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Casey Marchand, Operations Manager, Heritage Frozen Foods Ltd.
HERITAGE DAYS Alberta perogies king cooks up a winning recipe for greater mainstream marketplace glory
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With its breakthrough design, the 9550 applies labels directly onto packs without the need for an applicator, while self-adjusting label placement accommodates varying line speeds, throughput and package sizes. Revolutionary Intelligent Motion™ technology targets zero unscheduled downtime as it precisely and automatically controls the entire system. See the Videojet 9550 in action at PackExpo 2014 in Chicago.
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This is not an empty box.
This box is full of imagination. Have a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year.
(800) 268.5620 • www.atlantic.ca
Add Ink (Decorative & Display) (416) 421.3636 www.addink.ca
Corrugated Packaging
Paper Bag Products
Color Pak (Pre-printed Linerboard) (416) 298.5518 www.colorpak.ca
Displays
Mitchel-Lincoln Packaging Ltd. Montreal and Drummondville (800) 361.5727 www.mitchellincoln.ca
Supply and Inventory Management
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Mills
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UPFRONT
TEMPEST IN A COFFEE POD
DECEMBER 2014 VOLUME 67, NO. 12
SENIOR PUBLISHER Stephen Dean • (416) 510-5198 SDean@canadianpackaging.com EDITOR George Guidoni • (416) 510-5227 GGuidoni@canadianpackaging.com FEATURES EDITOR Andrew Joseph • (416) 510-5228 AJoseph@canadianpackaging.com ART DIRECTOR Sheila Wilson • (416) 442-5600 x3593 shwilson@bizinfogroup.ca PRODUCTION MANAGER Barb Vowles • (416) 510-5103 BVowles@bizinfogroup.ca CIRCULATION MANAGER Anita Madden • 442-5600 x3596 AMadden@bizinfogroup.ca
BIG MAGAZINES LP Vice-President of Canadian Publishing • Alex Papanou President of Business Information Group • Bruce Creighton Executive Publisher • Tim Dimopoulos Editorial Director• Lisa Wichmann
HOW TO REACH US: Canadian Packaging, established 1947, is published monthly by BIG Magazines LP, a division of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd. 80 Valleybrook Drive, North York, ON, M3B 2S9; Tel: (416) 442-5600; Fax (416) 510-5140. EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING OFFICES: 80 Valleybrook Drive, North York, ON, M3B 2S9; Tel: (416) 442-5600; Fax (416) 510-5140.
I
t’s been brewing for a while, but the ongoing legal tussle between coffee industry stalwarts Club Coffee and Keurig Green Mountain over the licensed use of their respective single-serve pods has really reached a boiling point last month, with Toronto-based Club Coffee filing a formal complaint with Competition Bureau of Canada seeking a federal investigation into Keurig’s allegedly anti-competitive practices. Coming on the heels of its $600-million lawsuit filed against Keurig earlier in the year, this move considerably raises the stakes for both coffee companies in a North American single-serve coffee market estimated at more than $3 billion. As inventor of the original K-Cup pod that sparked off whole single-serve coffee pod craze, Keurig may indeed feel genuinely aggrieved by the intense competition from rivals big and small aiming to cash in on the hot market, but knowing full well that its patents for K-Cup technology would expire in 2012, it could have done a better job preparing itself for the competitive onslaught by improving the technology’s environmental profile through innovation, rather than resorting to strong-arm tactics the company now stands accused of, albeit not proven in courts. As it is, Club Coffee claims to be mere weeks aways from launching the world’s first fullycompostable coffee pod into the marketplace that it alleges has been artificially rigged against it by Keurig-licensed coffee operators under strict orders not to do business with Coffee Club or other companies posing a threat to Keurig’s market dominance.
COVER STORY
SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: To subscribe, renew your subscription or to change your address or information, contact us at 416-442-5600 or 1-800-387-0273 ext. 3555. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE PER YEAR (INCLUDING ANNUAL BUYERS’ GUIDE): Canada $72.95 per year, Outside Canada $118.95 US per year, Single Copy Canada $10.00, Outside Canada $27.10. Canadian Packaging is published 11 times per year except for occasional combined, expanded or premium issues, which count as two subscription issues. ©Contents of this publication are protected by copyright and must not be reprinted in whole or in part without permission of the publisher. DISCLAIMER: This publication is for informational purposes only. The content and “expert” advice presented are not intended as a substitute for informed professional engineering advice. You should not act on information contained in this publication without seeking specific advice from qualified engineering professionals. Canadian Packaging accepts no responsibility or liability for claims made for any product or service reported or advertised in this issue. Canadian Packaging receives unsolicited materials, (including letters to the editor, press releases, promotional items and images) from time to time. Canadian Packaging, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, republish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort. PRIVACY NOTICE: From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via one of the following methods: Phone: 1-800-668-2374 Fax: 416-442-2191 Email: privacyofficer@businessinformationgroup.ca Mail to: Privacy Office, 80 Valleybrook Drive, North York, ON M3B 2S9 PRINTED IN CANADA PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40069240, ISSN 008-4654 (PRINT), ISSN 1929-6592 (ONLINE) We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage for our publishing activities. Canadian Packaging is indexed in the Canadian Magazine Index by Micromedia Limited. Back copies are available in microform from Macromedia Ltd., 158 Pearl St., Toronto, ON M5H 1L3
Whether that market dominance really constitutes a de facto monopoly is something that Competition Bureau of Canada should decide sooner rather than later, with 2015 federal election already being played on in the media making it possible for this issue to become something of a political hot potato, which would be a shame on many levels. With Keurig admitting that it is still about six years aways for launching its own fully-compostable K-Cup, its enmity towards a competitor claiming to have developed a greener and cheaper alternative does seem self-serving, but that does not necessarily make it illegal. Nice guys do not always finish first in the cutthroat business world, and for Coffee Club to claim a rightful stake to higher moral ground, making sure its compostable coffee capsule is really as environmentally-friendly as it is claimed will be of paramount importance. In a perfect world, “Consumers can simply throw the entire pod into their green bin and know that it will break down in the municipal composting system and be converted back into compost and likely used in agriculture, hence closing the loop,” Club Coffee’s senior vice-president of innovation told The Globe and Mail in late summer. As good as that sounds, the fact that municipalities across Canada all handle discarded coffee pods differently makes this vision more hopeful than likely at the moment, which is why it is important for the Competition Bureau to address this matter in the most expedient and objective way it can before it get mired in a prolonged legal tug-of-war where the only real winners at the end of the day are the lawyers.
12 PROUD WESTERN HERITAGE By Andrew Joseph
Canada’s leading perogies manufacturer is pulling out all the stops to make its tasty and nutritional dumpling creations more of a mainstream food staple. Cover photography by Jason Franson
DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS
FEATURES
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UPFRONT By George Guidoni
11 THE LUCKY SEVIN By Jim McMahon A multipack makeover makes insecticide brand more weather-proof.
4-5 NEWSPACK Packaging news roundup. 6-7 FIRST GLANCE New technologies for packaging applications. 8 ECO-PACK NOW All about packaging sustainability. 10 imPACt Monthly insight from PAC, Packaging Consortium. 30 NOTES & QUOTES Industry briefs and company updates. 31 EVENTS Upcoming industry functions. 32 CHECKOUT By Jeff May Joe Public speaks out on packaging hits and misses.
NEXT ISSUE: 2015 PACKAGING MACHINERY SPECIFICATIONS MANUAL
17 THE JOYS OF SKINNY DIPPING Texan salsa producer hits the packaging sweet spot with innovative rigid-plastic technology. 18 OPEN FOR BUSINESS By Andrew Joseph A day in the life of a leading global manufacturer of meat packaging and processing equipment. 22 WRIGHT ON THE MONEY By Andrew Joseph Ontario co-packer provides an evergrowing range of packaging services to solidify its loyal customer base. 27 STRENGTH IN NUMBERS A preview of next month’s Inter national Production and Processing Expo 2015 in Atlanta, GA. 28 CONVENIENCE IS KING Industry research reveals what busy consumers want and expect from their meat packaging.
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NEW DELI MEAT PACKAGING CUT ABOVE THE REST Quickly becoming a hot new menu offering at fine restaurants across Canada, the charcuterie platter— combining artisan charcuterie meats with cheese, bread, fruit and spreads—is a timetested mainstay over the holiday season as an appetizer, a finger-food dish, or even a light meal. And with meat arguably being the key centerpiece of most charcuterie trays, leading independent Ontario meat processor Piller’s Find Foods is helping to make it easier than ever to serve up the perfect charcuterie feast with three new packages of artisan salami and ham slices smoked and cured in accordance to the most authentic Produced at the company’s hometown processing facility in Waterloo, Ont., the 175-gram portions of Piller’s Charcuterie Alpen and Piller’s Charcuterie Cervelat salami slices—as well as the 125-gram servings of thinly-sliced Piller’s Charcuterie Westphalian Ham—are suitably packaged in high-quality film packs designed by the Cambridge, Ont.-based branding specialists Milestone Integrated Marketing, with the Westphalian Ham packs also containing wax-coated
paper inserts separating all the slices inside for easier handling and serving. Printed by f lexible packaging manufacturer Winpak Ltd. in Winnipeg using prepress artwork supplied by Optium Graphics of Aurora, Ont., the elegant packages feature stunning product photography displaying the company’s suggested serving ideas—developed in-house by Piller’s corporate chef Graham Kerr—enahbced by seethrough cutout film winnows on the right side of the pack to display the mouth-watering meat slices expertly layered on top of one another inside the easy-open packs outfitted with convenient peel-off closure on the bottom-left corners of the pack. According to Kerr—better-known to the mainstream public as his popular television persona Chef D—one of the most important elements in preparing a standout charcuterie platter is properly matching up the different varieties of meat with the right foods and beverages that “Aged cheddars, three to seven years old, go well with salamis, as do triplecream brie and raw milk goat cheese.” says Kerr, whose television work includes frequent appearances on nationally-televised CTV News at Noon and City TV’s Breakfast Television broadcasts.
SHINY SIDE OF LIFE
While Ontario’s Niagara Region in the province’s southwest has long been knows for producing some of Canada’s best-known wines and ice-wine products, there is a new kid on the local block, thanks to some sining product innovation by Small Talk Vineyards, a family-owned boutique winery located in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Launched earlier this fall at LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) retail outlets across the province in fittingly shiny 473-ml aluminum cans manufactured by Ball Corporation, the company’s new Shiny Apple Cider is made exclusively from locally-grow apples to offer Canadian consumers a refreshing, light-tasting alternative to traditional libations, according to the vintner. “We are extremely excited about our new line of cider,” says Small Talk Vineyards winemaker Angela Kasimos. “Our Shiny Apple Cider is the perfect drink to sip after a long day at work or at a dinner party with friends,” says Kasimos, adding the gluten-free, vegan-friendly beverage features full apple complexity with notes of pear and caramelized toffee apple that clearly differentiates it from other cider products in the local markets. “This cider is a fresh, new take on a popular drink and is like nothing you’ve ever tasted before,” she states. “Niagara is known for having the ideal climate for producing some of the world’s best wine grapes and other delicious fruits,” says Small Talk Vineyards owner Hank Hunse. “By using 100 per cent natural apple juice made with fresh, hand-picked Ontario apples, we have created an innovative product that everyone can enjoy.”
CREATIVE PACKAGING A SURE HIT Capturing Hollywood move-making magic in a box sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but reaching for the stars is all part of the daily toil for folks at California-based Snap Creative Marketing, the creative masterminds behind the Transformers: Age of Extinction home entertainment Bluray/DVD/Digital collector’s set retailing in Canada through Walmart and Target retail outlets, along with online sales via Amazon. Featuring faithful toysized replications of some of the hit movie’s main Transformers action heroes—including Optimus and Grimlock—Snap Creative came up with three slightly differing designs to meet specific demands of each of the three Canadian retailers, with the wide-screen limited edition kit created for Walmart Canada (see picture) containing Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD and three three-inch tall articulated
figures of Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Stinger transformers standing ready for action in a beautifully windowed, ironically designed box. For Target, Snap Creative designed an eye-catching Optimus Prime Blu-ray/DVD/Digital set standing over 12 inches tall with four points of articulation—featuring an elaborately detailed Optimus statuette as featured in Age of Extinction, while Amazon’s set features a collectible figure of Optimus riding astride Grimlock with and outstretched sword and shield captured in full battle-ready mode. To date, Snap Creative has created more than dozen o similar successful marketing and packaging campaigns for some of the world’s largest entertainment companies, including Paramount, Universal, Dreamworks, Sony and Warner Bros.
