Convenience food packaging has changed our lives - this is the result from DuPont's latest packaging survey.

Both reclosable packaging and microwavable plastic trays made the top spots as the biggest breakthroughs in packaging that have had the most impact on people's lives during the past 25 years.

These two invention categories accounted for nearly half of the votes, at 48 %.

Hosted by DuPont, industry professionals could access the online survey between April 9 and May 10, 2013.

Reclosable packaging, which includes the likes of stand-up pouches and zipper locks for food storage, received the most with 27% of the total votes. Close behind was microwave meals, made possible through its oven-friendly packaging materials, with 21%.

Reclosable Packaging Top of Votes

Following these two, the eco-friendly development was next. Recycled content in social goal-supporting community, industrial and consumer programs won 18 % of the votes.

In fourth place were retort/aseptic techniques, with 14%. These methods enable shelf-happy foods that do not require refrigeration, permitting an "on-the-go" lifestyle. Traditionally, glass or tin cans are used for these, but retort or aseptic packages can provide the same results in cartons or flexible pouches. This increases food security and safety and reduces waste.

With 13 % of the votes was Hot Fill - this relates to unbreakable plastic bottles capable of hot contents.

Last in the top six breakthroughs was case ready/MAP. This technique replaces or removes atmospheric air within meat packaging with a meat-preserving protective gas to both safeguard against contamination and extend shelf life. The meat stays safe and fresh from the plants until you open the package at home.

Innovative Developments in Packaging

DuPont Packaging Awards program leader, Shanna Moore, said over the past 25 years, the award had drawn in dozens of innovative developments in packaging, making this the ideal time to honour these previous achievements.

"In reflecting back on these breakthroughs, it's hard to imagine what everyday life would be like today without them"

Almost 300 people voted in the polls, and the results were announced in Wilmington, Delaware at the 25th DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation.

When it comes to new label technology, thin is definitely in.

By the end of 2014, labels featuring built-in temperature recording aptitudes, that are also as thin as human hair, will transform into a commercial reality, claims a firm based in Norway.

Labels Monitor Supply Chain Treatment

Adhesive "smart labels" that can monitor how products such as fresh produce, which is sensitive to temperature, has been treated during the supply chain will be obtainable for the sector in 2014, says Thin Film Electronics ASA’s director of global sales and business development activities, Jennifer Ernst. This could provide major safeguards for food safety, she said.

The Norway-based firm also has offices in Japan, Sweden and San Francisco. Thin Film’s smart label will be printed using electricity-conductive inks on polymers and can be positioned on packaging, the company’s news release stated. The labels can be fabricated in layers that include batteries, sensors and memory onto a film that is slimmer even than a human hair and thus can easily be applied to packaging.

Recording temperature via the labels placed on packages containing fresh produce would allow much more determined data, compared to a silicon-based temperature/time recorder situated in a truck. Therefore, the label could then be applied to any package type, according to Ernst.

These truck recorders cost somewhere between $11 and $25, so for economical purposes, only a few of these recorders can be placed in a single shipment.

Adhesive 'Smart Labels'

Thin Film aims to price their labels, incorporated with a capability to sense electronic temperature, at around 50 cents per unit. With increased production, this price could drop down to 30 or even 20 cents, Ernst said.

"We would be looking to adding temperature monitoring at much closer to an object level, the individual case of produce," said Ernst.

She said it was the customer’s decision whether the label was required on every case of fresh produce.

Thin Film already produces a label with printed memory, and the capability for temperature monitoring will be added by the end of 2014, said Ernst.

She said the label would be marketed on a global scale to fresh produce industries, and the product itself would probably be about the dimensions of a business card.

The labels do not contain any toxic compounds and they are completely disposable.

European researchers are working on a new 'active' packaging development programme that draws on shrimp shells to create robust and fully biodegradable food packaging.

Those involved include representatives from Nofima AS - the Norwegian Institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research - and, together, they're giving 'environmentally-stubborn' plastic a run for its money with chitin and chitosan-based packaging.

Named n-Chitopack, the programme is exploiting these substances' many positive qualities. Both found naturally in the shells of shrimps, chitin and chitosan are non-toxic, safe, capable of absorbing UV rays and entirely biodegradable. Additionally, the use of chitin and chitosan takes pressure off the raw materials that would otherwise make their way into food packaging and, since they're considered waste in any case, should lower the food sector's ultimate waste output.

N-Chitopack Packaging

The n-Chitopack development team stress that food packaging represents around two-thirds of all the world's packaging. Additionally, they say that environmentally-harmful non-biodegradable plastics with a large carbon footprint make up about half of this food packaging: a less-than-favourable situation.

