Food & Beverage Packaging April 2011

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VOLUME 75 / ISSU E 3

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F EATU R ES 17 Plants of the Year Facilities that produce meat, frozen foods, milk, baked goods and soft drinks show how packaging initiatives make a difference.

28 Conveyors and flexibility Speed, flexibility and energy savings are top considerations for convey ors of all types.

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31 Packaging helps produce results Packaging nurtures two fundamental aspects of fruits and vegetables: shelf life and shelf impact.

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34 Interest in multipacks picks up Paperboard baskets and ring carriers have long ruled, but variations are available within and outside those mainstays.

DEPARTM EN T S 8 New Packages Kraft rolls out flavoring for water, Doritos asks Canadians to vote on new flavors, Orville Redenbacher popcorn bag becomes bowl and more

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12 Packager News PepsiCo announces plans for bottle made completely from plant waste; Germany’s interpack to showcase how packages communicate

YOUR ONLINE COMPANION VISIT US AT

36 Supplier News Oil hikes drive up plastic costs; non-bottle plastic recycling up 33%

www.foodandbeveragepackaging.com » Our FirstLook feature shows you the latest innovations in packaging to hit the market.

IN EV ERY IS S UE

» Breaking News gives a

6 Editor’s Note 38 Supplier Forum

41 Classified Network 46 Data Watch

heads-up about the important industry issues of the day.

» Our blog, Uncontained, combines news and commentary for a fresh perspective on the industry.

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» And of course, our print editions are readily accessible in both HTML and digital formats. www.facebook.com/FBPmag

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FOOD & BEVERAGE PACKAGING Volume 75, Issue 3 (ISSN 1941-8531) is published 9 times annually, Jan/Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun/Jul, Aug, Sept, Oct and Nov/Dec, by BNP Media II, L.L.C., 2401 W. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 700, Troy, MI 48084-3333. Telephone: (248) 362-3700, Fax: (248) 362-0317. No charge for subscriptions to qualified individuals. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in the U.S.A.: $178.00 USD. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in Canada: $216.00 USD (includes GST & postage); all other countries: $228.00 (int’l mail) payable in U.S. funds. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2011, by BNP Media II, L.L.C. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. Periodicals Postage Paid at Troy, MI and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: FOOD & BEVERAGE PACKAGING, P.O. Box 1080, Skokie, IL 60076. CANADA POST: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. GST account: 131263923. Send returns (Canada) to Pitney Bowes, P.O.Box 25542, London, ON, N6C 6B2. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Send old address label along with new address to FOOD & BEVERAGE PACKAGING, P.O. Box 1080, Skokie, IL 60076. FOR SINGLE COPIES OR BACK ISSUES: contact Ann Kalb at (248) 244-6499 or [email protected]

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Editor’sNote

SUSTAINABILITY NEEDN’T BE A BANANA PEEL

EDITORIAL PAN DEMETRAKAKES Editor [email protected] RICK LINGLE Executive Editor [email protected] SCOTT HILLING Senior Art Director

very so often I wonder if the packaging industry isn’t paying too much attention to sustainability—if it’s not getting too far in front of consumers. Doing the right thing is great, but if a packaging change or other initiative turns people off, it will be pointless at best, counterproductive at worst. And then a couple of news items come along that ease my doubts. Let’s deal with the negative one first. In early March, “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” ran a segment making fun of Del Monte for marketing single bananas in plastic pouches. Stewart suggested that this was “a product for people who love bananas but hate their biodegradability.” As I watched, I felt a little bad for Del Monte, because Stewart was leaving out the reason for the banana packaging: It extends shelf life from two days to five. But that’s not the point. Stewart’s criticism was, of course, based on sustainability—specifically, unnecessary packaging. Now, I’ve felt for a long time that for many consumers, packages are like sports officials: You only notice them when they annoy you. Not annoying consumers could be considered a minimum packaging standard. It’s one that some sustainability efforts don’t meet: The walls get so thin that the bottle is more like a water balloon, the recycled content weakens the paperboard handle enough to break it off in your hand, etc. But The Daily Show’s riff on the Del Monte bananas shows us that annoyance cuts both ways. Overpackaging, whether perceived (as I believe it to be here) or real, is something that genuinely bothers a lot of consumers. The positive news item, at least for now, is PepsiCo’s announcement that they have developed and plan to start using a revolutionary new type of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle: One made 100% from plants. Perhaps the best part of this new technology is that it has the potential to use, perhaps even be fully supplied by, waste from various PepsiCo units. A few years from now, consumers may be sipping Pepsi from bottles made from Frito-Lay potato peels and Tropicana orange rinds. Talk about closed-loop recycling. Initiatives like PepsiCo’s bottle show that sustainability is more than just nagging about throwing stuff in the recycling bin. It’s a field with potential for exciting, even revolutionary technologies— ones that can capture consumers’ imaginations and burnish a company’s “green” credentials until they shine. F&BP

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Initiatives like PepsiCo’s bottle show that sustainability is more than just nagging about throwing stuff in the recycling bin.

FRANK MAYERAN Art Director

ADVERTISING MIKE BARR Group Publisher (630) 499-7392 [email protected] RANDY GREEN Publisher/Midwest Sales Manager (248) 244-6498 [email protected] STEVE LIPUT East Coast/Southeast Sales Manager (847) 405-4112 [email protected] CRAIG ZEHNTNER West Coast Sales Manager (818) 403-6379 [email protected] KRISTINA LORIO Inside Sales (249) 786-1579 [email protected] ERHARDT EISENACHER International Sales +49-228-2499860 [email protected] CATHERINE WYNN Senior Classified Sales Manager (847) 405-4010 [email protected] VINCE MICONI Advertising/Production Manager [email protected] ELISABETH CUNEO Marketing Coordinator [email protected]

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT KOURTNEY BELL Audience Development Manager STACEY NOOCHA Multimedia Coordinator CAROLYN M. ALEXANDER Audience Audit Coordinator For subscription information or service, please contact Customer Service at: Phone: (847) 763-9534 or Fax: (847) 763-9538 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.foodandbeveragepackaging.com

LIST RENTAL Postal contact: ROB LISKA at 800-223-2194 x.726 or [email protected] Email contact: SHAWN KINGSTON at 800-409-4443 x.828 or [email protected]

CORPORATE DIRECTORS TIMOTHY A. FAUSCH Publishing JOHN R. SCHREI Publishing RITA M. FOUMIA Corporate Strategy SCOTT KESLER Information Technology ARIANE CLAIRE Marketing VINCENT M. MICONI Production LISA L. PAULUS Finance MICHAEL T. POWELL Creative NIKKI SMITH Directories MARLENE J. WITTHOFT Human Resources EMILY PATTEN Conferences & Events BETH A. SUROWIEC Clear Seas Research BNP MEDIA HELPS PEOPLE SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITH SUPERIOR INFORMATION For Volume Reprints Contact JILL L. DEVRIES Corporate Reprint Manager Phone: 248-224-1726 Fax: 248-244-3934 E-mail: [email protected] How to contact

PAN DEMETRAKAKES

Editor [email protected]

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FOOD&BEVERAGEPACKAGING Mail: 155 Pfingsten Rd., Suite 205 Deerfield IL 60015 Phone: (847) 405-4000 Fax: (847) 405-4100 Web: www.foodandbeveragepackaging.com

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NewPackages INNOVATIONS / TRENDS / MARKETING

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Water flavor comes in a distinctive “teardrop” container.

KRAFT WATER FLAVOR

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ew water flavor from Kraft Foods is bottled in a unique teardrop-shaped plastic container.

MiO Water Enhancer is meant to be squirted into glasses or bottles of water, and is formulated to mix with no stirring or shaking. The 1.62-ounce bottle, which holds 24 servings, is made from composite plastic with a flip-top closure. MiO comes in six flavors. The suggested retail price is $3.99.

POPCORN BAG BECOMES BOWL rville Redenbacher’s popcorn from ConAgra Foods has rolled out the Pop Up Bowl, a bag that turns into a ready-to-serve, free-standing bowl for easier snacking, sharing and clean-up. The Pop Up Bowl comprises an inner film layer that forms a bag laminated to two pieces of paper. Film and paper are sealed together on both ends. The bag’s gusseted bottom forms the base of the bowl after popping. The paper provides the rigidity for the bowl’s film-lined walls. The bowl is 5 inches high, about 11 inches in length and up to 6 inches wide. Each Pop Up Bowl is film sealed and packed inside a three- or six-count carton supplied by Burd Fletcher. Multilingual instructions, printed in three colors on each bag, directs consumers through the three-step microwave heating process. A film portion of the bag is removed and the popcorn is ready to enjoy. The Pop Up Bowl retails for $2.99 for a three-pack carton and $4.49 for a six pack.

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Independent testing proves that Parker’s new hygienic sanitary gaskets perform over 90% better that all other gaskets on the market today. Here are four ways these sanitary gaskets can improve your operations. 1. This patent pending true flush design ensures that you never have to worry about partical contamination or material entrapment again. 2. These gaskets are available in two standard colors and unlimited special order colors, making preventative maintenance a breeze. 3. Simple snap in place installation allows one man to do the job quickly and easily. 4. Parker sanitary gaskets last 50 times longer than any other gasket on the market. With their unique controlled compression, they never need to be re-torqued.

Burd Fletcher 800-821-2776; www.burdfletcher.com er.com

Serving food, beverage and related industries worldwide.

Call Today 920-921-4760 or E-mail Lyle at [email protected] 8

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DORITOS ASKS CANADIANS TO VOTE ON NEW FLAVORS

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hikat hikatani Lacroix has designed contrasting, distinctive black and white w bags for the latest Doritos campaign, The End, that centers on two newly launched flavors (Flavor A - Onion Rings N’ K Ketchup and Flavor B - Buffalo Wings N’ Ranch) in Canada. The campaign takes consumer engagement to a new level: Doritos Canadian consumers can choose which flavor should live and which should be removed from store shelves. This is the third year in a row that the Toronto branding and design firm has created a package design for Frito Lay Canada’s Doritos. In February 2009, the brand broke new ground when it launched an unidentified tortilla chip flavor into the marketplace and asked consumers to name it. The Doritos Guru campaign was one of the largest consumer-generated contests in the world.

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Consumers can vote on which Doritos design they like best.

Shikatani Lacroix Design Inc. 416-367-1999; www.sld.com

‹‹ Beverage bottle is designed to create foam when shaken.