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UPBEET PACKAGING REMAKE A LABOR OF LOVE
“The brand’s logo, vibrant color pallet and signature smiley faces found on the front of its packages make will remind consumers why they should incorporate this trending superfood into their daily diet. “The creative evolution of Love Beets really brings to life the idea that beets are modern, fun and can be enjoyed by consumers of all ages,” he adds, adding the Toronto-based metal detection systems manufacturer Fortress Technolcompany’s marinated baby beets, ogy Inc. was selected as one of 12 finalists in last month’s Ontario Export vacuum-packed steamed beets and Awards competition produced by the Business Information Group (BIG) divbeet juices are retailing at over ision of Glacier Media Inc., Canada’s largest business magazine publisher and owner of the Canadian Packaging magazine. Posing with the award 6,500 locations across Canada. plaque as one of three finalists in the Food, Beverage & Agriculture cat“We’re excited to reveal a whole new look and soon—thanks to a major rebranding and a compreegory are (sitting from left) Fortress sales administrator Heather Liotti and marketing manager Kelly Sharpe, joined by (standing from left) regional technology that make beets a hassle-free experihensive packaging makeover of the Love Beets line manager Ken Atkinson, sales manager Nelson Rivera, president Steve Gidence and even easier to snack on whenever and of premium, all-natural, ready-to-eat beets now sellman, national manager Steve Mason, and regional manager Andrew Frei. Reiser_GroundBeefPackagingAd_v2014November_IPPE2015_CP_Reiser 11/1/14 6:02 PM Page 1 Photo courtesy of Donna Santos Photography wherever.” ing in a diverse range of packaging formats at leading North American retailers. Soon after launching Love Beets to rave reviews in North America in 2010 at the Fancy Food Show exhibition in New York City, the company’s English-born cofounders Guy and Katherine Shropshire moved their family business to Vineland, N.J., using various marinating techniques to help make beets a more appealing veggie option for the increasingly nutrition-savvy mainstream consumers. Having successfully expanded its retail customer base in Canada to include leading retailers Costco, Sobey’s, Longo’s, Fortinos, Whole Foods and numerous independent grocers, Love Beets recently teamed up with Grand Rapids, Mich.-based branding specialists Display Pack Inc. to further enhance the shelf appeal of the so-called ‘superfood’ tracesing its history back to the ancient Romans, who consumed beets as a form of aphrodisiac. In addition to containing high amounts of boron—directly related to the production of human sex hormones—beets are also a good natural source of betaine, a relaxing substance often used in other forms to treat depression, and tryptophan, also found in chocolate, which contributes to a sense of well-being. When it comes to packaging ground beef, only Reiser gives you this many choices. We offer a wide range Incorporating advanced peelof packaging equipment so that you can choose the best solution for your application. Are you looking for a modified and-seal technology to make the atmosphere package to extend shelf-life? Or perhaps an economical tray with a “fresh, just-packed” appearance? packaged beets easier to portion How about a low-cost chub that can be produced at very high speeds? Or maybe a flexible film, semi-rigid, or vacuum and store mess-free, the new Love package? We have machines that produce all of these packages – and more importantly – we can help determine Beets f lexible packages prominwhich one is right for you. Plus, you can test any of these packaging machines for yourself at our Reiser Customer ently feature the brand’s signature Center. Contact us today and set up a demonstration. smiley faces to make the products more approachable for the average consumer, according to the company. Says Love Beats vice-president George Shropshire: “Love Beets’ aesthetic shines a spotlight on both the brand’s upbeat, cheeky Ross Repak Supervac Vacuum Fabbri Vemag Tray Sealer Form/Fill/Seal Packaging Stretch Wrapper Chub Packaging personality to challenges age-old stereotypes around eating this notoriously intimidating vegetable. As one of the world’s healthiest foods, beets get surprisingly little fanfare at the North American grocery stores’ fruit-and-vegetable aisles. But that may change
No matter how you deliver ground beef, Reiser has a packaging solution for you.
DECEMBER 2014
www.reiser.com Reiser Canada Burlington, ON • (905) 631-6611 Reiser Canton, MA • (781) 821-1290
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FIRST GLANCE
CHICAGO SHOW-STOPPERS
T
A brief overview of technological innovations making a memorable splash at last month’s PACK EXPO International 2014 exhibition
hings can change a lot in the space of two years, and for producers of last month’s highly successful PACK EXPO International 2014 packaging technologies showcase in Chicago, that change has undoubtedly been all for the better. According to the show’s organizers PMMI-The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, the biennial exhibition drew over 48,000 visitors to the city’s sprawling McCormick Place exhibition grounds over four days—representing a 6.5-percent jump in attendance from the show’s 2012 edition. “This year’s PACK EXPO International was definitely a success,” said PMMI’s senior vice-president Jim Pittas, also citing a 19-percent increase of exhibitors from two yeas ago—some 2,352 companies in total. “Exhibitors sold machines right off the show floor and collected high-quality leads from the steady flow of attendees,” Pittas stated, adding many of the exhibitors are already making plans to do it all over again at PMMI’s fast-approaching inaugural PACK EXPO East exhibition in Philadelphia, Pa., Feb. 16-18, 2015. Covering over 1.2 million net square feet of exhibit space across three fully-packed exhibit halls, the Chicago show certainly delivered on its promise of putting on a dazzling display of packaging innovation and excellence, as ref lected by some of the show’s more notable product launches, including:
DOMINO THEORY After years of R&D and representing over a $130-million worth of new product development, product identification technologies powerhouse Domino North America unveiled its new A-series continuous inkjet printers—comprising seven different models featuring marine-grade stainless-steel exterior, a three-stage f luid management system offering the lowest consumable consumption levels in the industry, according to the company, and a remote user interface TouchPanel terminal for intuitive, user-friendly operation. Intended primarily for applications in the food-and-beverage sector, the new model A520i printer pictured here is the industry’s first CIJ printer to incorporate an innovative plenum airf low cooling system, which ensures the printer stays cool whatever the production environment. “The two new key qualities that set this printer aside from the competition are its f lexible design and consistent performance,” said James Shippen, the company’s product marketing manager for CIJ technologies. “The ability to integrate the user interface anywhere along the production line is a considerable advantage that will prove beneficial in more complex work environments, while a robust cabinet and the plenum airf low cooling system ensures optimum functionality no matter how challenging the surroundings, whether they are hot, cold, wet or dry.” Domino North America
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BAKER’S DOZENS Sealed Air Corporation’s expansive exhibit featured the North American debut of the Cryovac Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) for Bakery barrier film. Developed by the company’s Food Care Division to enhance product freshness and shelf-life extension premium and specialty baked goods— including preservative-free, whole-grain, glutenfree and other high-end, specialty bakery products that are often susceptible to mold—the new film can extend these product’s shelf-life from the standard one to two weeks to more than 40 days, according to the company. “As more specialty bakery items enter the market, there is a growing need for packaging solutions to accommodate these high-value, specialty goods,” said Kari Dawson-Ekeland, director of mar keting for cen ter-of-store pro ducts. “The traditionally short shelf-life of specialty baked goods, along with the elevated costs for raw materials and ingredients, make it especially critical for bakeries and retailers to reduce waste and keep products on shelves, and Cryovac MAP for Bakery alleviates these challenges by preserving freshness, while enabling wider distribution ranges and extending product shelf-life.” The high-performance package combines the company’s Cryovac Freshness Plus active barrier films with gas-f lush processing to deter oxygen ingress and prevent mold growth— thereby preserving freshness and quality while also extending sales time for retailers and consumption windows for consumers. As an efficient alternative to cold chain packaging technologies that can impede quality, Cryovac MAP for Bakery enables processors to extend their distribution ranges without losing peak freshness time in transit, effectively preserving the products smell and taste to offer customers an improved sensory experience. Sealed Air Corporation
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FULL MARKS FOR EFFORT Coding and labeling systems manufacturer FoxJet (available in Canada via Harlund Industries) used the show for a global launch of its new Marksman Matrix controller for inkjet printing system loaded with value-added features such as a 10-inch touchscreen terminal for live on-f loor editing of printed codes and a userfriendly interface that enables it to control as many as four printheads on two production lines. Ideally suited for use in systems that print alphanumerics, graphics and barcodes onto porous packaging substrates like corrugated boxes in a broad range of food, beverage, personal-care and medical applications, the system
is fully compatible for use with the highly durable Trident ProSeries 384 and ProSeries 768 jet printheads that can last as long as 10 years of service. FoxJet (in Canada: Harlund Industries Ltd.)
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KNOCK ON WOOD For sheer originality, label manufacturer Avery Dennison set a high benchmark with its one-of-akind, smooth real-wood veneer material. Boasting a unique surface that provides the texture of genuine wood, but is also smooth enough for printing and label converting, the Fasson Cherry Wood material was recently-used with great aplomb by U.S. microbrewer AC Golden Brewing Company for its Belgian-style Framboise Noir ale that is actually aged in oak wine barrels with blackberries. According to AC Golden president Glenn Knippenberg, the limited run of 750-ml bottles boasting this label sold out within hours in the local Denver market. “Just as the wood barrels add complexity and illuminates the f lavors in the beer, the wood label illuminates the most intriguing points of our brand story,” said Knippenberg. “The label ref lects our product’s barrel aging process and also signals to craft beer drinkers that our product is handcrafted for a unique experience.” Printed on f lexographic and UV digital inkjet presses, featuring Fasson AT20N all-temperature adhesive and a PET liner, the wood veneer’s unique sensory experience is optimally enhanced by crisp visual detail to really engage consumers at the shelf level. Avery Dennison
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FOAMING AT THE MOUTH For Plastic Technologies, Inc. (PTI), the show was an opportune time for the North American debut of the company’s innovative new foamed polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle technology that can provides extraordinarily powerful new physical and visual attributes for carbonated beverages, wine, spirits, cosmetics, personal care and many other high-end products that were previously unattainable with a monolayer PET bottle. Developed by Toyo Seikan Co. Ltd. in Japan—where it has already been commercialized for a popular line of coffee drinks—the Fi-Cell (fine cellular) foamed PET bottle is made via a proprietary process that ensures a smooth inner and outer wall surface, unlike other foamed bottle technologies requiring an overmolded bottle to achieve a similar result. According to PTI, this is particularly significant for carbonated bev-
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FIRST GLANCE erage applications that require a smooth inner wall for an accurate fill, since a rough interior surface can cause CO2 to come out of the liquid and turn into gas or froth and result in underfilled containers. “Using Fi-Cell foamed PET bottle technology offers an exciting way for companies to create strong shelf impact for their brand,” said PTI president Scott Steele, pointing out that the Fi-Cell process produces a visually-exciting metallic finish without the use of expensive metallic colorants. Plastic Technologies, Inc.
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THE NEXT LEVEL Although it was first introduced to the North American market last year, the NextGuard X-Ray detection systems from Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. had been significantly enhanced in time for the show with new, customizable vision software that enables it to inspect packaged products for f laws such as missing pieces or components. The NextGuard product verification software allows customers to use a pull down menu to quickly select and sequence a range of image processing and analysis algorithms, enabling a wide range of size, shape, angle, count and position-based inspections in minutes. “The new product verification option allows users to execute a wide range of size, position and count inspections
bakery ingredients and specialty chemicals. Boasting a patent-pending inner heat seal on the bag ends that requires only a hot air-sealer to create a seal when the ends are folded over during closure, the Pinch Pro bag eliminates the need for sewing or hot melt equipment for the bag closure. At the same time, the bags are very easy to open for the consumers, who simply lift up on the bag’s sealed end closure and then peel apart the front and back sides of the bag to the desired opening size. “The Pinch Pro bag enables packagers to achieve a higher quality, more reliable bag seal with better productivity than is possible with bag sewing and other closure methods,” said Bill Flynn, senior market development manager for Mondi North America’s indus-
trial bags business. “With the ‘easy open’ feature, Pinch Pro bags also enhance the end-user experience.” In addition to superior material strength, Pinch Pro woven polypropylene bags provide packagers with an array of printing possibilities, including eight-color reverse or surface printing via flexography, rotogravure and offset lithography, along with a choice of gloss, matte and differential gloss printing options. According to Mondi, consumer goods packagers can utilize “billboard” branding on one or both ends of a Pinch Pro bag to attract the shopper’s eye on the retail shelf, with the bag ends providing an ideal space for marketers to feature their product names, logos and images. Mondi North America
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without relying on the X-ray vendor to create new software for each application,” said Bob Ries, the company’s lead product manager for metal detection and X-ray inspection technologies. “We anticipate that this feature will reduce time/cost for the customer, enabling them to quickly and easily experiment with different inspection algorithms on their own.” Some of the new algorithms provided by the software specifically target the detection of less dense contaminants such as glass or rocks in complex, textured products such as nuts or tea bag boxes, while its optional mass estimation software is designed to utilize the density information in the X-ray image to estimate weight and detect under- and overfilled products. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 406
ENDS AND MEANS Mondi North America launched the innovative Pinch Pro largeformat industrial bag designed for packing powdered and granulated products such as pet food, sugar,
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ContaCt us for the latest teChnologies to fit your speCifiC needs
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ECO-PACK NOW
TAKEOUT FOOD PACKAGING INNOVATION TAKES TOP PRIZE Used takeout food containers are notoriously hard to recycle or keep out of landfill for a multitude of reasons, but a breakthrough innovation from Canada’s leading forest products group Cascades Inc. of Kingsey Falls, Que., is showing much promise in helping the fast-food industry to reduce its carbon footprint in a more meaningful way. Launched earlier this year as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional nonrecyclable polycoated paper packaging products, the widelylauded Respak food containers incorporate a proprietary water-based barrier coating that provides the same effective water-, grease- and oilrepelling performance attributes of polycoated containers, while being fully-recyclable and compostable. Manufactured from 50-percent recycled fibers at the company’s Norampac boxboard plant in Jonquière, Que., the Respak containers have just been awarded the highly prestigious EnviroLys Award of the Conseil des entreprises en technologies environnementales du Québec (CETEQ) for innovation and environmental protection, which recognize Quebec-based companies in the environmental services industry for their innovative approach, new services, new
From Left: Benoît de Villiers, chief executive officer of RECYC-QUÉBEC; Serge Desbiens, Cascades director of logistics, purchasing and transportation; Carl Blanchet, Cascades corporate director of innovation and sustainable development; David Heurtel, Quebec’s provincial minister of sustainable development and environment, at last month’s EnviroLys Award gala in Saint-Leonard, Que.