However, bioplastics are now emerging as an environmentally-kinder option and, significantly, more than 25 billion tonnes of chitosan waste are generated every year, giving the packaging industry a potentially vast new raw materials resource.

According to the n-Chitopack researchers, aside from the volumes it's produced in, 'Chitosan waste...is hazardous due to its high perishability and polluting effect'. Therefore, 're-use and up-cycling to higher value applications would establish an important step forwards towards resource efficiency', they add.

Shrimp Shell Food Packaging

"Chitosan used as an integrated part of the packaging can have an antibacterial effect on the food products", Nofima's Morten Sivertsvik explained in a statement on the shrimp shell food packaging. "The EU has strict regulations in this area, and our role is to see that the active packaging have a positive and not negative impact on the food products.

"The chitosan-based fibres that are used in the packaging are based on nanotechnology, so we are talking about minute particles that by no means have to break down so they come in the food products."

For ethical-hungry consumers, ingredients are not enough to make food sustainable - packaging must be green, too.

Dubbed "greenwrapping", the premium food sector is increasingly seeking to entice eco-friendly customers with their sustainable packaging.

Perhaps encouraging us that we should judge a book by its cover, the outside of a product is beginning to be just as important as what is inside, whether that is tuna, tea, peanut butter or popcorn.

In recent years tuna has acquired the title as a controversial catch, but now conservationists are keen to consider the can it is packed in. Metal cans are more resource intensive than plastic pouches are, and also consume more energy in transportation.

Consumers Want Green Packaging and Food

Now, Sea Fare Pacific is breaking conventions and packing their wild, sustainably caught sea food into BPA-free pouches that are not only environmentally friendly, but sleek too.

Popcorn bags may not seem problematic, but they are increasingly attracting scrutiny. PFOA lines many commercial microwave popcorn bags, which the FDA classed as a toxin. Other unwanted contents include plastics, Teflon and artificial butter substitutes. Quinn Popcorn plans to change the much-loved snack with their Kickstarter campaign.

The Quinn founders describe their mission on their website: "First, we tackled the bag. Gone are the chemical coatings (PFOA, PFCs, Poly, etc.). We even pulled out the susceptor (gray metal/plastic patch)."

What is left, they continued, is just paper. But not just any paper - it is both greaseproof and compostable.

Greenwrapping

Food isn't the only thing enjoying the green treatment; organic tea can now be found in biodegradable filter pack in Numi packs, and Australian design company, The Creative Method, have created a wine bottle that is organic from lid to base - it includes wax, balsa wood, organic string, and even organic inks to create the images on the bottle.

Greenwrapping is just the start for organic food retailers, who have their eye on sustainability-conscious consumers. Research and consulting company EcoFocus found in a survey carried out last year that over two-thirds of those who shop for organic and natural foods regard choosing responsibly packaged foods as important. Whatever it is they are buying, they want it to be green.

Coca-Cola is launching a massive, packaging-led promotional campaign with 100 million bottles' standard branding replaced by men's and women's names.

The 'Share A Coke' campaign involves 375ml and 500ml Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coke Zero bottles which now display one of the 150 most popular names in the UK. Also included in the revised labelling is the #ShareACoke hashtag, added in order to encourage Coca-Cola consumers to tell friends about these personalised bottles by means of social media.

While the range of Share a Coke bottle names is limited to 150 names, other names can be added to virtual cans through the Share A Coke app on Facebook or the Share A Coke UK website

Personalised Coke Bottles

"This is the first time in our long history that we've ever replaced the iconic "Coca-Cola" script on pack and who better to celebrate with than the people who love our brands the most - our consumers", Coca-Cola Enterprises' operational marketing director, Caroline Cater, explained in a statement on the personalised Coke bottles' launch.

She continued: "We're issuing the invite for people to connect and as part of that we want the public to have fun finding the names of their friends and loved ones on our products, and taking the time to Share A Coke with them.

Share A Coke

Allied to the Share A Coke bottles' roll-out is a linked marketing campaign, which begins this month. Included is a Share A Coke TV advertisement, which focuses on young peoples' heroes and inspirations and, according to Coca-Cola, in financial terms, the campaign exceeds that related to the 2012 London Olympics.

"The ‘Share A Coke' campaign will capture the nation's imagination this summer and will help drive volume and value growth for retailers", Cater added. "We would urge them to stock up now and ensure that Coca-Cola's portfolio is prominent within their stores to take full advantage of this sales opportunity."

Other recent Coca-Cola innovations covered by Packaging International include its "pocket-sized" PlantBottles, launched in Spring 2012: the firm's first all-new bottles to have emerged in almost 20 years.

Innovative new packaging capable of absorbing carbon dioxide emissions and being recycled post-consumer use has been re-launched in the UK.