PACKAGING SHAKES UP SWISS BEVERAGE ackaging helps give a Swiss drink a frothy head and enhances convenience. The 270-milliliter PET bottle for Shakeria, marketed by Innoprax AG, Meggen, Switzerland, is shaped like a cocktail shaker and has ridges that help create froth when the bottle is agitated. A telescoping straw nestles in a crevice on the outside of the bottle, secured by the shrink label. The straw fits the aperture of the bottle’s flip-top closure. The product retails for $1.88 and comes in Cappuccino, Strawberry, Swiss Chocolate, Bourbon Vanilla and Latte Macchiato.

The Sonic Variable Temperature (VT) blower system is the fastest way to dry any tank while providing a 75% energy savings over compressed air. The system produces a high rate of air exchange inside the tank and, combined with up to 200°F blower heat, eliminates the need for in-line heaters. UÊÊ
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Blower Enclosure Reduces blower noise to below 85 decibels

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Serving food, beverage and related industries worldwide.

Call Today 920-921-4760

M Microwave popcorn bag becomes a bbowl once the popcorn is ready. W W W . F O O DA N D B E V E R A G E PA C K A G I N G . C O M

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NewPackages

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LETTUCE WRAP KIT

Meal kit contains everything the consumer needs for a lettuce wrap, including the lettuce.

HAS ALL COMPONENTS meal kit packaged in semi-rigid plastic has everything needed to make Asian-style chicken lettuce wraps. The kits, from Okami Inc., Sun Valley, Calif., includes seasoned skinless chicken breasts with mushrooms and water chestnuts, dipping sauce, rice noodles and lettuce cups. The components are packaged in a semi-rigid tray, with the mushrooms and chestnuts, sauce and noodles all in separate interior pouches. The product, as sold in club stores, comprises two complete kits attached. It retails for $11.99.

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TRAY FEATURES OXYGEN SCAVENGING arrier trays incorporating oxygen scavengers provide French food manufacturer La Belle Chaurienne with an innovative packaging format for its range of premium ready meals. The microwaveable trays, supplied by RPC Barrier Containers, are part of shelf-stable packaging for La Belle Chaurienne’s line of cassoulets, traditional southern French stews. The tray’s polypropylene/ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH)/PP construction offers long-term barrier protection. Freshness is further extended by the use of oxygen scavengers, which actively absorb oxygen within the pack before it can reach the stew. As the tray is fully sterilizable, La Belle Chaurienne can process the meal during filling, before it is sealed with plastic barrier lidding film. An outer paperboard sleeve provides all essential branding and consumer information.

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...our newest plastic cable. This cable is reinforced with a synthetic core which provides greater strength and flexability. It easily outperforms stainless reinforced plastic cable! Ê UÊ G Ê reater strength & Light weight — Heavier loads, longer runs Ê UÊ Increased flexibility — More turns / tighter turns Ê UÊ L Ê onger service life — Braided joint eliminates joint failures. No need for crimps or cover sleeves! We stock all common styles: d extensively t i l Ê UÊ S Ê tainless or galvanized wire rope — used in canneries, with nylon coating or bare Ê UÊ P Ê lastic cable — stainless reinforced, poly reinforced, or our new synthetic reinforced

The largest and most complete source.

RPC Barrier Containers 011-33-5-34-47-76-07; www.rpc-bebo.pl

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Serving food, beverage and related industries worldwide.

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Oxygen-scavenging tray protects shelf-stable French stew.

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CANDY BOX

A die-cut carton for Hershey’s Kisses, marketed in Mexico, can be converted to a standup photo frame, complete with plastic cover, once the product is consumed.

BECOMES PICTURE STAND package for Hershey’s Kisses marketed in Mexico can turn into a stand-alone picture frame after use. The paperboard carton, foil-lined with a die-cut window, has a flip top that stands upright after use, with the front of the carton serving as a base. One part of the flip-top panel has a plastic window to protect a photo, and another has slots to hold it. The panel bears the phrase “Put your photo here” in Spanish. The 4.24-ounce product retails for US$4.05.

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OXYGEN SCAVENGING PROTECTS OIL type of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle originally intended for Bordeaux wine is being used by an importer of Mexican olive oil. Mexiterra LLC, Santa Fe Springs, Calif., imports Baja Precious olive oil, made from olives cultivated in Baja California. Baja Precious is bottled in a 750-milliliter container from EnVino, which specializes in plastic wine bottles. The PET is blended with MonOxbar, oxygen-scavenging technology from Constar Int’l. It also features a pouring spout that pops up when the cap is removed and retracts when it is replaced.

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Constar Int’l 215-552-3735; www.constar.net EnNivo 650-259-5959; www.envino.com

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Oxygenscavenging technology used for wine has found a place with olive oil. W W W . F O O DA N D B E V E R A G E PA C K A G I N G . C O M

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PackagerNews

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BUSINESS / TRENDS / PEOPLE

PEPSICO, HEINZ TO USE PLANT-BASED BOTTLES T ‹‹

PepsiCo has announced plans for a bottle (left) made from 100% agricultural refuse. Meanwhile, Heinz will package its ketchup in bottles (right) made from 30% plant material.

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hree giants in the American beverage and food industries have taken a couple of giant steps in renewable-source packaging. In late February, H.J. Heinz announced plans to start using ketchup bottles made from 30% plant-based material: the PlantBottle, introduced by The Coca-Cola Co. in 2009. A few weeks later, Coke archrival PepsiCo trumped that news by unveiling a revolutionary concept: A plastic bottle made completely from renewable sources that potentially could include agricultural waste. PepsiCo announced March 14 that it has developed a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle made from 100% plant sources. The key was formulating a replacement for petroleum for the terephthalate component of the resin, which constitutes 70% of the whole. The

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bottle will be indistinguishable from petroleum-derived PET and will be recyclable in the same waste stream with the same equipment, PepsiCo says. The bottle will initially be made with material derived from switchgrass and tree bark, but plans are

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to incorporate waste from PepsiCo’s other business units. Potential sources include potato peelings and other waste from Frito-Lay, orange peels from Tropicana and oat husks from Quaker. PepsiCo has not decided on a schedule for implementing the new bottle, although it says a pilot program will begin next year. Meanwhile, The Coca-Cola Co. is sharing its PlantBottle technology with H.J. Heinz Co. for use in ketchup bottles. Coca-Cola introduced the PlantBottle, which combines 30% ethanol-based polymer with 70% polyethylene terephthalate (PET), for water and carbonated soft drinks in 2009. The PlantBottle was the first packaging that uses bio-based material to be fully recyclable in waste streams alongside regular PET. The plant material is sugarcane waste, which is commonly used to make ethylene in Brazil and other nations. Heinz plans to roll out the PlantBottle for 20-ounce ketchup bottles, its most popular size, in June, with all its plastic packaging to follow eventually. The initial launch will feature the phrase “Guess What My Bottle is Made Of?” prominently on the front label.

Visit us! interpack 2011, Dusseldorf 12 – 18 May 2011 Hall 12, Stand D36/E23

WRIGLEY DESIGNER: CUT ‘FRUSTRATION TAX’ ne of the goals of package design should be to lower the “frustration tax” that consumers pay when they interact with a package, the design manager for Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. told a PMMI audience. Speaking at the recent PMMI Leadership Conference in Rosemont, Ill., Rocco Pawlowski, Wrigley’s regional design manager – North America, talked about how packaging has to break through “the cacophony of clutter” on store shelves. “If your brand takes too much time to find or figure out, then you are imposing a frustration tax on consumers,” Pawlowski said. To avoid this “frustration tax,” package designers must offer consumers “shortcuts” that show what a brand is all about. Pawlowski spoke about using package design to distinguish Wrigley’s Orbit gum from the competition. When Orbit first hit the market, its paperboard “envelope” was unique for chewing gum, but soon enough competitors rolled out similar packaging. The design team hit on the idea of printing the paperboard and the wrapper separately, using clear windows on the wrapping to show off the paperboard’s graphics. The wrapper has all the product information; once it’s removed, the consumer is left with an envelope with a fancy design but no verbiage.

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BEUMER stretch hood®

The powerful packaging solution for the beverage industry.

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PackagerNews

INTERPACK TO SHOWCASE HOW PACKAGES COMMUNICATE t interpack 2011, Processes and Packaging, to be held from May 12 - 18, 2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany, “communicative” packages will be an important topic.

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Is your label just ink on sticky paper, or is it power ful, cost-ef fective marketing? WS Pac ackag k ing is ka is No North Ame Nor A ric ca’s a’s le din lea ding g labe bel convverter, prov ovidi id ng g innova inn ovativ tive e solu solutio tions ns s tha thatt can can cre create ate yourr br bran an nd on th he shelf. f imp mpact act fo forr you t 17 loca locatio tions nss nat nation ionwid wid de redu reduce ce transportation costs an nd provide manufacturing redunda ancy t R&D and engineering de eliver innovation and speed to market t Single-source supplier of both labels and application equipmentt t Award-winning sustainability ty solutions

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The world’s leading international trade fair for the packaging sector and related processing industries will feature Innovationparc Packaging, with topics showing how packaging relates to quality of life through such aspects as health, aesthetics, simplicity and identity. These dimensions directly impact the behavior and therefore the consumption patterns of potential customers – and using packaging as a vehicle to persuade these potential customers to buy a product calls for deep insights into target groups and their expectations. Anyone who wants to reach the consumer must stage his merchandise perfectly at the point of purchase (POP), which applies to all packaged products. “Shops are a hotly contested arena, where the prize is the customer’s attention,” explains Hilka Bergmann, head of the packaging research section at the EHI Retail Institute. The pressure to be noticed at all costs is highest for discounters. According to the Institute’s data, the average supermarket in Germany carried some 6,000 articles in the mid1990s. Today, that figure has risen to more than 15,000. This vast array is confusing to consumers who know very little about individual products. Most shoppers therefore tend to buy on instinct. Marketing researchers have found that 70% of them only decide directly at the point of sale what ends up in their shopping cart. And this is where the importance of the sales package is most crucial, because it acts as an influencer. According to the Munich-based market research firm facit, the influence of packaging on purchasing decisions is twice as high as that of TV advertising, billboards or print media. For more information about interpack 2011, access www.interpack.com.

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Chocolate maker Lindt presents its merchandise in highquality, long-term displays made from plastic and metal.

BR IEFS Frito-Lay has announced a solution to one of the most bizarre debacles in recent packaging history: its noisy SunChips bag. A new version of the pouch made from polylactic acid (PLA) has a new adhesive that, the company says, will reduce noise when the bag is handled. Frito-Lay, a PepsiCo unit, will test the new bag with SunChips originals, the only SKU to still use PLA, and will consider extending it to other SunChips flavors depending on results.

products and to promote their sale among consumers seeking to purchase goods using renewable resources. General Mills has reported that its Worldwide Innovation Network (G-WIN) innovation portal has attracted more than 1,000 registered innovators from around the world and has received more than 500 proposals. The site allows visitors to review full details of posted technical challenges and create and submit nonconfidential proposals.