NEW WATER BRAND THINKS OUT OF THE BOX TO LESSEN ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT It may seem like just the proverbial drop in the ocean, but a new brand of spring water sourced from the remote True North Springs in Newfoundland’s Notre Dame Bay provides a telling reminder about the virtue of sustainability when it comes to one of Mother Nature’s most precious gifts. Launched across the U.S. this fall by Water Resources Group, the company’s Icebox Water brand is packaged right at the source in shelf-stable, 500-ml beverage gabletop cartons— manufactured by Norwegian-based liquid packaging products group Elopak—claimed to provide a considerably more sustainable packaging alternative to the commonly-used PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic water bottles. According to the Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.-based company, the reclosable capped cartons— stylishly designed by Christie Communications of Santa Barbara, Ca.—are both fully-recyclable and compostable, while boasting a 74-percent smaller carbon footprint than comparable plastic containers. Featuring a unique construction with 74-percent cardboard and pressed paper content—its spout and cap are made from 100-percent polypropylene (PP) material and all-aluminum inside lining—the BPA (Bisphenol A)-free cartons are made compost-ready with a simple removal of the spout from the box, which can then biodegrade in an
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industrial composting facility in as little as two months after having its aluminum lining separated at the recycling mill. Moreover, the cartons only use vegetable-based inks—containing no wax or solvents—to print the graphics on the box, whose exterior is protected with a thin layer of specially-formulated coating to provide an adequate moisture barrier and to protect the graphics, according to the company, which plans to introduce a 250-ml single-serve carton in early 2015. Boasting a neutral (soft) pH level of 7.4 that ensures optimal hydration properties, “Icebox Water is bottled at source far from the effects of industry and contamination in a pristine environment that sparkles under the Northern Lights, with towering icebergs f loating off the coast, and evergreens f lourishing in the dense forests that grow along the rugged coastline,” the company states. “Open a box of Icebox and you can almost smell the fresh breeze with the scents of the fresh wilderness.” Currently retailing in the U.S. at Whole Foods, Mother’s Market, Albertson’s and Gristedes outlets, the Icebox Water brand is part of the One Per Cent for the Planet group of companies whose members voluntarily donate at least one per cent of their annual sales to various environmental causes—generating an estimated US$100 million in total “environmental preservation” contributions in 2012.
processes or a new technology that has a positive impact on the environment. “We are pleased that Cascades’ ongoing efforts to ‘green up’ the industry have once again been recognized,” says Cascades director of innovation Carl Blanchet, adding the revolutionary material was developed in collaboration with the company’s Research Centre in Kingsey Falls. “The development of Respak goes hand-inhand with the company’s values of respect for the environment and innovation that have made Cascades a leader in eco-friendly packaging for 50 years,” says Blanchet. According to results of a company-conducted LCA (life-cycle analysis) study, the Respak paperboard has demonstrated 50-percent less environmental footprint impact than the conventional polycoated cardboard boxes widely used in the foodservice industry. Boasting both FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and ECG (elemental chlorine-free) ecolabel certifications, the Respak paperboard fully complies with all the main food safety standards—including those established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—for packaging that comes in contact with dry, aqueous and fatty foods.
WASTE COLLECTION A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
Doing the right thing for the planet has its own rewards, but a new collection program launched last month across Canada by waste upcyclers TerraCycle, Inc. will make those rewards sweeter with some cash prizes. As part of the industry-first Air and Home Care Brigade project—aimed at diverting packaging waste associated with home cleaning products from landfill—Canadians who collect and ship used Febreze air-fresheners and Swiffer homecare detergents made by Procter & Gamble Inc., will be eligible for $5,000 in prize money they can donate to a charity or school of their choice. Under the Febreze Fall Frenzy Contest rules, the top collector will receive a $3,000 cash prize, while two other randomly-selected participants will receive $1,000 each to donate to their selected cause. According to TerraCycle, air and home-care packaging waste presents a number of challenges to conventional recycling collection streams. Although technically recyclable, the high cost of handling and processing these mixed plastics means that not every municipality in Canada has the infrastructure to handle all the leftover packaging components like plug-in refills, trigger heads, pumps and caps, etc., which then end up in landfills. Instead, TerraCycle will process this waste to make new plastic materials that can be used to manufacturer new watering cans, lamp shades (see picture), garden benches, garbage bins and other products typically made from virgin plastic.
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RETAIL-READY PACKAGING
THE LUCKY SEVIN
BY JIM McMAHON
T
he Sevin brand of garden insecticide products has long been a popular fixture on the shelves of thousands of nurseries, lawnand-garden centers, and Big Box retailers around the U.S. for many years and for many good reasons. Over time, the patented dust formulation has proved to be an especially effective line of defense against more than 65 varieties of nuisance garden pest such as ants, ticks, Japanese beetles and worms preying on vegetables, fruits, ornamental shrubs, f lowers and lawns. Marketed and distributed by the Central Garden & Pet Company of Walnut Creek, Ca., the brand’s f lagship Sevin 5 Ready-to-Use 5% Dust product line—a one-pound dust formulation de veloped specifically for application onto edible fruits and vegetables—has recently undergone a fairly major packaging makeover aimed at giving it greater shelf-space in secondary displays in the outside edible plants section at nurseries and lawn-and-garden centers. To make the product packaging more weather-resistant for outside presentation, the company redesigned the container to a plastic bottle format, incorporating a water-resistant plastic lid design and that would repel water, and fade-resistant label coding. However, the company was still challenged to come up with an effective multipack format that would withstand whatever harsh elements it must endure outdoors. While Sevin dust was already retailing in a convenient three-pack option for some time—featuring three containers set inside a shrinkwrapped corrugated tray—this option only proved effective as long as it stayed indoors. When placed outside, the shrinkwrapping film was not able to stop water from reaching the corrugated tray—causing it to deteriorate, lose its structural integrity, and degrade the product’s overall The model 914 OVS vertical appearance. shrinkwrapper from Texwrap currently produces 25 threeMoreover, in order packs of the popular Sevin to comply with fedbrand insecticide per minute, eral regulations on with plenty of spare capacity to insecticides requirboost that output five-fold ing that consumer if necessary. must be able to easily read all the about product content, usage and contamination risks, the obstruction caused by the mere presence of the corrugated tray made this information difficult to read on individual containers—making it necessary to print it on the bottom of the tray itself.
However, this information was easily impaired whenever the shrinkwrapped three packs were left outside in the rain. “Consequently, the company wanted to do away with the tray altogether,” says David Nettles, strategic account manager with the Atlanta, Ga.-based packaging systems integrator Associated Packaging, which was contacted by Central Garden & Pet in early 2012 to develop a more practical solution. “They were interested in printing the product information on the film instead of the tray,” recalls Nettles, relating that he suggested a switch to the high-performance shrinkwrap film manufactured by prominent f lexible packaging products supplier Clysar, LLC of Clinton, Iowa. “However, the company’s existing horizontal shrinkwrapper proved to be ineffective in applying the required product information onto this film,” says Nettles.
“Using horizontal wrappers always bring seal and other aesthetic issues to vertical product packaging, which is why we recommended they switch over to a vertical shrinkwrapping system.” Specifically, Associated Packaging recommended the use of the model 914 OVS (Orbital Vertical System)—manufactured by the Washington, Mo.-based packaging machine-builder Texwrap Packaging Systems—which does not require a carrier tray to hold product in place while wrapping and, more importantly, can use pre-printed film to wrap the multipack. “The wrapper trims the film underneath the package, where it is hidden from view,” Nettles explains. “This offers many more packaging opportunities for the Sevin product, without compromising product presentation. “The wrapper has a mechanism that cuts and trims away the film in one action to create a fullbottom trim-seal to enclose the product, instead of the traditional lap-seal with horizontal shrinkwrappers,” Nettles points out, “which makes for a very secure and attractive package.” The sealing is done with a servo orbital-motion head, which eliminates the need for the head to move with the product while the seal is made. The head moves in an ellipse, without the backand-forth motion of typical sealing heads, which reduces vibration, improves registration, and increases the throughput speed of the wrapper. Another critical advantage is the ease of handling for infeed into the wrapper, according to Nettles.
The company’s prior horizontal wrapper required that the containers be manually laid down on their sides on a conveyor, after filling, and the carrier tray be manually put into position to hold the containers together, horizontally, during infeed. With the vertical wrapper, however, the Sevin product containers go directly from the filler to the shrink infeed standing upright, where they are manually rotated into the proper position for input into the wrapper. “The seal is not interfering with readability at all,” says Central Garden & Pet’s senior brand manager Daphne Huey. “It is located so that the words and images fit around it, so we do not have to worry about the shrink drawing together at a certain point and making the information, graphics or UPC unreadable. “We still have the UPC on the original containers, but we have them covered up by graphics on the shrinkwrap so that the barcodes on the containers do not read through,” she says. “This is just a much more consumerfriendly package because we have the entire shrink printed, front to back, to create a very attractive package.” Although the vertical shrink line has a throughput capacity of 120 multipacks per minute, the line speed is set by the speed of filling, which is currently operating at 25 multipacks per minute. For safety reasons, the filling area is kept in a separate room, and 50 feet from the shrink wrapping system, because of excessive dust. From the shrinkwrapper, the containers are put through a dual-chamber shrink tunnel to provide a highly-controlled shrink—critical for achieving the precise placement of copy, graphics and UPC on the multipack—and moved on to cartoning and shipping. In a addition to creating the weather-resistant multipacks, the installation of the Texwrap vertical wrapping line has brought into play several other key efficiency improvements. “With the elimination of the corrugated tray, the company has realized a 45-percent reduction in packaging material costs,” says Nettles, “while end-of-line packaging labor hours have also been reduced by 35 per cent. “And with the corrugated now gone, so is the space that it occupied, one-half inch on each side, which amounts to 15 per cent more Sevin dust multipacks being loaded onto a pallet.” Huey concurs: “Not only has the cut-down on the expense of our multipack shrink wrapping for the Sevin dust line been very significant, it has also significantly expanded our merchandising options.”
Images courtesy of Central Garden & Pet Company.
Vertical shrinkwrapper streamlines multipacking of insecticide powders
Jim McMahon is a U.S.-based freelancer specializing in packaging automation.
For More Information: Associated Packaging, Inc.
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COVER STORY
CULTURAL HERITAGE
Leading Canadian perogies manufacturer leverages product authenticity and technological competence to remain on its fast-growth trajectory
From Left: Heritage Frozen Foods assistant production manager Derek Krausher, president and chief executive officer Joe Makowecki, and operations manager Casey Marchand.
ANDREW JOSEPH, FEATURES EDITOR PHOTOS BY JASON FRANSON
S
tuffing a dough with various delicious ingredi ents before cooking seems to be a global phe nomenon: from Chinese dumplings, gyoza in Japan, ghoogra in India, to ravioli in Italy and maul taschen in Germany, to name just a few examples. But despite our familiarity with such foods that have long cultural heritages, in North America, at least, such tasty food fare is still in its relative infancy, becoming exposed to the general nonethnic population only about 40 years ago in the form of the eastern European-style perogy. Essentially a semi-circular dumpling that is first boiled and then either fried in butter and onions or baked, this staple of eastern European cuisine is traditionally stuffed with potato filling, sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese and spices or, in the case of dessert perogies, filled with fruit. Whatever the stuffing, one Canadian manufac turer can perhaps be considered a true culinary pioneer in bringing perogies to the general popu lation of the country, even though it is about 200 kilometers away from the world’s largest perogy— a nearly 25-foot high statue and roadside attraction in the village of Glendon, Alta.
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Founded in 1972 by Walter Makowecki, Heritage Frozen Foods Ltd. is headquartered in Edmonton in a state-of-the-art 80,000-square-foot facility with 85 to 100 employees capable of creating some three million perogies a day, perhaps proving that size in sales matters more than the size of a tourist attraction. Better-known to consumers via its CHEEMO brand name, the perogies manufactured by Heritage Frozen Foods are all pre-cooked and f lash-frozen to lock in the f lavor for each of the brand’s 12 different f lavor varieties.
HAND TO MOUTH Walter Makowecki’s parents emigrated from the Ukraine to Canada, and thanks to his cultural heritage, perogies were a staple on the dinner table, usually made by hand by his mother. “When my father was looking for a business ven ture back in the early 1970s, he noticed that women were beginning to enter the workforce in greater numbers, which he surmised to also mean there was now less time for meal preparation,” current Heritage Frozen Foods president and chief execu tive officer Joe Makowecki told the Canadian Packaging magazine in a recent interview. “My father saw this as an opportunity to provide perogies as a quick and convenient value-priced
meal option for busy families,” recalls Makowecki. The problem that Walter Makowecki and his family had, however, was how to introduce the non-immigrant families to perogies. “In the early years of the business, the whole Makowecki family would load up the family car and drive to numerous fairs and rodeos throughout the Canadian prairies, providing taste samples and selling the perogies in places where prior to their arrival had never seen or even heard of perogies, let alone tasted one,” Makowecki relates. “But my father knew that all he had to do was to
Two of the 12 perogy flavors manufactured under the flagship CHEEMO brand label by Heritage Frozen Foods at its 80,000-square-foot production plant in Edmonton.
