Conveying & accumulation

Capsule-counting tech comes to NAI

New equipment at this California contract packager includes a tablet/capsule line with the latest in tablet-counting technology. On-line thermal-transfer coding shines, too.

July 31, 2000

Rigid: Page 262

Containers

Mission impossible?

Congress is trying to forge an agreement between branded product marketers and product diverting companies for packaging codes that help in product recalls.

July 31, 2000

Conveying & accumulation

Government funds casing upgrade at Boyd Coffee

With R&D funding from Oregon’s OSHA, Boyd Coffee develops a custom case packer that addresses repetitive motion injuries attributable to manual packing. Machine also reduces giveaway.

July 31, 2000

Conveying & accumulation

Portland nixes reshippers

Portland Brewing cuts costs and gains flexibility by moving away from reshippers and into bulk glass. It now forms its own six-pack carriers and corrugated shippers.

July 31, 2000

Flexibles

Stonyfield 'squeezes' yogurt

This month, Stonyfield Farm launches 2-oz tubes of Yo Squeeze™, an all-natural, portable lowfat yogurt, to compete with General Mills’ highly successful Go-Gurt™ yogurt.

June 30, 2000

Cartoning

Suiza dairy 'milks' squishy bottle

Country Fresh, a Suiza Foods dairy, debuts single-serve Milk-It! in injection blow-molded bottles designed for children. The bottles will also be used for other milks, and possibly for juice and water.

June 30, 2000

Labels

Soft drink crystals

Kraft Foods, Glenview, IL, has developed a new powdered soft drink called Health Quenchers. With additional ingredients meant to enhance a healthful lifestyle, Health Quenchers drink crystals hit retail shelves in April in a package designed by Lipson Alport Glass & Associates, (Northbrook, IL).

June 30, 2000

Converting equipment

Fruit basket in relief adorns PET bottle

A polyethylene terephthalate bottle with a uniquely sculpted fruit-basket image on its shoulder is now reaching supermarkets in 17 eastern states. The 64-oz, heat-set, hot-fill, grip bottle, supplied by Graham Packaging (York, PA), contains 100% juice products from Apple & Eve.

June 30, 2000

Secondary Packaging

Kringle tray's a sweet success

Racine Danish Kringles is first to use a thermoformed, E-flute corrugated tray for its baked pastries. Tray delivers strength and environmental and marketing advantages.

June 30, 2000

Containers

Fruit flourishes with first-class accommodations

Florida grapefruit buyer switches to new fiber partition system to ship fragile grapefruit to Japan, dramatically reducing complaints of damaged fruit.

June 30, 2000

Conveying & accumulation

Beauty in the 'mouse' of the beholder

San Francisco-based reflect.com allows cyber shoppers to select closures and container graphics for custom beauty products sold exclusively on its Web site. The unusual concept requires a packaging and shipping strategy to handle individual orders.

June 30, 2000

Cartoning

Planters picks a packing line

Consumers are clearly fond of single-serve “tubes” of Planters nuts. An automated packaging line helps keep the nationwide pipeline full.

June 30, 2000

Additives, coatings & inks

Cremora's switch to PET

Eagle Family Foods Inc.’s switch in packaging materials in its 1-kg size of Cremora powdered non-dairy creamer was the first move in an across-the-board transition.

May 31, 2000