Wornick Foods, Cincinnati, a manufacturer of convenience foods and customized meal solutions, will undertake a new initiative to commercialize microwaveassisted thermal sterilization technology (MATS). MATS is a newly developed process for sterilizing foods that can dramatically improve food quality over traditional food processing techniques.

Nearly two out of three consumers recently surveyed by consulting firm Technomic (www.technomic.com) say they think beef and pork products labeled with premium descriptors such as “grass-fed,” “lean,” “organic” or “natural” will taste better than other beef and pork products that do not carry these same labels.

The Tropicana unit of PepsiCo has decided to abandon paperboard cartons for its Tropicana Pure Premium juice in favor of plastic bottles. Tropicana is now building a new $4 million facility at its plant in Bradenton, Fla., to accommodate the switch.

DS Waters, a national distributor of bottled water products, signed a three-year lease for a 10,376-square-foot industrial facility at the Southern California Logistics Centre, Victorville, Calif. It will be used for the warehousing and distribution of its Sparkletts brand bottled water throughout the high desert region.

ASTM Int’l has been selected to provide certification for the U.S. Department of Agriculture biobased labeling program, a voluntary initiative to identify biobased

Reed’s Inc., a soft-drink bottler in Los Angeles, has reached a distribution deal for the state of Arizona with SPIKE Beverage LLC.

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PMMICorner

FOCUS TURNS TO NEW FOOD SAFETY LAWS n 2010, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was passed into law, the most comprehensive food safety legislation in the past 50 years. Because this legislation impacts the entire processing and packaging supply chain, PMMI invited attorney Tony Pavel Jr., a partner at K&L Gates LLP and an authority on the new legislation, to participate in a panel discussion on food safety at its second annual Pack Expo Thought Leaders Dinner last month in Chicago. We caught up with Tony after the panel to learn more about how the legislation will affect food manufacturers, processers and packagers.

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nancial burden on the food manufacturer. How significant the cost increase will be depends on a number of factors, including the content of the final FDA regulations/guidance; costs for consultants, if needed; auditing costs; testing costs; and new fees (re-inspection), all of which will affect the final price of packaging and foods.

F&BP: In terms of compliance, what are packaging plants responsible for?

PAVEL: FSMA imposes a number of new requirements on “registered facilities,” i.e., any establishment that manufactures, processes, packs or holds food. New requirements include biennial registration with the FDA, performing hazard analyses and additional record-keeping requirements, including the preparation of written control plans. The statute also imposes verification requirements for firms’ preventive controls. F&BP: How should food manufacturers be

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prepared to address issues of supply chain management?

Tony Pavel Jr. (second from right) participates in a panel discussion about the Food Safety Modernization Act at a PMMI conference.

F&BP: What are the immediate implications of the FSMA for manufacturers?

PAVEL: Quite frankly, while the legislation is quite robust, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says implementation is on schedule, there is a large gray area about finding the funding for the legislation. That uncertainty makes the timing for many parts of the FSMA unclear. F&BP: What about cost implications? Will the price of packaging increase significantly?

PAVEL: While the goal of the FSMA is to ensure that consumers are getting the safest food possible, there will clearly be an increased fi16

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PAVEL: Initially, food manufacturers should review their current supplier verification programs (and current suppliers) to determine what changes may be needed to assure compliance with the preventive controls required by the FSMA. Supply agreements should be reviewed and updated to include provisions requiring compliance with FSMA provisions. Companies should also look at their records management processes and determine what changes or improvements may be needed F&BP

Food packaging and processing professionals can gain insight into the latest technologies that will help them comply with FSMA legislation at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2011 (Sept. 26-28 at the Las Vegas Convention Center). Discounted registration is currently available at www.packexpo.com..

CoverStory

Welcome to our annual Plants of the Year coverage coverage. We’ve chosen five five of the most interesting food and beverage plants in the U.S. from a packaging standpoint. They provide examples of how company decision-makers, whether owners or executives entrusted with packaging strategy, saw a good move and took decisive action. Our coverage includes: • RUIZ FOODS, a Mexican frozen food company that made the transition to standup pouches. • DR PEPPER SNAPPLE GROUP, which reorganized its supply chain and instituted regional hubs, including a new one near Los Angeles. • BYRNE DAIRY, which decided to use PET bottles for extended shelf-life milk. • SADLER’S SMOKEHOUSE, a supplier of ready-to-eat smoked meats that uses high pressure processing to extend shelf life. • CULINARY ART’S SPECIALTIES, a supplier of frozen baked goods that went from manual to automatic packaging as part of a drive to triple the size of its operations. These are disparate companies in every important aspect, including size, products, markets and resources. But their stories, as recounted here, have a key element in common: The initiative required to take the leap and invest in the equipment, floor space, worker training, new materials and any other elements required to bring the new plan to fruition. We hope these companies’ stories can serve as inspiration to their industry peers. As America struggles out of the recession, these are the kinds of initiatives that help consumer packaged goods companies stay connected to their consumer base. — Pan Demetrakakes, editor

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CoverStory PLANTS of the YEAR | DR PEPPER SNAPPLE GROUP

NEW HUB IS JUST WHAT DR PEPPER ORDERED Versatility enables plant and warehouse in California to handle a wide range of products, materials and sizes. hen Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS) decided a couple of years ago to revamp its supply chain, one of the key links landed in Victorville, Calif. Victorville, about 65 miles outside Los Angeles, is the site of a 57-acre facility that filled its first bottles in early 2010. It was built as one of five regional hubs across the U.S. that DPS developed to fill in distribution voids; among the five of them, DPS achieves 80% coverage of the U.S. population, according to Derry Hobson, executive vice president of supply chain. The Victorville plant is capable of producing about 40 million cases per year on its current five bottling lines, in a huge variety of products, packages and sizes. Beverages bottled at Victorville include Snapple, Hawaiian Punch, Mott’s, Clamato, Schweppes, ReaLeamon and Nantucket Nectars. Containers include glass, plastic and cans, with sizes ranging from 8 ounces to gallons. Versatility is the key to handling this kind of variety, and it was a primary consideration for equipment purchases, says Eric Gold, DPS’s vice president of engineering. “The packaging lines are built with changeovers in mind,” Gold says. “The equipment was purchased with a lot of the changeover enhancement built into them, or options purchased with them, to make changeovers faster and more efficient, so that when we do changeovers, we get right to the size and production output we’re looking for.” The five lines vary in how long they run, ranging from one shift five days a week to 24/7 operation, depending on products and seasonal demand: • Line 1 hot-fills glass bottles with Snapple, Nantucket Nectars and other products, with fillers from U.S. Bottlers , cappers from Silgan White Cap and labelers from Krones Inc. Sizes are 16, 17.5 and 20 ounces, and speeds reach 650 bottles a minute. • Line 2 fills polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles with both hot and ambient-temperature beverages. Products include Clamato, Snapple, Mott’s and Mr

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‹‹ The Victorville, Calif., plant is one of five regional hubs for Dr Pepper Snapple Group.

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and Mrs T alcohol mixers. It handles bottles from 8 to 32 ounces. The filler is from Krones and the cappers from Arol USA . • Line 3 is also hot- and ambient-fill, for similar products as line 2 but larger sizes: 64 ounces and gallons. It fills Hawaiian Punch at ambient temperatures and Clamato and Mott’s with hot filling. The filler is from Krones, the capper from Arol. • Line 4 is a can line that can handle hot, ambient and carbonated products. The line, which runs at 1,400 cans per minute, fills 8-, 12- and 16-ounce cans, with products including Mott’s, Clamato, Snapple and Schweppes. The filler is from Bevcorp. • Line 5 is a PET line for ambient still products and carbonated drinks, including Hawaiian Punch, teas and Deja Blue bottled water. The filler, from Bevcorp, can run up to 600 1-liter bottles per minute. Victorville uses a variety of secondary packaging, including regular corrugated cases, wraparound cases, trays and bundlers. Case-packers come from Krones, while bundlers are supplied by Oystar Jones and Douglas Machine.

DPS settled on robotic palletizing for Victorville, for a couple of reasons. Versatility was one: With the variety of package sizes and pallet pack patterns, DPS needed a system with pushbutton adaptive capability. Gentle handling was another. “Robotics gives the most gentle touch to cases so that as we lightweight containers as well as the secondary packaging, we have less damage to them, and it’s much quicker changeover,” Gold says. The robotic palletizers are from Sentry Equipment. DPS distributes about 1,900 stockkeeping units (SKUs) from the 550,000-sq.-ft. warehouse (the processing/packaging area is 300,000 sq. ft.), including some not bottled at the plant. “These products used to have to go to several different warehouses,” Hobson says. “Then we had to move them back and forth, and that’s not an efficient model. Now, we can put it into one location and send mixed loads back out to our customer, which is much more efficient.” Victorville benefits from the proximity of a PET bottle blower dedicated entirely to its needs. The supplier, Plastipak Packaging, built the plant contemporaneously with the DPS facility.