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COVER STORY
One of three Hitachi PXR-D260w continuous inkjet printers used by Heritage Frozen Foods purchased through local packaging equipment distributor Harlund Industries.
get people to taste it—one taste and the company had a new customer.” Right from the beginning, Walter Makowecki had branded his perogies as CHEEMO, an Inuit greeting that means ‘We are friendly.’ As well, the term ‘cheemo’ was still being used as an exclusive Canadian greeting, helping to celebrate the 100th birthday of the nation in 1967. As Makowecki explains, when his father chose CHEEMO as a brand name, he believed he would ‘Canadianize’ the perogy, and one would be hardpressed to say he didn’t. The company’s first major retail sale was to a Woodward’s store in Edmonton, where over a one-week period the retailer sold almost an entire trailer-load of perogies. “Needless to say, other grocery retailers took notice of the consumer’s huge interest in CHEEMO perogies,” relates Makowecki, “and soon enough our perogies were available throughout the city of Edmonton.” Nowadays, CHEEMO brand products can be found in most grocery stores and food departments of major national retailers right across Canada, though the company also manufactures perogies for both the foodservice and private-label markets, such as copacking the Compliments brand on behalf of Sobeys. Heritage Frozen Foods boasts some 108 SKUs (stockkeeping units), featuring its top-selling CHEEMO Potato & Cheddar Cheese available in 907-gram packs and the two-kilogram family sizes. And, along with the standard size perogy, Heritage Frozen Foods also offers a 907-gram pack of Bite Size featuring the Number-One selling per ogy f lavor. Other perogy recipes produced by Heritage Frozen Foods include: Potato, Bacon & Romano Cheese; Potato & Cottage Cheese; Potato & Onion; Three Cheese - White Cheddar, Mozzarella & Swiss; Potato, Spinach & Feta Cheese; Potato, Sour Cream & Chives; Country Mushroom; and Ukrainian Style Roasted Garlic. “All of those brands contain zero transfats, are low in cholesterol, and taste just like homemade,” says Makowecki, quickly adding: “My family’s home-made.” Under the CHEEMO brand the company also offers its Heritage Perogies featuring: Harvest Potatoes with Aged White Cheddar Cheese; and Harvest Potatoes with Farm Style Cream Cheese and Savoury Dill. Thanks to the efforts of Walter Makowecki
One of four easy-to-operate Wexxar WF-20T fully-automatic case erectors sold to Heritage Frozen Foods by Harlund Industries, capable of forming up to 20 case per minute.
and Heritage Frozen Foods, the humble eastern European perogies are now part of the Canadian dinner table, with CHEEMO perogies having been selected by readers of Canadian Family magazine as their Number One choice of frozen food entrées for an impressive four years in a row.
ROLLING IN DOUGH The process for making perogies is essentially the same as it has always been—mixing wheat f lour to make dough, mixing raw materials and ingredi ents, extruding dough and ingredients into form. However, Makowecki says it’s the care his com pany takes in only using the best and freshest ingredients that is the real key to the company’s continued success amongst the consumers. Given the company’s moniker, it is not one to forget its own cultural heritage, but according to Makowecki, the company’s Canadian roots are also part of that cultural landscape, as evidenced by Heritage Frozen Foods support for Canadian farmers. Says Makowecki: “We are quite proud that CHEEMO perogies are made using natural ingredi ents such as fresh potatoes, quality cheeses, tangy onions and other garden vegetables—all from Canada.
“Our family truly appreciates the work of the farmers and our suppliers that goes into supplying us with the high-quality ingredients we need to make our perogies. “You can’t have a great tasting product without great-tasting ingredients,” Makowecki proclaims. Heritage Frozen Foods has also taken to proudly waving the maple leaf in its packaging operation with multiple machines purchased from Harlund Industries Ltd., a 100-percent Canadian-owned company specializing in the supply of coding and identification systems. Incorporated in Edmonton in 1983 by Mert Eklund and current company president Bruce Hartfelder, Harlund Industries with its amalgamated moniker is well-known for bringing some of the very first CIJ (continuous inkjet) printers into Canada. Operating sales and service facilities in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and head office in Edmonton, Harlund Industries supplies a complete line of pack aging technology including coders, print-and-apply labeling systems, and case-erectors from a host of strategic partners, including FoxJet, WEXXAR/ Bel, Hitachi, ID Technology, Little David, EASYPRINT A/S and MicroScan.
Heritage Frozen Foods, which claims pioneering roots in bringing perogies to the attention of the Canadian public, typically manufactures some three-million perogies a day.
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Photo courtesy of Heritage Frozen Foods.
COVER STORY
“We’ve actually been involved with Harlund Industries for over 20 years,” explains Heritage Frozen Foods operations manager Casey Mar chand, who is directly involved in capital expendi tures. “Their knowledge and expertise in their field has provided good counsel for our packaging and case coding solutions. “We find them to be a good Canadian company focused on helping Canadian manufacturers.” Over the years, Har lund Industries has sold equipment to Heritage Frozen Foods including: • Three LS6000 print-and-apply case labeling sys
The Ishida RS-214W-S/30-PB multihead scale manufactured by Heat and Control carefully weighs out pre-determined portions of perogies before dispensing them below into the model XM15PR vertical form, fill and seal flexible film bagger (picture on left) manufactured by the Chicago-based Triangle Package Machinery Co.
tems manufactured by FoxJet, acquired in 2011; • Four Wexxar WF-20T case-erectors, the last one purchased in 2013; • Four PXR-D260w continuous ink jet printers providing two lines of code with 65-micron noz zles, and one PX-D260u inkjet printer—all manu factured by Hitachi. According to Marchand, three of the PXR- D260w coders remain part of the company’s daily produc tion line machinery. “The service that we have received and continue to receive from Harlund Industries is excellent,” relates Mar chand. “They keep a good assortment of spare parts on the shelf and are always quick to service when we call.” Heritage Frozen Foods runs its production line fivedays-a-week, 24-hours-per-
day non-stop, and as such relies quite heavily on the equipment supplied to them via Harlund. “We code in excess of 100,000 packages per day and case erect in excess of 10,000 cases per day,” points out Marchand. “The equipment we pur chased from Harlund Industries has, quite frankly, exceeded our expectations.” The Hitachi PXR series of inkjet printers can provide standard, small- and large-character type, and is described as user-friendly, with an easy-tooperate TFT (thin-film transistor) liquid crystal touch screen display with full on-screen guidance. The PXR-D260w Hitachi printers utilize an eco logical ink system that minimizes vapor emissions and offers a wide range of adjustment possibilities to ensure that no matter the job, high-quality print is always achieved. The unique ink circulation system of the Hitachi industrial PXR series continuous inkjet printers also reduces typical f luid usage by 50 per cent, contributing to lower solvent emissions. According to Harlund’s Hartfelder, “The unique ink return system on these machines helps to reduce solvent evaporation, which minimizes the mixing of air and ink. Combined with the viscosity and density
A BluePrint Automation case packer provides secondary packaging automation at the state-of-the-art Heritage Frozen Foods facility while an Ishida scale from Heat and Control ensures proper packing weight of each filled corrugated carton. FOR MORE INFORMATION CIRCLE 108
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COVER STORY
Also supplied by Harlund Industries, a FoxJet model LS6000 printer-applicator quickly attaches a corner label onto a carton just before it is verified a Cognex vision system.
The Vegatronic 2000/400P flexible film bagger manufactured by ILAPAK feeding freshly-filled bags of Compliments perogies onto the incline transfer conveyor.
After traveling via a conveyor powered by a Baldor Electric AC motor, a case of perogies heads to the model 3M-Matic case-sealing system manufactured by the 3M Company.
A model FL-100 floor-level palletized manufactured by Columbia Machine, Inc. is used to form and stack stable layers of cartoned product onto the wooden shipping pallets.
control to reduce solvent consumption, there’s still the high-quality printing capabilities it provides.” Besides minimizing the f luid wastes, these con tinuous inkjet printers offer higher component reliability and MTBFR (mean time between fail ure rates), which essential means owners will real ize a better ROI (return-on- investment). “The print quality we have been able to get from our PX-D260w Hitachi printers has been wonderful,” says Marchand. “It’s a high quality print output that helps our packaged products maintain the high quality of the perogies inside them.” Another set of equipment purchased from Harlund Industries are the complete FoxJet label systems. “Because we run 24-hours-a-day, fivedays-a-week, we don’t need bottlenecks resulting from one part of the production line running less efficiently than another, and we certainly don’t want equipment breaking down,” says Marchand. “But the three LS6000 FoxJet print-and-apply caselabelers are not only robust, but are also very fast.” According to FoxJet, an ITW Company, the LS6000 are capable of running at speeds up to 110 units per minute. “At Heritage Frozen Foods, we use the LS6000 to print labels and apply them with a corner-wrap applications,” explains Marchand, noting that a pivoting pad on the system allows it to conform and apply to irregular surfaces as well. According to Harlund, the industrial LS6000 systems are all-electric units with no air or
pneumatic adjustments, and feature a rugged design constructed with high quality, long-life components. “We’re quite happy with the FoxJet print-andapply label systems,” relates Marchand. “Even with the corner wrap application, there is no label cor ner sticking up. It’s just a nice, tight label on a cor rugated case that we are sure will be there when it reaches its next destination.”
For the operator, the LS6000 features a rotating three-color LCD (liquid crystal display) touch screen interface, that Marchand says is not only easy to use, but is also easy to learn. “We’ve also had excellent response from the four Wexxar case erectors purchased from Harlund Industries. The Wexxar WF-20T is a fully-automatic case ROBOTIC END EFFECTORS
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COVER STORY former/erector featuring Wexxar’s pin and dome technology that has, for the past 25 years, become the standard for customers looking for high-qual ity output and maximum uptime. In pin and dome technology, as a f lat case blank is injected into the two facing plates, the pins go into the f lutes while the dome pinches the corrugated tightly. The two plates then open to 90 degrees to perfectly square the case. Since no compressed air is used in this process, it greatly decreases con tamination and is more durable than vacuum cups which can clog and wear. Now available in mid-speed and mid-range pricing, the WF-20T is ready-to-run without the need of tools or the prototypical telephone book instruction manual. “A color-coded, tactile guide on the operator screen provides a more efficient, user-friendly set-up for operators,” notes Harlund, adding
that changeover can be achieved in less than five minutes. The WF-20T can erect and construct cases at a rate of 20 units per minute, ranging in size from: seven- to 22-inches in length; six- to 17-inches in width; and six- to 34-inches in height. The WF-20T are built fully-guarded from in-feed to out-feed, with interlocked safety guarding through out the machine, with easy to reach emergency palm switches located on both sides of the machine. Other equipment utilized by Heritage Frozen Foods includes: •A n RS-214W-S/30-PB Ishida multihead scale and dispersal system manufactured by Heat and Control placed atop an XM15PR vertical form/fill/seal bagger from Triangle Package Machinery; •A Vegatronic 2000/400P ILAPAK f lexible film bagger;
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packaging machinery
specificaTions manual • Comparative category machine performance listings. • OEM addresses, contact information. • Distributor, agent coordinates. • Automation control/motor listings. • Integrator service listings and contacts. • Feature articles on some of Canada’s top rated
• A BluePrint Automation case-packer; • A FL-100 f loor level palletizer manufactured by Columbia Machine; • 3M–Matic adhesive tape case-sealers from 3M Company; • Conveyors powered by AC motors manufac tured by Baldor Electric Company; • Cognex machine vision systems placed near the FoxJet LS6000 label printer-applicators to ensure the labels are placed perfectly on the car ton corners. The Heritage Frozen Foods facility is BRC (British Retail Consortium)-audited for A-grade certification, a fact that keeps the com pany on its toes looking for ways to continually improve the way it operates. A few years ago, the company purchased sev eral Segways—two-wheeled, electrical personal transports—to not only provide physical relief to production personnel, but to allow them to move quicker between the administration area and the produc tion f loors, saving considerable time in responding to day-to-day matters. Marchand adds: “It’s the little things like that—innovative concepts—that are indicative of the company’s focus on maximizing its resources.” He says that this approach led to Makowecki being selected last year as EY’s Prairies Entrepreneur of the Year for the manufacturing sector. “Physically, we are not a large company in terms of the size of our facility or size of our workforce, espe cially when compared to the major ity of food processing companies here in Canada,” states Makowecki. “However, our success is attributable to being both entrepreneurial and efficient in the operation of our busi ness, and that is something we aim on keeping for the foreseeable future.” Summing up, Makowecki says:, “Dad believed that a family of five should be able to enjoy a healthy nutritious meal for under $5.00 and that top-quality perogies could be a good low-cost part of the meal. “I’m proud to say that that is still the case today.”
performance packaging lines. if you sell packaging machinery in canada, you should run your besT adverTising message in The January/february packaging machinery specificaTions manual.
for more deTails, conTacT: stephen dean at 416-510-5198 or at sdean@canadianpackaging.com
ad closing: January 14, 2015. ad maTerial due: January 29, 2015.
