerines, and grapefruits.

May 31, 2004

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Calorie and carb claims on spirits

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau issued guidance on calorie and carbohydrate claims in advertising and labeling of alcoholic beverages. TTB wants to ensure that consumers are not mislead by labeling statements that give only a partial picture of the health effects of consuming alcohol.

May 31, 2004

Blisters/clamshells/skin packaging

Bar-code barriers

Pharmaceutical companies will wrestle with packaging design and production challenges over the next two years.

May 31, 2004

Sustainability

Packaging security: in-store measures remain essential

Responding to retailer needs, clamshell blisters answer theft threats. Yet some packagers look for less costly alternatives.

May 31, 2004

Feeding/inserting/unscrambling

RFID and packaging security: not 'if,' but 'when'

The potential to track and trace helps establish a package's 'pedigree' and uncover tampering.

May 31, 2004

Coding, Printing & Labeling

RFID and packaging security: not 'if,' but 'when' (sidebar)

Pack Expo Adds Package Security Center

May 31, 2004

Sustainability

Color control across resins and regions

Esteé Lauder Companies is strongly committed to packaging whose colors are consistent, on a global basis, regardless of the resin from which the part is molded.

May 31, 2004

Secondary Packaging

Inverter drives cartoner

Econocorp improves the performance of its venerable Spartan cartoner with AC inverter drive technology.

May 31, 2004