“You don’t want to move to a location like that and still ship bottles or materials in from hundreds of miles away,” Hobson says. F&BP

Pan Demetrakakes, editor, with Elizabeth Fuhrman, editor-in-chief of Beverage Industry magazine

FOR MORE INFORMATION Arol USA 678-318-1290; www.arol.com Bevcorp 440-954-3500; www.bevcorp.com Douglas Machine Inc. 320-763-6587; www.douglas-machine.com Krones 414-409-4000; www.krones.com Oystar Jones 859-341-0400; www.oystar.rajones.com Plastipak 734-455-3600; www.plastipak.com Sentry Equipment 434-525-0769; www.sentryequipment.com Silgan White Cap 800-515-1565; americas.silganwhitecap.com US Bottlers 704-588-4750; www.usbottlers.com

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CoverStory PLANTS of the YEAR | BYRNE DAIRY

ULTRA DAIRY: THE FUTURE OF ESL DAIRY? Byrne Dairy’s Ultra Dairy commits to a sustainable technology for extended shelf-life (ESL) products. ince 1933, Byrne Dairy, Syracuse, N.Y., has specialized in delivering high-quality dairy products to its customers. In 2004, it opened a 40,000-square-foot ultrapasteurization manufacturing subsidiary, Ultra Dairy, to specialize in extended shelf life (ESL) products such as milk and creamers. Recently, the facility expanded to 110,000 square feet and took a technological leap forward by installing a Sidel Predis system that comprises an integrated system Print-and-apply for blow molding, filling and capping, guaranteeing tounit affixes crucial information to the tal food safety and helping enhance both the quality and bundled packs. shelf life of products. ”When we looked at the future of our business, and what we needed to solve our customers’ problems, we came to the conclusion that the PET bottle was the best answer for us,” says William Byrne, chairman of the board. FOR MORE INFORMATION Adds Eric Greiner, sales director: “One of the best American Fuji Seal advantages we see with a 800-489-9211; www.fujiseal.com PET bottle is that it’s drinkBerry Plastics able and easy to consume. 812-306-2000; www.berryplastics.com We’re excited about this Cermex Inc. Div. Sidel opportunity.” 678-221-3570; www.cermexinc.com The 300 bottle-per-minute system, which Ultra Hartness Intl typically runs at 260 bpm, 800-845-8791; www.hartness.com is the first of its kind in the Heuft USA Inc. United States. Sidel provid630-968-9011; www.heuft.com ed the entire line as a turnIntelligrated key system. 866-936-7300; www.intelligrated.com “It was a great install Logoplaste because we can hold one 011-351-214-858-500; www.logoplaste.com vendor accountable for the entire line’s efficiency,” says Sidel Greiner. “This eliminated 678-221-3087; www.sidel.com a lot of unknowns, because Videojet Technologies Inc. all the equipment was 800-843-3610; www.videojet.com prequalified. The project Wulftec also involved infrastruc877-985-3832; www.wulftec.com ture, training, personnel.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VIDEOJET

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Sidel has been an excellent partner.” The line is one of seven ESL lines in the plant, including four ESL gable-top carton lines. The PET ESL line is capable of sizes from 8 to 80 ounces. The most popular product has been 16-ounce single-serve milk. The refrigerated products are Byrne and private-label brands with 90 to 120 days’ shelf life. “We can distribute the products from the East Coast to the West Coast,” Greiner notes. The process starts with PET preforms from Logoplaste entering the Sidel Predis machine. They are sterilized with a one-two punch of hydrogen peroxide mist followed by heating to 212° F. Only a small preform is sterilized in this waterless process, rather than an entire bottle as with alternative bottle sterilization techniques. “This is a very elegant solution,” says Byrne. “We not only have an extremely high-quality package, but we have produced it in a way that minimizes water and energy use, and that’s very important to our customers.” Preforms are transferred to the 10-cavity blow molding section and then on for 40-station rotary filling and 20-station capping. With the exception of creamers, the tamper-evident caps from Berry Plastics eliminate a foil inner seal. Not only do the preforms save space, the blown bottles are lighter than standard because they are immediately filled and do not have to be durable for distribution when empty, Greiner explains. Resembling shiny high-

density polyethylene bottles, the glossy PET bottles’ white color provides a light barrier. Next, the bottles pass through a Heuft Xray inspection system to ensure they are filled with the correct product and capped properly. Bottles convey to a Hartness Dynac accumulation system. Bottles bypass the Dynac unless there is a backup downstream, such as for a sleeve label change. An American Fuji Seal shrink-sleeve labeler was started up in January. The bottle and PET sleeve are 100% recyclable together. Bottles subsequently are conveyed to a Cermex sleeve bundler that uses a corrugated tray and shrink film, and then to an Alvey palletizer from Intelligrated and Wulftec stretchwrapper. Byrne relies on three Videojet units for its online coding, using laser marking on the bottle surface, ink jet coding on the sleeve label, and a print-andapply label on the bundled packs. The

Videojet 3320 laser coder provides a permanent on-bottle code for the identification of fill head, capper station and production date. A Videojet 1610 ink jet printer prints use-by date and other information on the sleeve film web. The P3400 printer-labeler provides a 2 x 4-inch label onto the shrink film. Ultra expects to add a second print-and-apply sysmon tem as backup in a few months. PE bottle ESL caGreiner feels that its PET thin for the compability has done two things pany: Elevated the dairy to a higher level manu of expertise in the manufacturing of ESL enab them to ofdairy products, and enabled fer a wider variety of ESL products. “This technology has been very well received by national bran brands and our own customers says Greiner. Byrne brand customers,” “We’ve grown steadily w with this capability, and we’re happy with the results.” F&BP

‹‹ White PET bottle provides 90-120 days’ refrigerated shelf life for country-wide distribution and has a PET sleeve label.

Rick Lingle, executive editor

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CoverStory PLANTS of the YEAR | RUIZ FOODS

RUIZ BAGS SUCCESS IN FROZEN FOOD New, customized equipment helps company put out the first Mexican frozen food in stand-up pouches. he world of frozen Mexican food is pretty small. Even when you’re the market leader, it turns out that sometimes there’s not off-theshelf machinery for everything you want to do. That’s what Ruiz Foods found when it decided to switch from bag-in-box cartons to zip-close pouches for many of its products, including its signature taquitos—hand-rolled deep-fried tortillas stuffed with a variety of meats and cheeses. Ruiz, based in Dinuba, Calif., has annual sales estimated at $450 million. Its product lines and approximately 200 SKUs fall under two brands: El Monterey (frozen Mexican foods) and Tornados (hand-held snacks). The El Monterey snack line includes quesadillas, mini chimis and taquitos. Packaging for Ruiz’s El Monterey taquitos had consisted of a paperboard carton with an interior pouch. But this had its limitations, especially for a product that’s usually consumed a few pieces at a time. “Consumers had let us know that even though we had bag-in-the-box, and the bag had a reclosable feature on it, the reclosable feature was very weak at best,” says Brian Miller, senior vice president for supply chain. “It did not seal the product up because it was more of, if you will, a dust cover type of film application.” Miller knew from experience that stand-up pouches offered more convenience and better protection against freezer burn, while improving shelf presence and maintaining stability in the freezer. Ruiz management took the issue to focus groups and was encouraged. “Sometimes people do not embrace change and sometimes they do. It was a gamble on our part, but we felt pretty confident that by changing that product to that bag, the response was going to be good,” Miller says. There was a condition: Even though the new material, a polypropylene laminate, is costlier than the old, the company determined it would not raise prices to accommodate. Part of keeping costs down was making the transition as fast as possible. Ruiz managed to reconfigure its 260,000-sq.-ft. Dinuba plant to accommodate the new packaging in 90 days. “A group of people from our key areas, whether it

T ‹‹ For Ruiz Foods to become the only producer of Mexican frozen food packaged in standup pouches required a plant-floor reconfiguration.

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was from sales and marketing, production, quality assurance, R&D and such, we sat down as a team,” Miller says. “We wanted to have a rollout of this in a timely fashion, and we came up with the best strategy possible to hit that timeline.” Unfortunately, it wasn’t a matter of just browsing online or at a trade show and picking out the needed equipment. “In our industry, there’s not off-the-shelf equipment, because the Mexican frozen food industry is not that big,” Miller says. “You have to come up with an exclusivity to help protect yourself from the bigger [frozen food] players in the sense that you end up designing equipment specified to our product.”

The biggest challenge was inserting the taquitos into the pouches automatically. Combo weigh scales, usually an option with frozen food pieces, wouldn’t work with taquitos because of their elongated shape. On the plus side, El Monterey taquitos are big and uniform enough that simply providing the right count would be enough to ensure hitting the target weight. Ruiz devised a system that combined a vibratory feeder with a system of brakes and gates, overseen by a photoelectric sensor. The feeder gently agitates the taquitos into a single file. The photoeye counts however many taquitos are due to be packaged, triggering the brake and the gate. The taquitos then drop directly into the pouch. The filled pouches move down the line and are hand-sealed on equipment from the Doboy div. of

Bosch Packaging Technology. They then pass through a metal detector and a checkweigher, both from Lock Inspection Systems Inc. Burritos, Ruiz’s No. 1 product under the El Monterey brand, are usually flowrapped, in counts ranging from singles to 18. Like taquitos, the burritos are vibrated into single file, then shunted into a series of lanes that can move up to eight of them side-by-side. They enter a flowrapper from the Fuji div. of Formost Packaging. After weighing and metal detection, they are individually coded with an ink jet printer from Domino Amjet. They are case-packed by equipment from Pearson Packaging Systems, and the cases are coded by printers from Markem-Imaje Corp. and the Marsh div. of Videojet. The cases are then palletized and stretchwrapped by machinery from Lantech. The feedback from consumers for the new taquitos bag has been gratifying. “We have gotten quite a bit of feedback through our internet information and our customer service complimenting our change in going to the stand-up pouch,” Miller says. Now that the new package has been established, Ruiz is working on improvements to increase efficiency, Miller says.

“Part of our goal was to get [the pouch] to market as fast as we could,” he says. “In today’s world, we are looking at a longer-term phase as far as a permanent solution to help us sustain our ability to be the only frozen Mexican food in a stand-up pouch.” F&BP Pan Demetrakakes, editor

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Fuji /Formost Packaging 425-483-9090; www.formostpkg.com Lantech 800-866-0322; www.lantech.com Lock Inspection Systems Inc. 978-343-3716; www.lockinspection.com Markem-Imaje Corp. 770-421-7700; www.markem.us Marsh div. of Videojet (case coder) 800-843-3610; www.videojet.com

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CoverStory PLANTS of the YEAR | CULINARY ART’S SPECIALTIES (CAS) INC.

AUTOMATED PACKAGING IS THE ICING ON THE (CHEESE)CAKE Automated packaging at Culinary Art’s Specialties increases rates to 45 frozen cheesecakes per minute.

‹‹ Packaged cheesecakes speed along gently on CAS’s production line with a product integrity rate near 100%.