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For More Information: Harlund Industries FoxJet, an ITW Company Hitachi America, Ltd. Wexxar Packaging, Inc. Isihida Co., Ltd. Heat and Control Canada Inc. Triangle Package Machinery Co. ILAPAK Packaging Machinery BluePrint Automation 3M Canada Company Baldor Electric Company Columbia Machine, Inc. Cognex Corporation
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PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS
THE JOYS OF SKINNY DIPPING A tasty packaging makeover delivers eye-catching shelf appeal and sustainability ith all due respect to fashion beauty for a diverse range of customers in the retail, bulk “Food companies looking for something innovaicon Kate Moss, who famously packaging, and material handling industries. tive can really find the sweet spot with the Skinobserved that “nothing tastes as good Widely respected in industry circles for connyPack packaging,” Sergerie enthuses. “Specific as skinny feels,” it is possible to enjoy a little of tinuous innovation, IPL suggested changing the market segments such as salsa, dips, deli and snacks both when you put the right packaging to good packaging of the Ana’s Restaurant Style Salsa brand are especially well-suited—given the price-points use—like Texas-based Ana’s Foods is doing with to the novel new SkinnyPack brand of new polyand the lack of commoditized packaging.” its popular Ana’s Salsa Ullrich agrees: “We had to range of fresh-made salsas. find something different and Manufactured and cothe SkinnyPack is the best packed under the Ana’s food packaging idea to come Salsa brand name at the out in a long time.” Fresh from Texas proHaving already launched cessing plant in San the Restaurant Style Salsa Antonio and by the Round recipe in 12-ounce Skinny Rock-based co-packer Pack containers in October, TexFrance, the company’s Ana’s Foods is looking forinnovative salsa recipes ward to converting its Ori have enjoyed widespread ginal Salsas to the 16-ounce popularity among many tubs by the end of the year, local Tex-Mex food lovers according to Ullrich. since the company’s begin“We are moving our whole nings in 1997, when its line to the SkinnyPacks husband-and-wife owner- The ongoing switch from the traditional deli-style containers (left) to the innovative SkinnyPack tubs developed because of their visual appeal ship team of Jim Ullrich by IPL is expected to significantly increase the shelf appeal of Ana’s Salsa brand products. and customer impact on and Anna Olvera-Ullrich the shelves,” Ullrich states. propylene (PP) containers that use significantly less started selling jars of home-made salsa to their “They stand out because they look different than plastic materials in their construction. neighbors, friends and co-workers. any other container and they literally make cusAccording to IPL’s product manager Joel SerMade from a unique blend of cilantro and serrano tomers want to pick up the product and look at it. gerie, SkinnyPack was originally developed in Eurpeppers—rather than the widely-used jalapeños— “That is half the battle of getting a consumer to ope about four years ago by Internova Pack, but the fresh-tasting salsa picante has quickly built up buy our salsa,” says Ullrich, while also noting the the new design remained largely a loyal cult following among local significant environmental benefits this packaging in its concept stage until IPL foodies drawn to the fact that this makeover is expected to yield. joined in on the effort. authentic Mexican salsa was made “The 12-ounce SkinnyPack tubs for our Restau“They had the right idea but the traditional way: blended but rant Style salsa uses 5.7 per cent less plastic than could not master the manufacturnever cooked. the deli tubs, while the 16-ounce SkinnyPack tubs ing, so over the last four years IPL Packed immediately after blendfor our Original salsa uses 54.8 per cent less plashas partnered with Internova Pack ing to retain maximum product tic,” Ullrich points out. “So once our whole line of to bring SkinnyPack from a confreshness and taste, the tangy salsa salsas has moved to the SkinnyPacks, Ana’s Foods cept to a container technology that uses just a miniscule amount of will be using 60.5 per cent less plastic. can be commercially produced and preservatives—namely sodium The tasty salsas are filled immedi“The left panel of the tubs highlights this fact by mastered,” Sergerie relates. benzoate and potassium sorbate— ately after being blended in their stating ‘Tub made with less plastic for a greener fresh state. “We introduced Ana’s Foods to achieve a 90-day shelf-life. world,’ and we definitely expect that our sales will to the new packaging in June of “The primary appeal of our salincrease when the SkinnyPacks hit our major out2014, and they immediately liked the uniqueness sas is the fact they are fresh, refrigerated products lets.” of the container, as well as all the sustainability that have never been cooked, meaning they taste Sergerie concurs: “The SkinnyPack is the first advantages that using Skinnylike they were just made,” says Jim Ullrich, the container on the market that Pack represents,” he recalls. “At company’s chief operating officer. combines the advantages of rigid first they were looking for a new “People who are more used to consuming the packaging, such as strength and 12-ounce container, but seeing jarred, shelf-stable salsas out in the marketplace can resistance to impact, to the f lexthe opportunity offered by this immediately appreciate how much better our salsas ibility of film. technology, they also decided to taste,” Ullrich recently told Canadian Packaging. “We believe that the market is switch their 16-ounce containers “None of our products are bland: They all have at a stage where new technoloto SkinnyPack.” great f lavors and at least a little spiciness to them.” gies and innovations are becomIn addition to being fully comAs the multiple award-winning Ana’s Salsa ing increasingly high in demand, patible with the high-impact IML brand continues to gain market share, the comand given that this is a new techRows of freshly-packed salsa prod(in-mold labeling) process to enable ucts coming off the busy packaging nology, we are working hard on pany recently decided to update its retail packaging greater shelf appeal by grabbing line. from the somewhat outdated round, clear-plastic making SkinnyPack not only a consumers attention, the lighter deli-style tubs decorated with only stick-on labels. commercial success, but above weight and stackability of the SkinnyPack contain“They didn’t look very good and they leaked all a technology and innovation reference in the ers also facilitates cost reductions in shipping and a little,” relates Ullrich, whose search for a more packaging world.” stocking. effective packaging option led him to hook up “Not only is there less plastic used in the prowith Canadian-based rigid-plastic packaging speduction process, but being a mono-material concialists IPL, Inc. For More Information: struction also makes it 100-percent recyclable and Headquartered in Saint-Damien, Que., IPL is ‘crushable’ in order to take less space during the one of North America’s elite manufacturers of IPL Inc. 415 recycling process,” he points out. injection-molded plastic products and solutions
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANA’S FOODS
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benefits for the proud Texan salsa producer
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AUTOMATE NOW
OPEN FOR BUSINESS
An exclusive open house event offers hands-on insights on the future of meat packaging
The Multivac model T 800 tray-sealer applies product labels onto the passing thermoformed packages at the new Multivac Canada’s new Packaging Technology Centre in Brampton.
ANDREW JOSEPH, FEATURES EDITOR PHOTOS BY COLE GARSIDE
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or the 30 visitors to the 28,000-square-foot Multivac Canada Inc. facility in Brampton, Ont., about a 30-minute drive northwest of Toronto, it was an opportunity to grow their knowledge of packaging equipment. For many of them, this became their first exposure to such high-tech machinery, made possible by Multivac played host to members of the Ontario Independent Meat Processors (OIMP) association in late October, providing a timely opportunity to discuss packaging technology and innovation. Headquartered in Guelph, the not-for-profit OIMP is the representative voice of the independent meat and poultry processor in Ontario, working closely with agricultural and commodity organizations and various levels of government for over 30 years. With over 300 members, the OIMP’s vision is to provide leadership for Ontario’s meat and poultry industry, by fostering innovation, promoting food safety and integrity and recognizing excellence. “Our objective is to ensure the continued growth of the meat industry through communications, education, training, promotion and government
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support,” OIMP technical director Daphne Nuysmarket would be best served by a dedicated comHall told Canadian Packaging during the Meat pany,” said Multivac Canada president Nestor Innovation Academy event hosted and presented Plawiuk. “Multivac Canada opened its doors in by Multivac. February of 2007 in a 7,000-square-foot facility “The Meat Innovation Academy is part of that in Woodbridge just north of Toronto, with seven education aspect we provide.” customer care, sales and administration employees. Multivac Canada, whose parent company is “Since then, we have grown and moved into headquartered in Wolfertschwenden, Germany, our new 28,000-square-foot facility in Brampton is the Canadian arm of a privately-held global group of companies with 65 locations worldwide that sells, services and supports a wide range of vacuum-packing technology, and other machinery, including: rollstock machines for automatic packaging from rolls of thermoformable plastic materials; tray-sealers for use with pre-made trays; and chamber machines for packaging in preformed pouches. “It was back in 2006 when Multivac recog- A sampling of the affordable packaging options shown to meat and poultry processors nized that the Canadian that attended The Meat Academy at Multivac Canada’s headquarters in October.
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AUTOMATE NOW
Members of the Ontario Independent Meat Processors association attending the Multivac Meat Academy learn about new and innovative packaging concepts and techniques developed for specific needs of small- and mid-sized poultry and red meat processors.
and now employ 50 staff deployed across Canada focusing on the current and emerging packaging machinery, systems and packaging materials needs of our Canadian customers,” he noted, adding that there are plans to open additional service centers in Quebec and in western Canada in the near future. The Brampton facility is the head office for all Multivac sales, service, distribution and manufacturing activities for Canada, but also boasts an impressive 5,000-square-foot Packaging Technology Centre—the live demonstration room for its impressive line of packaging machines. According to Plawiuk, the purposes and uses of the Packaging Technology Centre are multifold: • a facility where customers and partners can develop and evaluate new packaging concepts, applications and materials on state-of-the-art equipment; • a training center for Multivac’s customers and partners; • a center for learning where Multivac can facilitate and present seminars and learning events for customers, industry associations and more; • a facility where Multivac can demonstrate and showcase the various packaging machines and platforms and technologies it produces. After Multivac had opened the Brampton facility in 2013, Plawiuk contacted the OIMP offering the association the use of its Packaging Technology Centre for training and workshops for its members. “Last year we met with the OIMP to discuss ways in which our organizations might collaborate,” explained Plawiuk. “We made our Technology Centre available to all OIMP members for machine testing, training and learning seminars. “The Meat Academy evolved from those discussions.” According to Nuys-Hall, the focus of the event was to introduce new and innovative packaging concepts to the small- to medium-sized poultry and meat processors. “The Multivac showroom has a wide range of packaging equipment, which afforded the attending OIMP members the opportunity to see the equipment and packaging in action,” explained Nuys-Hall. The focus of the Meat Innovation Academy was to allow the processors to envision for themselves how the different packaging technologies could enhance their current packaging “Our members were afforded the opportunity of being able to see where they are today, and envision where they want to be tomorrow.”
Multivac Canada president Nestor Plawiuk fielding the audience’s questions in front of the model R 105 thermoformer housed inside the company’s recently opened Packaging Technology Centre facility in Brampton during the Multivac Meat Academy.
For equipment manufacturers like Multivac, they are only all too aware that for companies or people not exposed to excessive automation in their meat farming processes, taking that next step can be quite daunting. “We know that for anyone, whether experienced or new to the game, any capital purchase is difficult,” Plawiuk said.
CAPITAL GAINS “A capital expenditure can’t be an emotional choice: It has to be based on facts,” he said. “At events like this open house with the OIMP, we try to help with that to allay any fears or concerns, to let them trust that expanding one’s automation base need not be a scary proposition.” Multivac personnel involved in the presentations to the OIMP included: director of sales Wayne Bryant; key account sales manager Paul Marsden; regional sales managers Chris Salmon and Nick Tate; marketing and packaging innovation specialist Sonia Tarantini; and Henley Parsons, who served double-duty as Multivac expert and event cook, cooking steaks and roasts for everyone’s lunch. The frank discussion and working demonstration of Multivac’s machinery began with its entry-level Tray Sealer T 200, a simple yet versatile machine with a small footprint and price tag that still offers efficient tray packaging. The semi-automatic tray-sealer, however, still provides the same function as other tray-sealers from Multivac, with the key difference being speed and size of package offered. After meat is placed into a tray, the atmosphere is withdrawn from the tray, it is then gas-f lushed with a modified atmosphere gas mixture via an electronic limiter that controls the amount of gas released, before a film is sealed on top of the package. In keeping with its inexpensive set-up, the T 200 also runs on the industry standard #3 plastic tray, and yet Multivac was adamant that the machine was not going to short-change anyone in performance. To illustrate the point, a Multivac employee stood on top of a sealed—and empty tray—proving to the visiting OIMP members it wouldn’t crush. “It runs at a rate of three cycles per minute with gas-f lushing—faster if you opt to not gas-f lush,” said Multivac Canada marketing and packaging innovation specialist Sonia Tarantini, adding that the T 200 can also perform skin-form packaging. As part of its overall packaging education,
Multivac informed the enthralled crowd how the colors of the meat products are maintained with better packaging, and how the type of gas used will affect the product color, along with the decay rate. “Without gas-f lushing in packaging, a processor will just get the same sort of safety rate as an overwrapped package,” explained Bryant. “But with gas-f lushing, a processor can get several weeks of shelf-life. This is an important factor retailers will consider, as it provides a greater opportunity for a product to be purchased before eventual spoilage and other safety concerns become a reality.” Next up, the tour took in the powerful T 800 machine, a powerful, high-performance tray-sealer designed for high-volume industrial production. “The T 800 works in a manner quite similar to the entry-level T 200,” said Bryant, “except the T 800 can process five trays at once up to 96 trays per minute.” Featuring a hygienic design with full wash-down capability inside and out, the T 800’s conveyor belts can be removed for better accessibility. Other key operational features include: • Stainless-steel construction;
Ontario Independent Meat Processors association’s technical director Daphne Nuys-Hall (left) and industry development coordinator Derek Boudreau in front of the Multivac model R 245 thermoform packaging machine.
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Multivac Canada’s key account sales manager Paul Marsden (right) pointing out userfriendly features of the company’s compact-design T 200 tabletop tray-sealing system.
About 30 members of the Ontario Independent Meat Processors association visited Multivac Canada’s spanking new 7,000-square-foot Packaging Technology Centre.