The brainchild of Polythene UK, the 'Polyair' packaging material is derived from sugarcane and photosynthesises CO2 into oxygen.

According to company representatives, a single tonne of Polyair can pull 2.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In company literature, they say Polyair is 'the only 100% recyclable, carbon-positive material currently available' and 'the greenest material we know of'.

They add that: 'Using a bio-based material at a percentage of 60% in film reduces the CO2 emissions to 0%, even when you take into consideration the energy used for manufacturing and shipping'.

CO2-Absorbent Packaging

In the natural world, sugarcane inherently absorbs carbon dioxide as it grows. It's this quality that makes the CO2-absorbent Polyair packaging 'carbon-positive'.

Polyair first emerged in 2009 as an oxy-degradable polythene but, quickly, its degrading qualities were observed, specifically its two-to-three-year lifetime. Therefore, the oxy-degradable packaging project was dropped and, in 2011, a new sugarcane development programme was introduced.

Polythene UK states that Polyair is a viable standard polythene replacement in bags, films, wraps, covers and more and, in comparison, represents a substantially greener alternative.

Polyair: Carbon-Positive Polythene

"Polyair carbon-positive polythene is the quickest marketing tool/door opener we have ever had", Polythene UK's Managing Director, James Woollard, told Packaging International, adding: "The UK is ready and listening to ways of making their packaging green and this is the greenest option ever."

Other sugar-themed packaging innovations recently covered by Packaging International include Nestlé's bioplastic caps and biodegradable disposable food containers, developed in the US.

Just last week, data released by the Climate Change Committee confirmed that UK CO2 emissions were on the ascent. Domestic efforts made to limit them were being offset by so-called 'imported' CO2 emissions related to goods imports, it said.

A man has died at a packaging plant in Oregon after falling into a meat blender.

According to authorities at Clackamas County, DCS Sanitation Management's contract employee, 41-year-old Hugo Avalos-Chanon, fell into a meat grinder whilst cleaning at Interstate Meat Distributors over the weekend, reports KOIN-TV.

He was with several others when he fell. A fellow worker did press the emergency switch to try and stop the blender, but it was already too late. Deputy state medical examiner, Dr. Cliff Young, told The Oregonian that Mr Avalos-Chanon's death was caused by "blunt-force injuries and chopping wounds."

The machine is used to blend the fat and the meat together.

Death at Packaging Plant

President of Interstate Meat Distributors, Darrin Hoy, described the incident as "extremely unfortunate."

Hoy informed The Oregonian that they did not want to relive the traumatic event again.

This was not the first time an accident has occurred at the meat packaging firm, but it appears to be the worst. Back in November 2005, KATU-TV reports a cleaning worker losing a finger in the ribbon blender.

The Occupational and Health Administration are investigating Mr Avalos-Chanon's death. According to Oregon OSHA spokeswoman, Melanie Mesaros, this could take about six months.

It transpires that the meat company has a history of safety defilements. Earlier in the same year that the employee lost a finger, a drill press was inadequately anchored, potentially allowing it to move during operation and hurt someone.

Meat Grinder Accident

Other serious violations were discovered during OSHA's latest inspection, including a rotating chuck and metal lathe without guards, a 10-inch saw with its blade uncovered by a hood, and a potential fire hazard from refilling propane cylinders.

Another significant violation involved equipment cleaning in the report. OSHA discovered that during the tear down procedure, three apparatuses were not locked out, which could have resulted in an unanticipated start up and potentially serious injuries.

The firm was supposed to fix this issue by March 11 this year.

OSHA also found that members of the safety committee were not adequately trained.

Interstate Meat Distributors continues to operate.

Image Credit Gajda - Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Tennis superstar Maria Sharapova has released new sweet packs.

Teaming up with advertising firm Dentsu and branding consultancy Red Antler, the sporting celebrity has produced her own packs of sweets.

Cleverly named "Sugarpova" the new sweets come in a dozen different varieties and add a fun and fashionable vibe into the sweets sector, according to the exclusive distributors of Sharapova's sweet sin the UK, Empire Foodbrokers.

Dentsu and Red Antler helped create the fun packaging launched in New York in 2012 and Selfridges in the UK this month.

Number two athlete Maria Sharapova loved creating her "dream" sweetie line, and can't wait for the whole world to see what the team has made.

Sugarpova Packaging Design

Each flavour is named after an adjective, including Flirty for lip shaped gummies, Cheeky for little bear shapes and Sport for tennis ball candies, which apparently possess the taste of victory.

Empire Foodbrokers' managing director, Chandresh Patel, said: "We're thrilled to have been appointed as the exclusive distributors of Sugarpova in the UK and are confident that the fun, flirty characteristics of these sweets will be an outstanding hit, whether you're a tennis fan or not."