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ulinary Art’s Specialties (CAS) Inc., a manufacturer of frozen cheesecakes, tripled the size of its operations by building a 53,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Cheektowaga, N.Y., outside of Buffalo. In doing so, it upgraded a manual packaging line to an automated system that could handle 45 frozen cheesecakes per minute. The facility has the capacity to produce and ship 150,000 pounds of the dessert each week—30,000 cheesecakes daily. “When we planned the move to our new building, we redesigned the entire production process,” says Art Keller, vice president of operations. “We started from scratch and designed a facility to manufacture the world’s best cheesecakes with a very high level of throughput efficiency without sacrificing product quality.” It was critical to move the delicate frozen desserts undamaged through the packaging cycle with placement precision while toppings and plastic domes are applied and the cakes are shrink wrapped, individually boxed, labeled and case-packed. To achieve this, CAS uses a unique conveying solution from Shuttleworth Inc. It virtually eliminates cheesecake damage, a problem the company was experiencing with its prior manual packaging. Equipped with smart conveyor technology from Shuttleworth, the automated packaging line processes 2,700 frozen cheesecakes per hour with a product integrity rate of 99.9%. It handles cakes 6 inches in diameter and smaller. Our prior packaging lines were largely largel manual,” ex“Our plains Keller. “One of the challenges solv with the dewe needed to solve aut sign of the automated system ho do we now was, how o cheesecakes move our through the packaglin before they ing line sh are shrink wrapped withou having them without touch anything, as w this would mar the

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product. We looked at a number of conveyor systems, but they permitted too much contact with the cheesecakes. It was a huge issue for us.” From freezer to wrapper

After blast freezing, the cake is inverted to release it from the pan and placed atop a paperboard ring. A topping is added and a plastic dome is applied. The product registration into the shrink wrapper required that the cakes be separated, spaced and centered on the conveyor. Shrink Packaging Systems handled the procurement and integration of the Shanklin HS1 shrink wrapper from Sealed Air Corp. Shuttleworth engineered the conveyor to prepare the cheesecakes for induction into the automatic horizontal continuous-motion side sealer, rated at a maximum 100 cycles per minute. The spacing had to be highly precise, a tolerance of no more than 0.5 inch. Shuttleworth engineered two different solutions. First, it designed a sequential series of different height rollers that center the cakes on the conveyor. Second, the conveyors offer Slip-Torque technology that minimizes damage by creating extremely low back-pressure accumulation. The conveyor is food-grade, all-stainless steel construction designed for heavy duty washdown. After shrink wrapping, the cheesecakes are cartoned using a semi-automatic carton erector from Econocorp. The conveyor then rotates the cartons and indexes them past a printer that applies a date code.

“Shuttleworth designed this part of the conveyor with tightly spaced rollers so we get a perfectly smooth motion as the boxes go by the printhead,” continues Keller. “The resulting code is very legible. With our prior system, we were having difficulty with blurring of the printed codes because of vibration as the cartons were passing.” The conveyor integrates an adjustable post that tilts the box slightly to allow the printer to imprint at the desired box position (which varies depending on the product). The conveyor then routes the cartons to a Wepackit case packer, where again, the low back-pressure of SlipTorque accumulation is used to stage the Ŗ cartons ahead of the case packer.  Along the way the cake’s weight is ver  ified by a Mettler-Toledo checkweigher.  The new conveying capability has  enabled Culinary Art’s to automate and streamline its entire packaging line. The company has been able to transfer and improve upon the product integrity of the manual processes with its automated system. “The packaging line automation has significantly reduced our product defects to less than one-tenth of 1%, while increasing our throughput,” Keller explains. “This significantly surpasses what we could do on a manual level. With the success of this line we are now building out a second automated packaging line.” That will be welcome—Keller says that the main line operates at least six days weekly, 18 hours a day. The upgraded

FOR MORE INFORMATION Econocorp 781-916-7500; www.econocorp.com Mettler-Toledo 800-836-0836; www.mt.com Sealed Air Corp. 866-773-4567; www.shrink-pkg.com

second line, which will be a virtual duplicate of the first line, will be more flexible, to handle a range of cake sizes up to 10 inches in diameter. It’s expected to be in place by the end of 2011. F&BP Rick Lingle, executive editor, with Jim McMahon, president, Zebra Communications

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Shrink Packaging Systems Corp. 888-574-7465; www.shrinkpackaging.com Shuttleworth, a division of Pro Mach, Inc. 260-359-7844; www.shuttleworth.com Wepackit 877-804-8683; www.wepackit2009inc.com

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CoverStory PLANTS of the YEAR | SADLER’S SMOKEHOUSE

TEXAS SMOKEHOUSE DEALS WITH PRESSURE High pressure pasteurization enables Sadler’s to extend shelf life and expand product offerings and distribution. arc Gaddis, head of R&D for Sadler’s Smokehouse, is adamant about the difference between barbecued and pit-smoked meat. “When you say barbecue, you flash to the guy on the corner, especially if you’re from the South or you have a favorite barbecue establishment. Sadler’s does that same process but on a grand scale with real pit smokers.” That’s the level Sadler’s Smokehouse operates on. The company, based in Henderson, Texas, is a regional meat processor that distributes cooked meat entrées and dinners throughout the Southwest. The business was family-owned until 2007, when it was bought by a venture-capital group. (Three generations of the Sadler family, including company founder Harold Sadler, stayed on as management.) Its refrigerated, ready-to-eat products are based on a variety of pit-smoked meats. Sadler’s started out producing mostly beef brisket; since the 2007 acquisition, it has expanded into pork, turkey, chicken and Hispanic products. Recent additions include Dinner for Two, the first Sadler offering to include a nonmeat side such as mac and cheese or baked beans, and a Slow Roasted line, which also includes a side with meat and gravy. A few years ago, Sadler’s established high pressure pasteurization (HPP) as a way to extend shelf life and increase product safety. “What HPP gives us is the ability to make that product in the classic style,” Gaddis says. Safety issues are always critical for any cooked, ready-to-eat food, especially food with relatively high water activity, like meat. The fact that

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‹‹ Workers hand-pack product at Sadler’s before it enters a high-pressure pasteurizer.

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Sadler’s is literally a hands–on operation, with workers packing the product into tubs–it’s “an artistic product that’s made in the classic, old tradition of barbecue,” Gaddis says—raises the stakes in that regard. HPP, which now accounts for most of Sadler’s production, has been commercialized for well over a decade, but its acceptance in the meat industry has been relatively slow. The process involves putting flexible packaging under enormous pressure in a water tank. The high-pressure water literally squeezes microorganisms inside the packaging to death, performing the same function as retorting or other microbe-killing steps without the product alterations that come with heat. For entrées, workers hand-pack meat into thermoformed pockets set into a conveyor, which form the top of the finished package. For multi-component products like Dinner for Two, the machine forms the tray on line from an extruded foam film. The system was furnished by Multivac Inc. “A vacuum is pulled, the film is melted to malleable, and then the vacuum is removed and the film drapes around the product,” Gaddis says. “So it conforms to the product

rather than smashing the product and creates a product with a thin film. That kind of packaging, because it has no headspace in it, works beautifully for HPP.” The sealed packages then enter the chamber of a high-pressure pasteurizer from Avure Technologies. The heart of the pasteurizer is a containment vessel that holds roughly 700 pounds of product, depending on the size and shape of the packaging. The pasteurizer surrounds the packages in the containment vessel with water and, once sealed, ratchets up the pressure to 87,000 pounds per square inch—“many times more pressure than the deepest part of the ocean,” as Gaddis notes. (Dwell time is proprietary.) What emerges is a cooked, ready-to-eat entrée or dinner that has an added level of safety and extra shelf life—a total of 120 days, in the case of Dinner for Two. “[HPP] really is a game-changer for our company,” says Greg Klein, Sadler’s executive vice president of marketing. “Dealing with meat, our shelf-lives have literally been doubled. As we try to expand from here to the East and West coasts, it’s just been huge.” HPP is what enabled the development of new Sadler’s products like Dinner for Two, Gaddis says. “Few teams are able to look at innovative technology and say, ‘Now I need to leverage it against new products and continued competitive advantage.’ We do that,” he says. “HPP is a great thing from a food-safety standpoint, but it also opens up a whole realm of what is possible on the development side, because we apply that technology in

FOR MORE INFORMATION

creating new products through food safety and in a safe manner.” F&BP Pan Demetrakakes, editor, with Andy Hanacek, editor-in-chief of National Provisioner magazine

Washed out

Blurring

Uneven lighting

Damaged and warped printing

Scratched

Specularity

Low contrast

Poor focus

Finder degredation

Badly printed

Curved surfaces

Faded

Noisy background

Thick printing

Extreme perspective

An easy read, an easy choice With Cognex, every read is an easy read. Patented IDMax® technology allows Cognex readers to successfully read codes that other readers cannot. Regardless of code quality, size, marking method or material, we can read it! 1DMaxTM is our best-in-class reading tool optimized for omnidirectional barcode reading and can handle extreme variations to achieve unsurpassed read rates. Cognex 2DMaxTM technology helped trigger the adoption of 2D Data Matrix and QR coding in many industries. Combined with the best performing hardware available, in both handheld and fixed reader formats, any code can be read quickly and reliably. Which makes using Cognex an easy choice.

Avure Technologies 253-981-6350;www.avure.com

To find out more, download the “10 Reasons to Choose Image-based ID Readers” guide from www.wecanreadit.com.

Cryovac div. of Sealed Air 800-391-5645; www.cryovac.com Multivac Inc. 816-891-0555; www.multivac.com

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MachineryTechnology

CO N V E YOR S

WITH CONVEYORS, FLEXIBILITY STARTS BEFORE INSTALLATION Speed, flexibility and energy savings are top considerations for conveyors of all types. by PAN DEMETRAKAKES, Editor

urry up and wait” is a cliché of disgruntled soldiers and others. The economic situation has turned a lot of conveyor projects into what might be called “wait and hurry up.” Because of economic uncertainty, it has become difficult at many food and beverage plants to get final approval for a major equipment purchase. But the need to change, expand or update a line doesn’t go away. The only thing the delay in approval changes is the time window that remains to get the project up and running. “The economic downturn has certainly impacted a lot of buying decisions that are taking place,” says

“H

quickly],” Jones says. “We have a lot of flexibility.” Flexibility shows itself in other aspects of Dorner’s operations. With conveyors, flexibility involves being able to handle packages of different sizes and weights. One way Dorner equipment can do this is by using a “center-drive” principle. By locating a motor and drive in the center of a conveyor segment, the sprocket gears at the ends can be reduced in size. This allows for a narrower gap between segments, which makes it easier for smaller packages to be transferred while maintaining the needed strength for larger ones.