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• Quick-change tooling; • User-friendly IPC control system that stores up to 200 programs in 40 different languages; • Film trim rewinder; • PIN-protected control panel. The T 800 also has an infeed conveyor belt and automatic tray denester, as well as an automatic shut-down in the event it is opened while in use.
CHAMBER MUSIC Multivac also demonstrated a pair of chamber machines—the “backpack” and the C 550 double chamber. Product that can be placed within a plastic film pouch are hermetically sealed with a seam—single seam, double seam or top/bottom single seam seal—by the equipment’s high-quality anodized aluminum seal bars. According to Bryant, the chamber machines can provide double duty, performing gas-f lushing and vacuum-packing. “The backpack, despite its diminutive size, performs exactly the same as its larger C 550 cousin,” he explained. “Although the C 550 has more pressure available, the ‘backpack’ still creates a nice package, with a cut-off wire removing excess packaging.” The C 550 is a dual-chamber machine that doubles the performance—while one packaging process is being performed in one chamber, the second area can be unloaded and reloaded, while increasing the production speed. The R 105 thermoformer is essentially a plugand-package thermoformer, what Multivac calls a small and simple stainless-steel machine with excellent hygienic qualities, safety system, ease-
of-use, and of course, the ability to pack product quickly and effectively. With speeds of up to 23 cycles per minute, the unroller pulls and forms pockets or trays, allowing the product to be handplaced inside before a second film is placed over for heat sealing. “While processors can use regular plastic film or a biodegradable version, one can also opt to use a cooking film—a mylar-based plastic—so that after labeling is removed, the entire pack can be cooked without it having to be opened; a boon to the consumer,” said Bryant, noting that the event’s lunch was all cooked full in the bag after being packed by Multivac equipment. Bryant also demonstrated the R 245 medium-sized thermoformer that provides processors with the ability to create unique-looking packages with round-or packs-with or without doming. The R 245 offers a full range of Multivac options, including CIP (clean-in-
place), and can be configured to meet specific processor requirements; not to mention it is suitable
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Multivac Canada’s director of sales Wayne Bryant (forefront) describing impressive performance and shelf-life benefits of thermoformed meat packages produced on the company’s extensive range of state-of-the-art meat packaging equipment.
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CANADIAN PACKAGING • DECEMBER 2014
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AUTOMATE NOW for modular expansion and integration into automated packaging lines. The last machine demonstrated on the tour was the Thermoformer R 175 CD, a small, compact machine with all the standard Multivac hygienic features but designed for lower- to medium-range vacuum skin packaging (VSP) applications. For freezing—and this is perhaps something the consumer should be aware of—a small an aperture of space between the product and the film is ideal to avoid ice crystal build-up, with the innovative VSP option the best choice. While originally setup to create the Darfresh skin-packs with Cryovac, Multivac has decided to go it alone, now offering its as MultiFresh brand of film. The MultiFresh VSP process uses special films that gently surround the product and seal over the entire surface of the pack like a second skin,
preserving shape, texture and product integrity for a premium retail presentation allowing greater retail shelf visibility for high-quality food products like prime cuts of meat, pastries, fish fillets, seafood, poultry, and cheese. It was an impressive showing, according to OIMP member and Apolstolos Poultry owner Steven Apostolos. As owner of 50 acres in Niagara Falls who sells 150,000 chickens a year to a major Canadian chicken processor, he was curious to see if that was something he could do himself. “My family farm has been at the farm level of the chicken industry for 50 years as of 2015 and I want to see if it is viable for me to do further processing myself,” related Apolstolos. “I want to do a horizontal move from farm to plate. “I have expanded my knowledge tremendously on the whole business of meats processing since I joined the OIMP, and with today’s events, the
Multivac equipment has further opened my eyes to the possibilities for both my farm and myself.” For the OIMP, the day’s visit to Multivac was a resounding success, a sentiment enthusiastically endorsed by Multivac Canada. “Our facility is unique,” summed up Plawiuk. “No other facility in Canada offers the size or breadth of capabilities. “We hope we can build on that and together find ways the Packaging Technology Centre can be utilized for the benefit of all OIMP members and anyone else looking to take that next step forward in process automation.”
For More Information: Multivac Canada Inc. Ontario Independent Meat Processors Apolstolos Poultry
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CONTRACT PACKAGING
WRIGHT ON THE MONEY
Full-service contract packager helps brand-name manufacturers get their products to market faster by letting them focus solely on what they do best
A Wright Hand Packaging employee assembles paperboard boxes by hand before placing them onto the conveyor belt to be filled with product to the customers’ exact requirements.
ANDREW JOSEPH, FEATURES EDITOR PHOTOS BY COLE GARSIDE
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ometimes in the world of packaging you just need a hand in getting the job done, which is how one Oakville, Ont.-based company has been successful in filling a niche segment of the packaging industry. Known as a contract packager, Wright Hand Packaging Inc. has made its mark in the packaging industry for the past 25 years providing a high level of service to companies that simply do not have the sufficient time, space, equipment or even the labor force to complete their own production needs in order to get their product ready for the retail shelf. Essentially, such companies provide Wright Hand Packaging with products or materials that need to be shelf-ready, having the co-packer look after assembly of the product packaging as an extension of the customer’s manufacturing process. Wright Hand Packaging founder, owner and president Lynn Wright told Canadian Packaging magazine, who recently visited the 14,000-square-foot facility, that “the company is named after my surname and I wanted to create a play-on-words with it. “When we first started up the business in 1989, we did not provide any services that included automation—hence the ‘hand’ packaging.”
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According to Wright, in the 1980s she was working in purchasing at Alberto Culver, an American corporation with international sales manufacturing hair and skin beauty care products under such well-known brands as Alberto VO5, St. Ives, TRESemmé and Nexxus, with the company looking for a contract packaging company to take on some of its packaging overf low.
HELPFUL HAND “There weren’t that many companies out there that offered these types of services, so I decided that this seemed like the type of opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” says Wright. The company started with just herself and three other staff in a small 3,000-square-foot building— but six months later, the company had tripled in size, tripling again a few years later in 2004. Nowadays, Wright Hand Packaging employs anywhere from 20 to 50 staff, depending on production requirements. “It was after our second expansion, that I realized that Wright Hand Packaging was on its way to becoming a recognized contract packager within the Toronto area.” Wright describes her company to be a mediumsized contract packager, usually running on a oneto two-shift schedule, but with the capabilities to add a third shift if tight deadlines demand it.
That growth made it abundantly clear to Wright that the company needed to add automation to its repertoire if it was going to continue with its upward spiral, by adding shrinkwrapping and blister-pack capabilities, while remaining aware it needed to maintain a strong core of work that could only be achieved via manual labor. In 1995, Wright Hand Packaging began providing contract packaging services to customers that use third-party logistics (3PL) companies. “This service allows us to set up our operation within our customers 3PL or within their own warehouse,” she notes. This ‘mobile’ division of the company allows Wright Hand Packaging the opportunity to work with companies that may have the production space, but don’t want to be burdened purchasing equipment or having to increase their own labor force. “It’s a very effective way for our customers to achieve significant cost-savings,” reveals Wright. Given the origins of the company, it’s no surprise that Wright has been providing the majority of its services to the pharmaceutical, and health and beauty industries for 25 years. “One of our very first customers was Procter & Gamble, who presented us with the opportunity to pave our way in the industry,” Wright explains.
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CONTRACT PACKAGING
A blank paperboard box has the product lot code and expiry date information applied onto the side panel by Domino’s model A100 inkjet printer, shown on the right.
“I owe them a lot of gratitude for the experience that their team provided us along the way, I actually have an overwhelming amount of respect for all our customers for their level of expertise and teaching of their particular fields that they have provided to us. “While we certainly like to think of ourselves as experts in the field of contract packaging, I would be lying if I didn’t suggest that every job we do is a learning experience—a chance for us to grow.” In addition to serving the pharmaceutical, and health and beauty segments, it also works for manufacturers and processors involved in food, spirits, stationary, automotive, electronics, giftware, lawn and garden, lighting, and toys industries. For pharmaceutical companies, Wright is well aware that they require strict regulatory control over their products. “We have worked very hard to provide a production facility that is worthy of a Drug Establishment License and a Natural Health Product Site License,” Wright points out. “With these licenses, we can provide a level of comfort to our pharmaceutical customers with our high levels of quality control.” Now, lest one believe that all Wright Hand Packaging does is pack product, Wright was adamant that her company is much more than that. “The level of service we provide has certainly increased over the past few years,” she begins. “There is more of a demand to offer a full-service solution along with the co-packing service.”
Services provided by Wright Hand Packaging include: • Packaging concept and design; • Component purchasing; • Fulfillment; • Transportation. “Wright Hand Pack aging has fully integrated the meaning of a one-stop shop,” states Wright. Packaging options offered to Wright’s U.S. and Canadian customers include creating design-specific POP (point-of-purchase) displays; shrinkwrap or shrink banding; labels—both purchase of the materials and label application; blister packing; and reverse logistics. “POP display assembly is one of our most requested services, as we have the skill and expertise in delivering multiple SKUs (stock-keeping units) and large display set-ups,” extols Wright. “No display is too large or too complicated. Our services include all UPC and other label printing, plus we take the time to test all of our display assemblies for integrity before product shipment.” Cartoning is a specialty service according to Wright, where the staff can over-box merchandise
The Wright Hand Packaging facility in Oakville houses a blister-pack machine, manufactured by RBS Equipment Designs, used to create many types of retail-ready packaging.
in re-shipper packaging, as well as package products in retail-ready boxes. “We can also custom heat-seal products in polyethylene pouches and bags in a wide range of sizes, providing a self-contained, hermetically-sealed unit,” she adds. “We can also do shrinkwrapping, perhaps the most common of all packaging methods. “We can seal a product in shrinkable film and send it through a heat tunnel to shrink the film to conform to the exact size of an outer box or product,” explains Wright, adding that for many of her customers, shrinkwrapping is the most costefficient way to bundle one or more items into one package. For labeling jobs, the company can produce and apply barcode labels to all types of packaging or,
Wright Hand Packaging president Lynn Wright (left) goes over a customer’s packaging specs and requirements with company employees to ensure perfect order fulfillment.
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CONTRACT PACKAGING
Atlantic Packaging Products is a key supplier of high-quality corrugated shipping cartons to Wright Hand Packaging.
when required, provide custom labeling solutions including design concepts, printing and application. With many of its customers providing short-term offers with its products, rather than the expensive alternative of altering the wording on a product package, Wright Hand Packaging provides couponing and sampling services. Couponing refers to the application of a coupon to the product, either directly affixed to the product or to the outer package itself for easy removal by the end customer or retail clerk at the checkout line. Sampling involves having small samples of products packed in clear plastic for consumer mailing campaigns or affixed to a product via a hang tag. With many companies now offering seasonal product samples, the contract packager will custom-assemble gift boxes and kits, as well as offer collating, folding, repacking and relabeling services for products. Another service frequently overlooked by brandowners, is the reworking of products that may appear to be damaged through unforeseen circumstances such as manufacturing defects, as well as shipping or packaging errors. “These types of errors can be costly to companies,” explains Wright, “but in our opinion profits
can still be realized by salvaging what appears to be waste goods by reworking or sorting goods into sellable products.” Other services offered by Wright Hand Packaging include: • Collating—a house specialty to organize, fold and bind presentation folders and other corporate literature; • Fulfillment services to complete orders and monitor inventory levels; • Picking, packing and shipping, consisting of the compilation of multiple loose units, packed and shipped directly to end-users; • Reverse logistics, whereby Wright Hand Packaging says it can remove the ‘headache of returned goods’ by fielding customer returns, evaluating the returned product and directing returns for the client; • Custom product or package assembly, packaging design services, re-cartoning and re-labeling. Addressing the more automated requirements of the job, Wright Hand Packaging has made a few purchases of necessary equipment over the years, now having six production lines capable of running on a 24/7-basis. Some of the automated equipment at Wright Hand Packaging includes:
With production area in the background, quality assurance manager Naureen Khalid (left), president Lynn Wright and production manager Rydell Ramkissoon hold a daily team meeting to discuss the day’s production plans and schedule.
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A prominent contributor to local community causes, Wright Hand Packaging president Lynn Wright is also founder of the Just4KICS community sports charity.
• a Domino A100 inkjet printer with unique self-cleaning ink system capable of printing both UPC labels and shipper barcodes; • a Champion 700-20 semi-automatic, manuallyadjustable side belt drive case-sealer manufactured by Internet Packaging Products & Systems Inc.; • a blister-pack machine and two shrink tunnels manufactured by RBS Equipment Designs Ltd. According to Wright, “Some 50 per cent of our customers provide all the products and materials that are needed to support the packaging of their product. “However, the remaining 50 per cent prefer that we provide the design, purchasing, contract packaging and transportation of their product,” she says.
