Coding, Printing & Labeling

Relocations, expansions

Infra Pak, Inc. (Plano, TX) has moved its facility to 2901 Technology Dr., #135, Plano, TX 75074; phone: 972/509-2270, fax: 800/538-9930.

April 30, 2000

Machinery: Page 972

Coding, Printing & Labeling

New biotech bill introduced

Congress has yet to act on legislation requiring labeling of biotech foods, but Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) has gone a step further, introducing “The Genetically Engineered Food Safety Act.” The Act requires biotech foods to go through FDA’s food-additive review process to gain approval.

April 30, 2000

Coding, Printing & Labeling

GMA hits state biotech laws

Comprehensive federal regulation of food biotechnology makes it unnecessary for states to mandate label copy on biotech-derived crops and would only lead to a “confusing patchwork” of regulations, said Lance Hastings, director, state affairs, Western region for the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA) at a California Senate hearing.

April 30, 2000

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Biofood ad blitz

Hoping information will be the key to quelling rising public concern about bioengineered foods, biotech companies launched a $50 million multimedia ad campaign to promote their products.

April 30, 2000

Coding, Printing & Labeling

USDA proposes organic standards

The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) issued its long-awaited proposal for national standards on organic foods on March 7. Outlawed for foods bearing the “organic” label are use of genetic engineering, sewage sludge, irradiation and antibiotics in organic livestock production.

April 30, 2000

Converting equipment

Switch to PET

Nutrition supplement marketer Natrol of Chatsworth, CA, gained numerous benefits last fall when it eliminated containers made of glass, high-density polyethylene or polystyrene in favor of polyethylene terephthalate.

April 30, 2000

Converting equipment

Speed to market drives P&G's packaging technology donation

Few people think of Procter & Gamble as a company that markets “chemicals.” But chemistry is at the heart of a major P&G gift.

April 30, 2000

Controls & Machine Components

Progress on standards (sidebar)

OMAC Structure

April 30, 2000

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

Progress on standards

On a gray day in mid-March, engineers from eight packaging end users, 21 machinery builders and 12 controls suppliers filed into a conference room in a downtown Chicago skyscraper.

April 30, 2000

Feeding/inserting/unscrambling

Packager survey: details & prices, yes; e-commerce, no (sidebar)

Capsule reviews

April 30, 2000

Conveying & accumulation

Temporary plugs aid aseptic filling

Aseptic filling of PET containers in Japan includes the unusual step of temporarily plugging bottles so that H2O2 sprayed inside will more effectively sterilize bottle interiors.

April 30, 2000

Coding, Printing & Labeling

EPA labeling proposal bugs industry

Agency proposal would ban numerous terms from labels of anti-microbial products—and even trade names.

April 30, 2000

Conveying & accumulation

Versatile line for aseptics or CSD

Swiss bottler installs a PET line capable of filling either microbiologically sensitive beverages under aseptic conditions or carbonated soft drinks that don’t require asepsis. In its aseptic mode, the line fully immerses bottles and caps in the sterilant.

April 30, 2000