‹‹ Horizontal- and vibratory-motion conveyors from tna can be used independently or combined in a completely gateless system. PHOTO COURTESY OF TNA

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Matt Jones, sales manager at Dorner Manufacturing. “The buying cycle often takes longer, because there’s a lot of questioning that takes place. So there’s a real need for speed out there. Things are happening real-time, but we’re finding that we’re doing multiple revisions of projects.” Flexibility enables Dorner and other conveyor suppliers to cope with situations like these. In Dorner’s case, having many options for conveyor segments pre-engineered helps fill orders faster. “Those pre-engineered conveyor designs with multiple platforms really allow us to [execute projects

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Mike Hilsy, director of marketing at FlexLink, agrees that flexibility is a high priority. “What we’re seeing is requirements for flexible solutions that are able to handle various package sizes on the same line,” Hilsy says. “They want to have a flexible line, and they want to be able to do quick changeover as well.” One way to do that is to incorporate servomotors into adjustable parts such as guiderails, although Hilsy admits that this is not yet in wide demand in the consumer packaged goods industry. Energy savings is another priority, which can be addressed in a number of ways. Raque Food Systems has developed a method to conserve energy that stems

from its specialty of providing equipment to fill multitarget applications, such as several-course frozen dinners. The conveyors it provides to accompany its filling equipment can be synched to keep moving while the trays or other containers are being filled. “We’ve got a device...where the Multi-Fill’s deposit will be placed into a container while the container is moving,” says Tim Kent, marketing director for Raque. “We can make sure the deposit occurs in a specific location of that tray.” This eliminates the need for constant stopping and starting, which increases both maintenance and energy costs. “We feel that if we can give the customer a system where the conveyor is continuously running, not only do they have a system that has the highest throughput, but they also have a reduction in energy costs,” Kent says. Here are some recent offerings from leading conveyor manufacturers: Dorner’s 5300 Series belt conveyors come in modular 15-inch curve segments and side rail design for quick and easy reconfiguration. Specially designed slots make mounting controls and accessories simple. A patented sprocket alignment key allows quick belt alignment, while a completely contained belt reduces pinch points. FlexLink has the XMY stainless steel chain conveyor. This 83-millimeterwide conveyor features an open design, which facilitates cleaning with foam and water; a design that brings only food-approved materials in direct contact with food; the ability to operate in temperatures between -4° F. and 140° F. with relative humidity from 10% to 95%; and a noise level at 70 meters per minute of 70 dBA or less. tna offers the tna rofloHM 3 horizontal-motion conveyor and the tna rofloVM 3 vibratory motion conveyor. They can be used independently or combined in a completely gateless proportional control, making the installation easy to clean with minimal maintenance requirements. Both systems increase performance, energy savings and return on investment through creating weigher/bagmaker efficiencies. Arrowhead Systems offers ArrowAdvance mat-top conveyors. Features include a bolt-together design with of vibration-resistant fasteners, compatibility with industry standard modular plastic belts offering a continuous

‹‹ The XMY stainless steel chain conveyor from FlexLink features an open design.

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MachineryTechnology conveying surface, and a full array of complementary accessories, including guide rails, brackets (fixed and adjustable), product gating (powered and manual), dust covers, drip pans, supports and transfer aids. SpanTech LLC has the MicroZone, a new 24 volt, low-profile, zero-pressure accumulation conveyor system. Each standard 300 x 300mm zone is individually driven by an innovative 24-volt “pancake” mo-

tor. Shaft-mounted sprockets engage with the 5mm pitch MicroSpan plastic chain for positive tracking. Each MicroZone unit is made from a unique, twopiece fabricated assembly. The drive, sprocket, belt and end roller assembly can be removed or replaced in seconds. AmbaFlex offers the AccuVeyor family of dynamic accumulators with first-in, first-out buffering. These in-line buffers can extend their accumulation capacity as dictated by the speed difference between in- and outflowing items. A complete range of accumulators is available for all kinds of applications, including aseptic filling lines, individual bottles and jars, packaged unstable items such as bottle packs, and tote accumulation. FleetwoodGoldcoWyard has the Tight Pitch Live Transfer Conveyor for shrink wrap packs, corrugated 4-packs, 6-packs, 8- packs and 12-packs. The design eliminates deadplates, which can cause products to drag and skew. The conveyor utilizes a 0.3-inch pitched chain wrapped around a quarter-inch nosebar to minimize deadplates from chain-to-chain transfers. The conveyor is designed to be driven off an existing chain with no need for a motor and is also available as a standalone conveyor. F&BP

FOR MORE INFORMATION AmbaFlex Inc. 877-800-1634; ww.ambaflex.com Arrowhead Systems 920-235-5562; www.arrowheadsystems.com Dorner Manufacturing 800-379-8864; www.dorner.com FleetwoodGoldcoWyard 800-899-4406; www.fgwa.com FlexLink Systems 610-973-8200; www.flexlink.com 2/1/11 8:39 AM

001_FBP0211_Cover.indd 1

>> VISIT US ONLINE AT:

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tna North America 972-462-6500; www.tnarobag.com

Market MarketTrends

PRO D U CE

PACKAGING HELPS PRODUCE RESULTS

by RICK LINGLE, Executive Editor

Packaging nurtures two fundamental undamental aspectss of lf life and shelf imp pact. fruits and vegetables: shelf impact. athy Means, vice president at the Producee on, Marketing Association, minds her peas and cucumbers. “Produce is someat more thing we all need to eat of,” she says, pointingg to the idelines government’s new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released in early 2011, which offers six guidelines including “makee half your plate fruits and vegetables.” ake Packaging is not only helping make vethat more feasible through convenience, preservation and shelf life extifies tension, it’s central to what she identifi as the industry’s three main markett drivers: ind sustainability. t i bilit creased consumption, marketing and “Packaging has always been a critical component of produce distribution because the products are perishable, have to breathe, and are often wet,” says Means. “We’re seeing increased packaging at the consumer level.” Produce packaging developments represent two aspects, according to Sal Pellingra, Ampac’s director of innovation: functionality for shelf life and aesthetics for shelf impact. Functionality is through customizable breathable film structures that address the particular item’s respiration rate. Ampac is also bringing in-bag microwavability beyond frozen foods into fresh produce like carrots and broccoli. For aesthetics and differentiation, in 2011 Ampac’s Seattle plant was the first operation in the Americas certified for High-Definition (HD) flexographic printing with the help of EskoArtwork. HD Flexo uses high-resolution optics and advanced screening technologies to deliver 150-line screening at 4,000 dpi with a smaller dot size and imaging quality that rivals offset. Several companies have already moved their frozen vegetable packaging to HD print to add graphics impact and differentiation, Pellingra says.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF AMPAC.

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That’s among the latest of a long series of graphic improvements in this market. The industry has progressed from what used to be brown corrugated containers with a check mark noting the specific product inside the box to today’s full-color spectrum that’s as colorful as the produce itself, Means says. “Packaging can enhance the display and increase the marketing messaging for the grower,” she says. “At the consumer level, members are very cognizant of branding and attractive packaging. We’ve seen a dramatic increase in the marketing sophistication of produce packaging.”

High-quality flexographic printing coupled with branding helps give commodity produce a valueadded presentation.

More ‘green,’ more packaging

Then there’s that “green” thing that’s taken root in produce as with all product markets. Sustainability has commanded the attention of PMA members, which comprise companies along the supply chain from “seed to store and restaurant” such as Dole, Del Monte, Chiquita Brands/Fresh Express, Walmart and Kroger, Means notes. A trend toward more packaging over the past decade appears to fly in the face of sustainability, Means admits. But the reality is that packaging helps prolong the shelf W W W . F O O DA N D B E V E R A G E PA C K A G I N G . C O M

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MarketTrends

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Produce packaging takes into consideration the respiration of the product such as this high-performance film used for bananas.

life for highly perishable products or those that have a particular need for packaging to avoid a problem. An example of the latter is grapes, which “shatter” (i.e., break loose of the stem), causing retailer and consumer problems. Packaging contains the clusters and reduces waste and shrinkage, Means points out.

Pellingra feels that sustainability is the key to this market. “The main consideration is how to use the least amount of film and still protect the product,” says Pellingra. “We’re working hard with our suppliers on improving the strength of the film without hurting breathability, improving sealant properties and at the same time ensure that the film runs well, too.” A recent development that has drawn criticism for overpackaging is wrapped bananas. Del Monte has told media outlets in England that it will sell individually wrapped bananas in a unique bag that keeps out oxygen and moisture and slows the ripening process. The company also is increasing trials of the bagged bananas in the United States. Dubbed “controlled ripening technology” by Del Monte, the packaging claims to extend the shelf life of the fruit by six days. The company will begin selling the more expensive packaged bananas in convenience stores, gas stations, and gyms, among other outlets. The first iteration of the barrier-film bananas was launched in 2009 at 7-Eleven stores. Competitor Chiquita Brands has its own plastic bag technology from Landec Corp. that uses a breathable membrane that allows oxygen, but

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Mariani continues fruitful innovation ariani Packing Co., Vacaville, Calif., has a solid history in packaging innovation, from introducing the first rehydrated, ready-to-eat dried fruit in a clear cello package to introducing the first stand-up gusseted bag to the consumer package goods industry. In March 2011, it debuted “TouchLock”, a Velcro-like micro-hook reclosure system that allows consumers to simply touch to lock and close their dried fruit bag. Mariani will use TouchLock on all stand-up gusseted packaging— more than 150 dried fruit products—as an alternative to zipper reclosure. Mariani’s TouchLock self-gripping fastener does not have to be perfectly aligned to seal properly. “As long as the micro-hooks on the sides touch, you’ll get the bond you need to reseal your bag and keep your dried fruit fresh,” says Miranda Ackerman, marketing director. The material is a food-grade, heat-sealable polyethylene. Aplix, the manufacturer of the micro-hook closure

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system, has granted Mariani U.S. exclusivity on usage for an undisclosed period of time. Aplix Inc. 704-588-1920; www.aplix.com

‹‹ Mariani’s latest packaging innovation in the dried fruit segment is for microhook reclosure on its stand-up pouches.

not carbon dioxide, to pass into the bag of fruit to enhance shelf life. Chiquita has also started packing avocados in similar bags. Means understands criticism related to perceived overpackaging, but says “there’s a give and take in everything. [Managers] in fresh produce pay a very strong mind to sustainability and want packaging that delivers to the consumer the best possible product with a good shelf life, which helps consumers to eat more produce. The health of consumers is directly tied to the health of our industry.” F&BP

FOR MORE INFORMATION Ampac 800-543-7030; www.ampaconline.com EskoArtwork www.eskoartwork.com Landec Corp. 650-306-1650; www.landec.com Produce Marketing Assn. 302-738-7100; www.pma.com

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MaterialsTechnology

B E V E RAG E MU LTIPAC KS

INTEREST IN MULTIPACKS PICKS UP Paperboard baskets and ring carriers have long ruled, but variations are available within and outside those mainstays. / by PAN DEMETRAKAKES, Editor

hen you pick up a six-pack, what do you pick it up with? For a long time, there were two choices: traditional paperboard “baskets” for bottles or the plastic ring carriers for cans. Those remain the two most popular options. But variations both within and outside those choices are taking hold. The advantages of paperboard baskets include ease of use, product protection and billboard. The latter can be enhanced by creative printing and converting techniques, says Roxanne McSpadden, director of global beverage marketing for Graphic Packaging Int’l, the largest U.S. supplier of basket carriers.