GREEN THUMB “We are firm believers in sustainability,” remarks Wright, pointing out that the facility is 100-per cent powered by Bullfrog Power, Canada’s leading provider of renewable ‘green’ energy. “We are committed to offering packaging that is sourced, manufactured, transported and recycled using renewable energy,” she proclaims. Along with its membership within the Canadian Centre of Ethics & Corporate Policy, Wright Hand Packaging takes its role in producing packaging very seriously, wanting to make sure that what it produces is beneficial, safe and healthy for individuals and communities throughout its lifecycle. “Sure, we want to ensure that our packaging meets market criteria for both performance and cost, but we also advocate the use of renewable or recycled source materials and that the packaging is made from materials healthy in all probable end-of-life scenarios, so that it can be effectively recovered and utilized in biological and/or industrial closed loop cycles,” says Wright. Staying competitive within its pricing structure is extremely important to Wright Hand Packaging, which is not tied to one vendor for material purchases. “We also invest time in learning and offering the
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CONTRACT PACKAGING very competitive at all, but she has witnessed a huge change in the past 15 years. “It’s certainly a growing industry,” Wright states. “There are many more options of contract packagers out there, which makes it increasingly challenging to stay competitive. “We work hard every day to stand out and to make a difference,” sums up Wright. “We work to make a difference to each and every one of our customers to stay at the top of their list to call when they need an extra helping hand.”
For More Information: Wright Hand Packaging Domino Printing Sciences plc Internet Packaging Products & Systems Inc. RBS Equipment Designs Ltd. Atlantic Packaging Products Limited. A Wright Hand Packaging employee moves a filled box of product through the model Champion 700 semi-automatic case-sealer.
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latest in packaging technologies, and it has paid off with the quality of work we provide,” says Wright citing that her company has been awarded a Pinnacle award for Excellence for quality assurance from one of its largest customers. The success of Wright Hand Packaging that has allowed Wright to give back to the community. Known as Just4KICS (Kids In Community Sports), a charity started by Wright and run by her son, Robert, it provides underprivileged Canadian youth and families with funding to help them become involved in organized sports or recreational activities in their communities. “Along with financial donations which help us cover all or even a portion of registration fees, as well as any travel-related costs to the activity for the family, we accept used sporting equipment for which we provide a tax receipt for the donation,” explains Wright who volunteers her time at a store in Georgetown, Ont. “While we do have used equipment for sale to the public, we’re a registered charity so no tax is charged. We also will provide new or used equipment to the children of families that qualify for the aid. “Our goal is to make a child’s dream into an opportunity and to ensure that no child is left on the sidelines.” According to Wright, when Wright Hand Packaging began 25 years ago, the contract packaging industry wasn’t
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DECEMBER 2014
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SHOW PREVIEW
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS Meat market technologies and services showcase keeps growing from strength to strength
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or anyone making a living in today’s highly competitive meat business, there is no better way or place to welcome in the new year than at next month’s widely anticipated International Production & Processing Expo 2015 (IPPE 2015) in Atlanta, Ga. Running at the Georgia World Congress Center from Jan. 27 to Jan. 29, 2015, the annual exposition has already set new records for attendance and exhibit space weeks before the show’s official kickoff—having signed up more than 1,200 exhibitors occupying over 486,000 net square feet of exhibit space. “We are very pleased that more than 94 per cent of the show-f loor has already been booked— including our expansion into Building C—making this our largest trade show to date,” says IPPE show manager Charles Olentine. “We anticipate more than 28,000 attendees to be
(AFIA). Host of the International Feed Expo, AFIA is the world’s largest organization devoted exclusively to representing the business, legislative and regulatory interests of the U.S. animal feed industry and its suppliers, as well as the undisputed leader on international industry developments. The group’s membership comprises livestock feed and pet-food manufacturers, integrators, pharmaceutical companies, ingredient suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and allied companies who provide other products, services and supplies to feed manufacturers. •T he American Meat Institute (AMI). Host of the International Meat Expo, AMI represents the interests of packers and processors of beef, pork, lamb, veal and turkey products and their suppliers throughout North America—accounting for an estimated 95 per cent of the beef, pork, lamb and veal products produced in the U.S., along with about 70 per cent of all the turkey products. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AMI provides extensive legislative, regulatory, public relations, technical, scientific and educational services and assistance to the North American meat and poultry packing and processing industry. Some of the mustattend activities scheduled to take place over Next month’s IPPE 2015 exhibition is expected to draw over 28,000 visitors to the the three-day event Georgia World Congress Center. include: • A free high-level forum and discussion on Jan. gathered in Atlanta to learn about the latest prod28, 2015, addressing the issue of U.S.–EU Free ucts and services offered for the feed, meat and Trade Negotiations: What are the Implications for poultry industries.” Animal Production? According to IPPE, next month’s Expo will • A one-day Pet Food Conference, hosted by AFIA highlight the latest technology, equipment and seron Jan. 27, 2015, featuring more than 10 indusvices used in the production and processing of feed, try experts addressing various ‘hot-button’ nutrimeat and poultry products—complemented with tion, trade and certification issues impacting dynamic education programs addressing current pet-food and pet-food ingredients manufacturindustry issues and covering the entire spectrum ers, including an update on the proposed Food of modern-day protein production, processing and Safety Modernization Act rules, food safety plans, marketing. and sampling protocols. This wealth of combined knowledge and exper•A nimal Agriculture Sustainability Summit. tise is in large part made possible by close collaborOrganized by USPOULTRY, the half-day sumation between three leading North American meat mit on Jan. 27, 2015, will provide viewpoints industry associations—who used to run their own from industry and agriculture experts on why separate trade shows in the past—joining forces environmental sustainability matters to the aniand resources under the IPPE banner. mal agricultural community, and how to best These organizations include: • U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOUL communicate its efforts in this area to consumers, TRY), host organization of the International suppliers and other key industry stake-holders. • Various plant tours, workshops and educational Poultry Expo. Founded in 1947, the Tucker, Ga.seminars offered throughout the event, with headquartered USPOULTRY is the all-feather more detailed information available online on organization representing the complete specwww.ippexpo.org trum of today’s poultry industry, with a mandate to progressively serve its member-companies As for the show f loor, there will be plenty of through leading-edge research, education, comtechnological prowess on display throughout the munication and technical assistance. •T he American Feed Industry Association three days, including:
• A comprehensive technology showcase by Harpak-ULMA Pack aging, LLC (Booth #7747), which will feature the company’s Flow Vac f lowwrapping machinery, a broad range of vertical form/fill/seal systems, stretchwrap film packaging equipment, and the Darfresh Thermoform Skin packaging process that uses the Cryovac Darfresh brand of film to fit around a broad range of meat products like a second skin. In addition, the company will feature the full line of G. Mondini tray-sealers, ULMA primary packaging equipment, and RAMA secondary packaging machinery, along with providing information on its full-service capabilities such as integration and installation services, operator training, and ongoing technical support. • Sealed Air Corporation (Booth #5329) will display the many consumer benefits of the Cryovac Darfresh on Tray meat packaging technology, developed by the company’s Food Care Division to help busy families reduce the amount of time spent on proper meal preparation. As Sealed Air’s national account manager Jerry Kelly explains: “The busy, on-the-go lifestyles of today’s consumers have transitioned meals from an orchestrated, home-cooked regularity into something wedged into a loaded schedule. A recent USDA study found that working women spend a maximum of 40 minutes daily preparing meals for themselves and/or their families. While time constraints have significantly shifted consumers’ approach to mealtime, what hasn’t changed is a desire to enjoy fresh, quality meals in the limited time-windows they have. While many of the packaging features once considered value-adds are now regular consumer expectations, processors who view this shifting landscape as an opportunity rather than an obstacle will position themselves to capitalize on the needs of today’s on-the-go consumers.” • Meat packaging and processing experts from Reiser (Booth #6247) will conduct live demonstrations of the company’s comprehensive equipment line, including the Repak horizontal form/fill/seal machine, Ross traysealing equipment, Supervac vacuum chamber packaging machines, and Fabbri stretchwrappers. One of the exhibit’s star attractions, the fullyautomatic Ross IN system, produces MAP packages using preformed trays of almost any size or shape at high speeds to form consistently highquality packaging with reliable, durable seals for extended product shelf-life.
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PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS
CONVENIENCE IS KING
Detailed studies reveal relentless trend towards time-saving food packaging
Ovenable meat packaging is fast becoming a pronounced trend in the grocery business.
packaging designs among the most requested by today’s meat and poultry shoppers. Information compiled by international research firm Datamonitor supports these conclusions in its recent report titled Consumer and Innovation Trends in Meat, Fish and Prepared single-serve meals are becoming a big consumer trend driving growing focus on more convenient packaging to suit busy lifestyles. Poultry, which provides global data indicating ecent market studies focusing on consumer promising opportunities for food manufacturers and preferences regarding meals, food prepararetailers to develop products that facilitate easy cooktion and grocery shopping reveal a coning of meat, fish and poultry. sumer audience almost universally seeking greater The report also includes research showing heightconvenience. ened consumer interest in purchasing smaller, sinResearch such as last year’s Power of Meat gle-serving and individually portioned packs that Report—jointly commissioned by the American help retain product freshness, a demand resulting Meat Institute (AMI) and the Food Marketing from the growth in single person households. Institute (FMI)—shows that total meal preparaAs consumer demand for more convenient food tion time is becoming much more important to packaging has increased, packaging providers U.S. grocery shoppers than ever before. have developed innovations to help processors and Such data ref lects the response to a widespread retailers serve these customer needs. Many of these time crunch identified by studies—including a consumer-facing convenience packaging features recent Economic Research Service report from fall into one or more of the following categories: USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture)— • Time & Step Saving. Packages that reduce that shows full-time working women spend no less than 40 minutes per day preparing food, as today’s on-the-go society, exacerbated by work, family and additional daily commitments, has turned meals into an afterthought that must be squeezed into the few remaining moments. Clear demand for more convenient food options means packaging that enhances consumer convenience can no longer be overlooked by processors and retailers. In fact, a number of features once considered value-adds now are considered priceof-entry expectations for today’s grocery shoppers. The aforementioned Power of Meat Report indicates an increase in the percentage of consumers seeking specific convenience features incorporated Reliable reclosability features are fast becoming the into packaging for certain meat and poultry items, expected norm across a growing range of mainstream grocery staples. with the freezer-ready, pre-portioned and resealable
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time spent preparing, cooking and/or cleaning up or eliminate one or more steps during food preparation, such as microwaveable or ovenable materials and containers that enable consumers and staff to marinate products in the package. • Simplified Use. Packaging that helps to ease one or more processes throughout preparation and clean-up includes include packages with easyopening features that remove the need to use knives or other sharp objects to open food products, as well as reclosable packaging that enables easier portioning and reduces wasted ingredients. • Oven-Ready. Third-party research shows ovenable packaging to be among the most popular formats with today’s consumer. After reading a brief description and seeing images of beef, chicken, fish and pork products placed in conventional home ovens, 80 per cent of respondents were interested in using ovenable packaging materials at home. These numbers include 43 per cent of respondents expressing “definite interest” and 37 per cent indicating they are “somewhat interested” in using such materials for meal preparation The interest level is even higher among those respondents identifying themselves as primary shoppers and primary cooks in their households, with 82 per cent saying they are “interested” in utilizing ovenable packaging.
TIME SQUEEZE Further evidence of consumers’ lack of time or interest in cooking was provided when just seven per cent of the total sample stated a preference for “cooking/seasoning myself.” The most effective features and benefits for motivating interest in ovenable packaging is the elimination of messy preparation and clean-up. “Package eliminates messy prep and clean-up” was cited by 82 per cent of respondents, underscoring that consumers are seeking convenience beyond meal preparation. Research also shows a strong demand for packaging that delivers convenient options for marinating meat and poultry products. In a nationally representative sample of 402
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PHOTOS AND IMAGES COURTESY OF SEALED AIR CORPORATION
PACKAGING FOR FRESHNESS
adults, 82 per cent report the use of marinade in an average year. Pre-marinated protein usage is less common, with less than 50 per cent of respondents saying they use such products in an average year. The most common concern regarding pre-marinated meats is the perception that products become over-marinated. Research commissioned by the Sealed Air Corporation’s Cryovac food packaging brand of its Food Care Division—conducted by third-party research firm Core Insights—indicates greater willingness to use products packaged with marinade and protein if contained in separate compartments of the same package. Consumers’ “definite interest” in using such a product within the next month is actually five per cent greater than “definite interest” in using any other type of pre-marinated beef, chicken, turkey, pork, beef or lamb. Ease-of-use is the driving factor behind trial and usage of the marinade package and product, with 41 per cent citing “Easy/simple” as the primary reason for interest, while “convenient/quick/saves work/ time” was the second-most popular factor, with 29 per cent of those interested citing this reason. Likewise, “ease of clean-up and reduction of mess” was another critical factor. Notably, “control of marinating time/f lavor intensity” also was considered most important by 12 per cent of respondents “interested” or “definitely interested” in using marinaded package and product. By meat type, chicken (73 per cent), beef (69 per cent) and pork (64 per cent) show the strongest consumer interest related to this packaging format. Going beyond preparation and clean-up, easy storing of product also tracked as a key benefit with consumers. A total of 74 per cent of survey respondents were more interested in using the marinade package after learning the package also was freezer-ready, with 48 per cent “much more interested.” By far, the strongest message impacting consumer convenience for a unique marinade package was the level of control it gives consumers, with twothirds (66 per cent) indicating greater interest in
the packaging format when they learned of the enhanced ability to control marinade time. Not surprisingly, consumers continue to demonstrate preference for products that offer simplified usage, storage and portioning while maintaining freshness, and these increasingly necessary packaging features are most evident in the deli aisles. Recent research into consumer attitudes toward deli and luncheon meat packaging shows features such as reclosability, easier access and handling, storability, and pre-portioning among the consumer features most in demand. However, consumers want these conveniences incorporated without sacrificing freshness.
