Secondary Packaging

Latrobe Brewing Co.: Depalletizing

At this Rolling Rock brewery, an automatic band cutter cuts eight bands before pallets are conveyed into the depalletizer. Once in the depalletizer, slip sheets are removed and stacked automatically.

September 30, 2001

Leaders (UNIVERSAL TAXONOMY PW): Page 1670

Secondary Packaging

Latrobe Brewing Co.: Case erecting and loading

At this Rolling Rock brewery, at the infeed of a case erector from Pearson Packaging Systems, a robotic positioner picks bundles of 12-count corrugated shippers, orients the bundle, cuts the band, and feeds the band to a grinder.

September 30, 2001

Filling/capping, dry

Latrobe Brewing Co.: Filling and pasteurizing

At this Rolling Rock brewery, the line's two 108-valve fillers (from SIG Beverages) sit side-by-side. Shortly after filling and capping, bottles enter a double-deck pasteurizer, after which they pass through two down-bottle ejectors.

September 30, 2001

Secondary Packaging

Latrobe Brewing Co.: Laser-guided vehicles

At this Rolling Rock brewery, a laser-guided vehicle with a pallet load of corrugated trays maneuvers its way to a tray packer and trades its full pallet for an empty one.

September 30, 2001

Labeling

Label uniformity bill introduced1;again

This year’s version of legislation establishing national uniformity in science-based food labeling standards was introduced in the House by Rep. Richard Burr (R-NC) with 29 bipartisan co-sponsors.

September 30, 2001

Coding, Printing & Labeling

COO labeling "down under" also opposed

In comments to the Australia New Zealand Food Authority on its proposal for country-of-origin labeling, the International Council of Grocery Manufacturers Associations, a nongovernmental organization, strongly supported the option in the proposal whereby no specific requirement for a country-of-origin declaration would be included in the new joint Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

September 30, 2001

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Born in the USA?

USDA is considering a petition, endorsed by American Farm Bureau, AMI, National Cattlemen’s Beef Assn., National Meat Assn., and Food Marketing Institute, to create a “USA Beef” voluntary certification label for industry to use as a marketing tool to increase beef sales.

September 30, 2001

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Country-of-origin labeling knocked

Opponents of proposed new mandatory country-of-origin labeling requirements are worried that a pending bill, the Consumer Right to Know Act of 2001, will be wrapped into the FY2002 Agriculture Appropriations bill due for consideration in the Senate.

September 30, 2001

Additives, coatings & inks

Irradiation packaging

Although irradiation is now being recognized as a potent food safety tool and more and more foods have been approved for irradiation, its increased use may be limited by the small number of packaging materials and additives cleared for use in FDA regulations.

September 30, 2001

Flexibles

FPA calls for entries

November 21, 2001 is the deadline for entries for the 2001 Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards. Winners will be announced at the association’s annual meeting at the Westin Mission Hills Resort in Rancho Mirage, CA, Feb.

September 30, 2001

Sustainable Packaging

Molded pulp seminar rescheduled

The attack on the U.S. and prevailing travel difficulties have prompted the International Molded Pulp Environmental Packaging Assn. (Mequon, WI) to reschedule the 6th International Molded Pulp Packaging Seminar from Sept.

September 30, 2001

Controls & Machine Components

OMAC posts packaging guidelines

The OMAC Motion for Packaging working group carried out its scheduled meeting at Pack Expo Las Vegas on September 11, with more than 70 people attending.

September 30, 2001

Blisters/clamshells/thermoforming materials

P&G tests Pringles portion pack

Procter & Gamble is test marketing Smart Stacks, a 0.81-oz portion pack of its Pringles-brand potato crisps, in a thermoformed polypropylene cup whose bottom is shaped like the curvy snack.

September 30, 2001