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Paperboard basket carriers with custom-shaped sidewalls can add to billboard potential.

PHOTO COURTESY GRAPHIC PACKAGING INT’L

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High-end or craft beers will sometimes use fancy printing techniques like foil stamping, high-gloss coating or matte finishes to attract attention, McSpadden says. The quest for attention can sometimes extend to the shape of the basket itself. “They might try to do that by interrupting the eye in terms of creating a die-cut along the top so that it’s a unique shape to go along with the brand,” she says. “And then there’s different levels of height with the basket, how high the wall is, to create variation.” Wall height can serve another function, McSpadden says: Protecting the product from light, which can be a consideration for beer bottled in clear glass. “In the beer market there are some brands that are more concerned with light protection than others, depending on their bottle and the product,” she says. “They will want a high wall because they don’t want light getting to their product.” Carrier baskets also have advantages when it comes to sustainability. They’re made with renewable fiber and, as non-contact packaging, are relatively free to use recycled materials, though McSpadden says that has to be done judiciously: “You have to balance it. Really, it’s about what’s the right strength property. Sometimes that is a virgin board, and sometimes it might be recycled.” Operationally, bottlers that use paperboard baskets must choose between two basic models: drop-load and bulk glass. In the drop-load model, the bottler receives empty bottles in baskets. The bottles are plucked, filled, capped and replaced in the baskets. In the bulk glass system, bottles arrive on pallets, typically separated only by slip sheets between layers. The baskets arrive as blanks, to be erected in the plant. The drop-load system is dominant in the U.S., while bulk glass is more popular in Europe. The application equipment GPI markets is for bulk glass, where the basket blank is pulled down over the top of filled bottles and then folded on the bottom, locked or glued.

Ring leaders

Third way

A third alternative for beverage multipacks might be called non-traditional plastic carriers. These are usually sturdier and bulkier than standard LDPE rings. Because of their ability to handle relatively heavy loads, these carriers are mostly aimed at single and double packs of large, multiserve bottles. Advantages include ease of use and container protection. They

‹‹ Innovative beverage can unitizers can offer better protection for can tops than traditional ring carriers.

PHOTO COURTESY PAKTECH

Ring carriers have been the norm in six-pack cans for decades. They’re light, inexpensive and effective. However, like many forms of plastic packaging, they’ve received their share of criticism on ecological grounds over the years. The industry is defending itself in several ways. Ring producers point to the light weight and consequent easy transportation of ring carriers as a way to reduce a beverage multipack’s overall carbon footprint. The industry touts other advantages, including the photodegradable aspect of the low-density polyethylene (LDPE) usually used for the carriers. ITW-Hi Cone, a leading supplier of ring carriers, recently established the Ring Leader Recycling Program, which encourages schools and businesses to find recycling centers that accept LDPE. If none exist in a given area—which, the company concedes, is often the case—an organization in the Ring Leader program can arrange to collect ring carriers and ship them postage-paid to Hi-Cone. Ring carriers tend to be lower cost and lighter than most beverage multipack alternatives. The tradeoffs are in convenience, which in this case translates to handling and security, and in billboard. Some ring carrier suppliers offer innovations to mitigate these disadvantages. ITW Hi-Cone, for instance, has top- and side-lift multipack carriers that provide handles integrated into the carrier. These can be especially useful for eight-, ten- and 12-packs, which would otherwise be difficult for consumers to handle with conventional rings. As for billboard, various alternatives are available. Hi-Cone’s BrandPak is a plastic carrier with deep walls and a handle. In some configurations, it can be close to an equivalent of a paperboard carrier in terms of its coverage and impact. Hi-Cone also has promotional panel multipacks, which are standard carriers with a panel attached for graphics, coupons or other promotional use. Another billboard alternative can take advantage of primary packaging. If a can or bottle’s graphics are arranged so that they form a large graphic when placed side by side, equipment available from Hi-Cone can orient them to guarantee that the effect will appear.

combine the stability and security of paperboard carriers with the minimal coverage of can rings. Amie Thomas, sales manager of PakTech, says sixpack cans are a relatively new market for her company, which supplies handles made from injectionmolded high-density polyethylene (HDPE). “We’re basically offering a higher-end alternative, because there’s nothing really out there that competes with the traditional rings” in terms of price, Thomas says. When it comes to six-pack cans, PakTech products offer better product protection, because they cover the tops of the cans. “Third-party testing determined that it provided 95% to 98% more contamination protection than the standard open-top rings,” Thomas says. PakTech is also working on application speeds. The company recently introduced a CCA 1200, a Can Carrier Applicator that can apply the HDPE carriers to up to 1,200 cans a minute. The company currently is working on equipment that will double FOR MORE INFORMATION that speed. Beverage multipacks have ITW Hi-Cone been around probably as long 630-438-5300; www.hi-tone.com as people have been buying Graphic Packaging Int’l more than one can or bottle at 770-644-3000; www.graphicpkg.com a time. Awareness of the difPakTech ferent ways to pick up a six541-461-5000; www.packtech-opi.com pack can, in some instances, help pick up sales. F&BP W W W . F O O DA N D B E V E R A G E PA C K A G I N G . C O M

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SupplierNews

04/11

NEWS / TECHNOLOGY / PEOPLE

OIL HIKES DRIVE UP PLASTIC COSTS etroleum-based products have become more expensive thanks to unrest in the Middle East, and plastic resin is no different. Turmoil in Libya and other nations in the oil-producing region has driven the price of oil past $100 a barrel. That has contributed to increases in resin prices charged by large producers. DuPont recently announced an increase of up to 15%, depending on grade, effective April 1. However, other factors are at work, says Gene Tanski, president of Demand Foresight, a supplier of supply-chain management software. “Libya has had a negligible impact to date—it has really been the overall perception of Middle East instability that has introduced such a large risk premium into the

P

current oil price,” Tanski says. “But another issue is pricing power for the suppliers – DuPont, LyondellBasell – they have a lot of market share and so have more control on pricing than in other industries.” Tanski notes that resin prices are highly susceptible to oil shocks in the short term. Most petroleum becomes fuel, with only up to about 5% used for plastic feedstock. As fuel prices fluctuate, they pull resin prices along with them. However, longer-term factors might decouple resin prices from oil prices to some extent, Tanski noted. Among them are package converting equipment and techniques that can use different resin grades depending on price, and increased use of bio-based and other synthetic materials.

BRIEFS The Packaging and Label Gravure Association Global has awarded Printpack first place in the flexible packaging, film/ film lamination process category for the Wonka Wondrously Whirled Waterfall Bar.

>> The Aagard Group, a supplier of case packers, cartoners and other packaging equipment, has hired Steve Mulder as vice president of operations.

Polymer developer Chemsultants Int’l has hired Mike Hilston as a research chemist and Jack Yeary as a quality specialist.

Exopack Advanced Coatings recently opened a distribution center in Guangzhou, China.

Packaging Solutions Holdings has acquired Excel Pac, a manufacturer of flexible packaging in the food, dairy and pet food markets. SIG Combibloc, a supplier of carton-filling equiopment, has announced plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in its production plants worldwide by 40%, energy consumption by 35% and specific waste volumes by 25%. It also plans to increase the percentage of FSC-labeled carton packs to 40% by 2015. Susan Edwards, manager of foodservice and corporate chef at Sealed Air Cryovac, has been elected to the board of directors of the Research Chefs Assn.

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Mulder

PMMI has announced that it will provide staff support to further the mission of OMAC, the Organization for Machine Automation and Control. PMMI’s support will enable OMAC’s volunteer leadership to expand its membership domestically and internationally, plus engage customer and supplier teams in further developing OMAC standards, including PackML.

Smylie

>> Magnetic Products Inc., a supplier of both magnetic and non-magnetic material handling equipment, has hired Jack Smylie as director of sales and marketing.

NON-BOTTLE PLASTIC RECYCLING UP 33% ecycling of plastics apart from bottles increased dramatically in 2009, the last available year for statistics, according to a new report from the American Chemistry Council (ACC). The ACC report looks at rigid plastics for non-bottle applications, including tubs, cups, crates and pallets, as well as non-packaging applications like durable goods. The report said 479 million pounds of postconsumer non-bottle rigid plastic was recovered in 2009, an increase of 33% over 2008 and of 47% since 2007. It contrasts with a mere 3.6% increase in overall solid waste recycling from 2005 to 2008.

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POSTCONSUMER NON-BOTTLE RIGID PLASTICS RECOVERED IN 2009 PVC 1% LDPE 3% PS 4%

HDPE 34%

PET 5%

OTHER/ MIXED 26%

The report attributed the increase to both better recovery of non-bottle plastics, and better reporting of the collection data by recyclers and other companies. In terms of resins, the largest component among non-bottle rigid plastics was high-density polyethylene (HDPE), at 16.8 million pounds, followed by polypropylene at 128.6 million and “other/mixed” at 127 million. The ACC report noted that demand for recycled plastic of all types was affected by the recession, specifically the global monetary crises that hit at the end of 2008. Prices for recycled plastic hit record highs in the summer of 2008 but soon plunged, then climbed back to only two-thirds of that record. The report noted, however, that “current pricing and demand is strong and steady.” The report suggested several factors in the recycling marketplace that need to improve for non-bottle recycling to continue to grow, including better terminology and bale specifications for this material from recyclers, and clear education of consumers about recycling nonbottle plastics.

PP 27%

Source: American Chemistry Council

The National Meat Assn. has conferred its 2011 Supplier of the Year award on Multivac Inc. Bob Koch, director of sales for Multivac’s food division, was singled out for his professionalism and long service to the meat and poultry industries. Harrisburg, Pa.-based marketing agency Pavone has been named a preferred design agency with The Hershey Co. for 2011. Although Pavone and Hershey have worked together on projects in the past, this is the first time the food and beverage marketing firm has received the preferred agency designation. Material distributor xpedx, a unit of International Paper, has announced a new network of seven package design centers with the opening of centers in the San Francisco Bay Area and Rochester, N.Y., and the expansion of existing design centers in Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Juarez, Mexico. Brand management agency Sun Branding Solutions has appointed Jim Burk to head its new business development team in North America. W W W . F O O DA N D B E V E R A G E PA C K A G I N G . C O M

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SupplierForum

Ink jet printers feature micropurge Enhanced 2300 Series of large character ink jet printers from Videojet Technologies offers superior code quality and improved flexibility for easier production line integration and operation. The new Videojet 2340, 2350 and 2360 printers all feature Videojet’s patented automatic printhead micropurge. This feature provides automated micropurging of the printheads during operation, helping to eliminate frequent downtime, while maintaining high-quality printing, even in dusty environments. Videojet 2300 Series printers are the industry’s only large character high resolution ink jet printers that recycle and reuse ink used during automatic printhead micropurge.