FRESH THINKING In qualitative research commissioned by Sealed Air, consumers cited concerns with packaging designs’ impact on freshness, such as children who can’t/don’t close deli packages correctly. They expressed the need for reclosable features that help maintain product freshness, are reliable, and need no instructions for adequate resealing. Consumers also indicated interest in additional features beyond existing reclosability technology, including sound or sight cues that signal the product is sealed to maintain freshness. Modern on-the-go lives also prompt consumers to seek out products portioned and storable for the versatile situations they encounter on a daily basis—indicating a growing need for pre-portioned product that reassures them they are consuming the correct amount when they eat on-the-run. Consequently, consumers want products that can be stored in multiple places, while also being easy to locate in the fridge. Opportunities to buy in bulk and easily separate into smaller units, and to re-use packaging for a second purpose, also show strong consumer interest. Consumers are also demonstrating a greater awareness of food safety and proper food handling practices, and incorporating this thinking into their convenience packaging preferences. There is recognition that minimized handling is advantageous from a safety standpoint, and as a result demand is increasing for packaging that minimizes handling once purchased and ready to use.
Features that make product access easier for adults, children and the increasing population of senior consumers are of greater importance. A number of consumers have expressed interest in features that enable access only to the amount of product needed at the time of usage, thereby limiting exposure for the remaining product to potential contaminants. While convenience continues to gain importance in terms of consumer behavior, freshness remains a key consideration—and is not viewed by today’s audience as at all expendable for increased convenience. Additionally, preference for packaging that removes air after each opening demonstrates increased consumer knowledge about the relationship between oxygen and product freshness. Consumers’ busy lifestyles are a reality that is likely to become more and more pronounced over time. Hence, their mindsets have become wired to expect convenience features as the norm, with technology making almost every facet of life available in the palm of the hand or the touch of a button. Food processors and retailers have been wise to incorporate convenience features into packaging for fresh meat and poultry products for several decades. In the current environment, however, features that once might have been considered differentiators worthy of price premiums are now considered necessary for consumer purchase consideration. Next-generation packaging must incorporate more—specifically more freshness, more simplification and more added-value—while reducing time and steps necessary for meal preparation and clean-up. Consumers want easier access, simplified cooking and clean-up, and easier and more secure re-closure, all the while demanding improved product freshness and safety. This indicates a future where processors, retailers and packaging providers must collaborate closer than ever before to create packaging that continues to provide value and remove guesswork from the consumer experience.
For More Information: Sealed Air Corporation
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NOTES & QUOTES to 200-mm on empty plastic containers—including cylindrical and specialty bottles with uneven surfaces—while easily integrating all the required variable product data like barcodes. Headquartered in Neutraubling, Germany, Krones is already working to develop similar printing capability for glass and metal containers.
NSF International’s supply chain food safety global managing director Robert Prevendar (left) and Bob Garfield, senior vice-president of SQF, share spotlight at the recently-held Quality Achievement Awards Ceremony.
Global public health organization and leading food safety services provider NSF International of Ann Arbour, Mich., has been awarded the SQF Certification Body of the Year honors of the Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI) in recognition of its achievements in the development of bestin-class practices, including new online auditor training and calibration tools with case-studies and problem-solving activities. A tireless proponent of SQF standards compliance, having guided certification of over 1,600 facilities throughout the Americas region and Asia, NSF has also been an active member of the SQF Technical Advisory Committee for the past six years, working to strengthen the standard in order to ensure that SQF remains at the leading edge of food safety and quality. “This year NSF International is celebrating 70 years of protecting and improving public health, and certification of food manufacturing, processing and packaging facilities to the SQF standard is a key aspect of our food safety legacy,” says Robert Prevendar, NSF International’s global managing director of supply chain food safety.
Nestlé Waters Canada’s management team comprising (from left) Amie Martindale, Morgan Jennings, Dwight Carey and Greg Chorpitta accept the Canadian Occupational Safety magazine’s Canada’s Safest Employers Gold Award in the competition’s manufacturing category.
Canada’s leading water-bottler Nestlé Waters Canada (NWC) has been honored with the Gold Award of the 2014 Canada’s Safest Employers Awards program of the Canadian Occupational Safety magazine in the manufacturing category in recognition of the company’s outstanding workplace safety record, which includes no serious injuries or fatalities in the past five years. “No other asset at Nestlé Waters Canada is as important as the people who contribute with their work to our culture and our business, specifically producing the highest-quality bottled water in Canada,” says Dwight Carey, regional environmental health and safety manager at NWC’s national headquarters in Puslinch, Ont. “We devote all necessary energy and attention to protect employees, contractors and any other people involved with our company along the value chain by constantly designing and adapting our processes, work practices and systems in the direction of risk mitigation.” Tekni-Plex, Inc., King of Prussia, Pa.-based manufacturer of tubing and specialty packaging for pharmaceutical and food sectors, has completed the acquisition of Tech-Seal Products, Inc., Triadelphia, W.V.-based supplier of closure liners and inner seals for food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics applications, for an undisclosed amount.
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Liquid packaging line equipment manufacturer Krones AG has picked up the coveted Beverage Innovation Award 2014 in the Best Technology Innovation category at last month’s World Beverage Innovation Awards 2014 ceremony in Nurenberg, Germany, for the company’s groundbreaking DecoType machinery for inline digital direct printing onto containers in small-run production applications across a broad range of industries. Developed as an alternative to traditional labeling techniques, the compact, modular DecoType machine instantly converts artwork into a printed image at heights up
British industrial conglomerate Essentra plc has reached a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of the Specialist Packaging Division of Clondalkin Group (aka Clondalkin SPD) in an all-cash transaction estimated at about US$455 million. Based in The Netherlands, Clondalkin SPD operates 24 strategically located plants manufacturing a broad range of specialty secondary packaging products—folding cartons, labels, product literature, etc.—for the global pharmaceutical, healthcare and personal-care industries. Toronto-based industrial bearings distributor SKF Canada Ltd. has reached an agreement to acquire the assets of Hofmann Engineering North America, Cambridge, Ont.-based subsidiary of Australian engineering services group Hofmann Engineering Pty. Ltd specializing in precision-machined equipment components used in the mining, metalworking and paper industries.
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EVENTS Jan. 27-29 Atlanta, Ga.: International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE), comprising International Poultry Expo by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY), International Feed Expo by the American Feed Industry Association (AFIA), and International Meat Expo by the American Meat Institute (AMI). At Georgia World Congress Center. To register, go to: www.ippexpo.org
Jan. 27-30 Moscow, Russia: Upakovaka/Upak Italia 2015, international processing, packaging and printing technologies exhibition by Messe Düsseldorf GmbH and Centrexpo. Concurrently with Interplastica 2015 international trade fair for plastics and rubber industries. All at Krasnaya Presnya Expocentre. Contact Messe Düsseldorf (Canada) at (416) 598-1524, or go to: www.upakovka.messe-duesseldorf.de
March 23-27
graphic arts technologies exhibition by the Printing Association of Florida (PAF). At the Miami Beach Convention Center. To register, go to: www.goaexpo.com
Orlando, Fla.: NPE 2015, national plastics exhibition by SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association. At Orange County Convention Center. To register, go to: www.npe.org
March 10-12
March 24-27
Munich, Germany: CCE Europe 2015, corrugated and folding-carton industry exhibition by Mack Brooks Exhibitions Ltd. At the Munich Trade Fair Center. To register, go to: www.cce-international.com
Cologne, Germany: Anuga FoodTec, international food processing and packaging technologies exhibition by Koelnmesse GmbH. At Koelnmesse fairgrounds. To register, go to: www.anugafoodtec.com
March 23-26
April 21-24
Chicago: Automate 2015, industrial automation technologies exhibition by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). At the McCormick Place. To register, go to: www.AutomateShow.com
Barcelona, Spain: Hispack 2015, international packaging exhibition by Fira de Barcelona. At Gran Via Exhibition Center. To register, go to: www.hispack.com/en/
Feb. 2-4 Atlanta, Ga.: The Packaging Confer ence, by Plastic Technologies, Inc. At The Ritz Carlton Buckhead. Contact Ron Puvak at (419) 725-5613 or go to: www.thepackagingconference.com
FREE PRODUCT INFORMATION For further information on either advertisements or editorial in this issue, please circle the appropriate numbers below. Once you’ve filled out your contact information, fax this form back to us at: 416.764.1755
Feb. 5-10 Gandhinagar, India: PlastIndia 2015, international plastics processing exhibition and conference by Plastindia Foundation. Concurrently with ASEAN Plastics Forum and Proplast 2015 finished goods exposition. All at Pragati Maidan. Contact Messe Düsseldorf (Canada) at (416) 598-1524 or go to: www.plastindia.org
Feb. 10-12 Orlando, Fla.: ICE USA 2015, international converting exhibition (ICE) by Mack Brooks Exhibitions Ltd. At Orange County Convention Center. To register, go to: www.ice-x-usa.com
Feb. 11-12 Paris, France: Pharmapack Europe, pharmaceutical packaging and drug delivery exhibition and conference by UBM Live Health. At Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Hall 5. To register, go to: www.pharmapack.fr
Feb. 16-18 Philadelphia, Pa.: PACK EXPO East, packaging technologies exhibition by PMMI-The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. At Pennsylvania Convention Center. To register, please go to: www.packexpo.com
Feb. 18-19 Miami, Fla.: AWA IMLCON & IMDCON 2015, in-mold labeling and in-mold decorating conferences by AWA Alexander Watson Associates. At Sofitel Miami. To register, go to: www.awa-bv.com
Feb. 26-28 Miami, Fla.: Graphics of the Americas,
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PACKAGING ADDS SPICE TO DAILY BAR SCENE
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ife never really stands still in the hyper-paced restaurant industry, which for independent operators like yours truly is both a blessing and a daily challenge. Fortunately, we get a lot of help from some of our trusted suppliers to ensure that for the most part, each day is better than the one before. As a big user of tomatoes, widely used in many of our meal recipes, I am especially grateful to the Toronto-based corrugated producer Atlantic Packaging Products Ltd. for helping ensure that our tomatoes always arrive at the kitchen in immaculate condition— far easier said than done for this fairly fragile and delicate product. Made from recycled fibers, these sturdy single-wall boxes make light work of delivering 15 pounds of premium-quality beefsteak tomatoes from Amoco Produce Inc. in Leamington, Ont., in pristine condition—all individually nestled in their own divots in a plastic insert at the base of the 95-inchwide box, certified to have been subjected to the industry-standard crush test and offering generous load capacity of up to 95 pounds of produce.
With kegged beer being an essential bloodline for a vast number of licensed establishments, seeing the standard 58.6-liter kegs cede their dominance to a new wave of compact 20-, 25- and 30-liter kegs is an interesting study in the evolution of keg design. My current new favorite is the 25-liter Sommersby brand keg from the Carlsberg beer family, primarily because it literally piles up higher than any of the other keg designs we have encountered to date. Stacking kegs to their optimal cube utilization is of paramount importance in our undersized keg room, and manufacturers of this particular keg have
removed some considerable limitations of the older keg models, whereby using, stacking and recycling dented kegs would often resemble a fiercely-fought game of Jenga. While the kegs’ standard rubber rimming does help to slow down the deterioration caused by denting, it does wear out after repeated use, ultimately resulting in unstable keg stacks. In contrast, this particular keg is outfitted with a recessed, wide lip that is virtually immune to denting wear-and-tear—enabling our staff to easily roll two or three of them down the hallway on top of each other. According to recent industry buzz, there are plans afoot in the U.K.. to begin using RFID (radio frequency identification) tags on beer kegs in order to keep track of how many kegs have been filled and shipped, how many ‘empties’ are still out in circulation, and how long they remain in customer’s possession. That’s ‘smart’ packaging in every sense of the word.
With the craft-beer industry booming across Ontario, the resurgence of the old growler container is a trend that is showing far more staying power than many in the industry initially expected. Originally invented in the 1800s as a means to enable tavern patrons to lug their leftover brew back home for a nightcap—as well as for brewers to peddle their product door-to-door—the growler has come a long way from its original inception as a utility bucket to evolve into classy two-liter glass vessels boasting an attached reclosable stopper, offered in various closure styles. In addition to its primary attraction of enabling draft beer go straight from the brewer’s tank to the end consumer—while keeping the beer fresh for two to three weeks—the growler has also proved to be a popular and hygienic alternative to
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sharing an open beer pitcher among friends. Among local microbrewers, Toronto-based Amsterdam Brewing Co. has done a wonderful job with its two-liter opaque glass growler outfitted a finger-sized handle for easy transport and topped off with a hinged, plastic gasket cap to ensure optimal product freshness even after first cracking it open. Notably, beer growlers have also found themselves a whole new audience amongst the DIY (do it yourself ) crowd, often popping up as home-made vases, candle-holder, lamps and so on.
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When it comes to draft beer, brand loyalty can often begin at the pub and carry over into retail sales for reasons as simple as a friend saying “you have to try such and such” or on account of a memorable beverage experience sparked by a deftly-designed branded draft tap handle. Here again, Amsterdam Brewing makes optimal use of the “cool factor” with its aptly bone-shaped draft tap handle for the company’s Boneshaker Unfiltered India Pale Ale beer brand, whose bike-riding skeleton mascot on top of the handle is an instant attention-grabber that virtually helps the brand sell itself, or at least provide a lively conversation piece for patrons sitting right at the bar. Jeff May is owner and proprietor of Scallywags, a popular midtown Toronto sports pub specializing in live coverage of major international sporting events. For information and broadcast schedule, go to: www.scallywags.ca
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