Film suitable for pressure processing

Cartoner handles flip tops

Nordenia USA has rolled out flexible food packaging suitable for high pressure processing (HPP). A micro-growth study conducted by an independent certified food institute included a 100-day test for chicken breast strips. HPP treatment considerably extends the shelf life of sensitive products while retaining their natural taste and most vitamins. Nordenia’s HPP films are available as premade bags, FlexZiBox side-gusseted bags, rollstock and lidstock. The packaging can be equipped with easy opening, zippers, sliders, handles and other convenience features.

Z Automation’s vertical cartoner is now available with an exclusive new flip top carton feature. Ideal for various food and confectionery applications, Model CV7.5100C is a continuous motion vertical cartoner designed to load blister packages and more. It is available as a hand load or robotic carton loading system, and can include Fanuc’s food grade robot, Model M-3iA6A, which will pick up product and load it into cartons at speeds up to 120 cartons per minute. In addition, the cartoner also features an Elau Generation 3 servo motion package and integrated vision system.

Videojet Technologies Inc. 800-843-3610; www.videojet.com

Nordenia USA 573-335-4900; www.nordeniausa.com

Z Automation 847-483-0120; www.zautomation.com

DRAG CONVEYORS ARE GENTLE, SANITARY CABLEflow tubular cable drag conveyors are aero-mechanical conveyors that operate with reduced clearances and running speeds. Designed for applications requiring gentle handling, CABLEflow conveyors transfer friable bulk products from single or multiple infeed points to single or multiple discharge points with little or no damage. Potential applications include coffee beans and friable snacks. Among benefits are totally enclosed dustand contamination-free handling, operation in three planes to allow complex circuits and elimination of transfer points using only a single drive, capability to be metered or flood-fed, minimum material residence and buildup due to round construction and operation under pressure differential or insert purge. Spiroflow Systems 704-291-9595; www.spiroflowsystems.com

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2011

Cleaning system for small filler Fogg Filler has introduced a semi-automatic one-way recovery trough system for its smallest fillers, the model F4.1, to make cleaning faster, easier and more cost-effective. The system enables onebutton cleaning in place without adding or removing any hardware. The semiautomatic one-way recovery system also quickly reclaims product in a sanitary manner that allows reuse. Fogg Filler 616-786-FOGG; www.foggfiller.com

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Chart Your Course to Real

S U CCE SS At Clear Seas Research we develop customized research solutions to identify:

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SupplierForum ROBOT ARM SHIELDS CABLES An addition to ABB’s IRB 2600 range of mid-sized material handling robots features Integrated Dress (ID), a flexible conduit in the robot’s upper arm/wrist for routing cables and hoses for signals, air and power. ID, previously available only on robots used for arc welding, allows the robot to operate at maximum speeds and simplifies off-line programming. Hoses and cables firmly secured and protected inside the robot arm and wrist swing far less during operation, reducing their exposure to corrosive fluids and other sources of overall wear. With a total upper arm load of 57 pounds, the IRB 2600ID is suited for applications including case packing, carton handling, process tray handling and small-format palletizing. ABB Robotics 919-856-2360; www.abb.com/robotics

Additive strengthens PLA film A clear impact modifier masterbatch for use with polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastics provides substantial increases in impact strength while sustaining the excellent clarity of the base resin. Terraloy 90000 Series masterbatches are formulated with Biostrength impact modifier from Arkema Inc. and carrier polymers consisting of Ingeo PLA from NatureWorks LLC. In one series of standard tests with 2-mil thick cast film tape, Terraloy 90000 Series masterbatch at 5 and 10% loadings increased Gardner impact strength 9- and 16-fold, respectively, in comparison with unmodified or “neat” PLA.

Stretch wr wrap clamp avoids film breaks Exclusively available on Lantech’s SL auExclusiv st tomatic stretch wrapper, the Load Seeking Clamp 4.0 reduces film breaks that require the operat operator to reset the machine. The Load Seeking Clamp C holds onto the film, preventing film breaks and releases at the clamp. At the beginning of the wrap cycle, the Load Seeking Clamp 4.0 goes out to the edge of the load, creating clamp-to-load contact regardless of the width of the load. This eliminates sagging and maximizes containment at the bottom of the load. The Load Seeking Clamp 4.0 is standard on the SL Automatic stretch wrapper and is available as a retrofit on S Series automatics. Lantech Inc. 800-866-0322; www.lantech.com

Teknor Apex Co. 401-725-8000; www.teknorapex.com

Two printheads are better than one

CONTAINERS NEST AND CUBE OUT WELL Model 36BR lightweight 4.25-gallon rectangular plastic container provides better cube efficiency and volume packaging for liquids and moist, dry or frozen goods. These rigid yet lightweight containers tolerate a wide temperature range. They also offer easy handling and excellent stacking strength, and nest when empty to save space. Options include hinged lids with a tamper-evidence tear strip, and a bi-directional handle for better ergonomics. Plastican Inc. 978-728-5023; www.plastican.com

40

F O O D &B E V E R A G E PA C K A G I N G

Auto-redundant label print-and-apply system for harsh environments uses two ID Technology Model 250 Label Printer Applicators. When one labeling head is off-line for label and ribbon replenishment, the second is triggered for immediate operation. A stainless steel cabinet protects both units from harsh or washdown environments. Each unit is mounted on a swivel mechanism that allows it to swing out of the cabinet for easy service and maintenance. To protect the tamp assembly the cabinet is fitted with removable covers. ID Technology 888-438-3242; www.idtechnology.com

APRIL

2011

W W W . F O O DA N D B E V E R A G E PA C K A G I N G . C O M

To place your classified ad in Food & Beverage Packaging call Catherine Wynn at 847-405-4010 Fax: 248-502-9109 E-mail: [email protected] EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

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APRIL

2011

206-274-8118

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To place your classified ad in Food & Beverage Packaging call Catherine Wynn at 847-405-4010 Fax: 248-502-9109 E-mail: [email protected] EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

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2011

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NO REASONABLE OFFER REFUSED KRONES UNIVERSELLA Plastic & Glass Bottles 7 Sets of Change Parts Serial # 091-349 ************************************ RESINA CAPPER U-40 Liter, 750ml, 375ml, 200ml MODEL 440849 *********************************** Both in excellent condition CALL DEXTER PIERCE 603-623-3231 or [email protected]

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Advertise in the Food & Beverage Packaging Classified Network Call Catherine Wynn at 847-405-4010

APRIL

2011

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43

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Food & Beverage Classifieds Contact Catherine Wynn 847-405-4010 44

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APRIL

2011

F O O D &B E V E R A G E PA C K A G I N G

6/25/08 11:12:59 AM

45

DataWatch

BREAKDOWN OF PAPER VS. PLASTIC IN COMPETITVE APPLICATIONS

PLASTIC STILL WINS IN BATTLE WITH PAPER lastic will continue to take market share away from paper in flexible packaging applications where both are options, according to a new study from The Freedonia Group. The study, “Paper versus Plastic in Packaging,” predicts that plastic will be able to outpace paper in most competitive markets through 2014. It says this expansion will be a little slower than in previous years due to the economic downturn and the maturity of many plastic-film applications. Nevertheless, material enhancements providing extended shelf life and increased durability, along with reduced material requirements and the addition of convenience features such as resealability and microwavability, will fuel continued opportunities for plastic packaging. Demand for plastic in competitive packaging markets is projected to increase 2.3% annually through 2014, an acceleration from the 2004-2009 period as manufacturing output improves from a depressed base in 2009. F&BP

(MILLIONS OF POUNDS) 30,000 27,500 25,000

P

TOTAL: 23,615

TOTAL: 23,200

Plastic

TOTAL: 25,150

22,500 20,000 17,500 15,000 12,920

12,500 13,190

10,000

10,425

12,265

12,230

10,935

7,500 5,000 2,500 0

2004

2009

2014 (est.)

Source: Freedonia Group; 440-684-9600; www.freedoniagroup.com

PAGE WEB SITE

AdvertiserIndex

Paper

PAGE WEB SITE

37 www.airblastinc.com

fbp04114idfa.indd 1

13 www.beumer.com

8,9,10,11 www.marchantschmidt.com

12 www.blueprintautomation.com

33 www.packrite.com

27 www.cognex.com/plusid

7 www.packagingthatsells.com

32 www.palletizing.com/getreal

23 www.paktech-opi.com

3 www.danafilms.com

19 www.plastipak.com

29 www.dorner.com

25 www.raque.com

47 www.emerson.com

17 www.staubli.us

5 www.dairyshow.com

48 www.tetrapak.com

2 www.intelligrated.com/smart

21 www.videojet.com

15 www.khs.com/service

3/28/11 10:11 AM

14 www.wspackaging.com ®

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2011

W W W . F O O DA N D B E V E R A G E PA C K A G I N G . C O M

Running without water can be dangerous! Unless you know what you are doing

Reducing water usage is an important goal for the Beverage Industry around the world. Eliminating water and lubrication from conveyor systems is a proven method of achieving this goal! Working with System Plast™, the leader in solutions for Dry Running conveying applications, enables a sustainable result. System Plast’s unique expertise and comprehensive portfolio allows you to implement solutions on your conveyor lines that reduce water consumption, energy, QRLVHDQGLPSURYHHI¿FLHQF\ Contact System Plast at 866-765-8744 for more information and visit our web site www.emerson-ept.com

Emerson, Emerson. Consider It Solved., Emerson Industrial Automation and System Plast are trademarks of Emerson Electric Co. or one of its affiliated companies. ©2011 Emerson Power Transmission Corp., All Rights Reserved. 0&$'‡)RUP‡3ULQWHGLQ86$

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INTRODUCING THE MOST ADVANCED MACHINE IN OUR RANGE The human being. We put over 3000 specialists into dedicated teams that work together to get the best out of every processing and packaging machine we make. They also work closely with our customers to eliminate inefficiencies, reduce their operating costs and maintain product quality. Because, despite our engineering heritage, we think it takes more than state-of-the-art technology to make food safe. You need the human touch too. This is the Circle of Protection. tetrapak.com/protection

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