Aimed at the female portion of the market, the sweets are exclusively listed in Selfridges at an RRP of £3.99.

But with her reputation as a sporting legend, not everyone is happy with the sweet line. With the bags averaging at 84g of sugar, which is 21 teaspoons, or two cans of coca Cola, the range has been criticized by child psychologists as being both irresponsible and inappropriate.

Maria Sharapova Sugapova Sweets

According to The Parents' Jury campaigns manager, Corrina Langelaan, children and parents admire Maria Sharapova as a very influential athlete.

As such, she has a role to play in advocating a healthy lifestyle, and with a global rise in childhood obesity, the confectionary range is irresponsibly marketed.

But Jeff Rubin, who collaborated with Sharapova on the candy line, sporting celebrities marketing organic or healthy sweets was actually misleading, because the stars themselves enjoy sugary snacks.

He says by going to more than two decades of candy shows, he knows that while different athletes are selling different healthy or organic versions of something, we all know that they love sour and gummies.

Image Credit Red Antler

New packaging can keep salmon fresh for almost three weeks.

After extensive research, Nofima, the Norwegian Institute of Food, Fishery and Aquaculture, has established a packaging technique that allows salmon to stay fresh for up to 20 days. Dubbed "Superfresh," fish packagers Vartdal Plastindustrier are launching the product at Brussels' seafood fair this week.

In brief, Superfresh is a packaging form on which salmon is put on a CO2 emitter that consists of citric acid and baking powder, among other ingredients, and is vacuum packed before sealing. This packaging technique is known as MAP, or Modified Atmosphere Packaging. Using the Superfresh method, salmon can keep fresh for up to 20 days at a consistently low temperature, or between 10 and 12 days at four degrees above zero.

Superfresh Packaging Preserves Salmon

The initial research aimed to determine a packaging technique specifically intended for salmon and cod fillet, but the same method could also be used eventually for other fish types also meat.

Nofima's Senior Research Scientist at Nofima, Marit Kvalvåg Pettersen, has been responsible for the research carried out over the past few years.

"After the pack is sealed, the cushion develops CO2 gas and it also has absorbent properties. This CO2 emitter has been adapted for the product, so that it does not change the fish's pH value, and sensory tests have also shown that the fish often has a higher quality than with comparable packaging methods," she said.

Extending Shelf Life

The packaging is now primed for the consumer market, but also to be developed are transport packs. As well as shelf life extension, this packaging technique also has significant transportation benefits. The new technique obliges less volume and can be transferred with other food. A large amount of fish is still being shipped in ice boxes, creating more weight and volume.

There are numerous factors that hail Superfresh as a real innovation. Firstly, the packaging is tailored to the size and type of the fish, giving optimum quantity of CO2. Secondly, under ideal conditions (one degree above zero), salmon can keep for up to 20 days.

The Research Council of Norway financed the researched, through some of its programs including MAT and FORNY.

Photo: Vartdal Plastindustri AS.

In honour of those serving in the American armed forces, the Pepperidge Farm Goldfish brand is donating $25,000 to the Fisher House Foundation, and has designed limited-edition packaging for its Goldfish crackers, which features the Fisher House logo along with military-inspired graphics to celebrate the Armed Forces.

Military commissaries and exchanges will sell the packages domestically and abroad.

The Foundation will use the donation for their Scholarships for Military Children program, which assists US military families around the world with paying for their children's college fees. Designed to acknowledge the commissary's important role in the military family community in America, the scholarships are significantly funded by suppliers and manufacturers' generosity, who sell their products at military stores.

Military Goldfish Packaging

Established in 1990, the Fisher House Foundation has aided 180,000 families, who have provided the families of patients who are receiving medical care at major VA and military medical enters with "a home way from home."

National account manager-military at Pepperidge Farm, Michele Hoover, said while the Farm has been selling their breads, rolls, Milano cookies and Goldfish crackers to military families through exchanges and commissaries for several years, they wanted to do more.

"It's our way of honoring and saying ‘thank you' to all those families who currently serve or have served in our military. We appreciate all their sacrifice to protect and serve our country."

Vice president of the Fisher House Foundation, Jim Weiskopf, said charity was grateful for the Goldfish brand's support, and were "delighted" to collaborate with them for the special promotion.

As the commissaries continue to help military families globally, the partnership allows more of America's heroes and their families to enjoy snack time smiles, he said.

Based in Norfolk, Connecticut, Pepperidge Farm was founded in 1937 by entrepreneurial homemaker Margaret Rudkin, and now has nearly 5,000 employees nationwide and nine manufacturing facilities.

The company was also in the news this month after a Melbourne woman described the unusual pattern on a Goldfish cracker as a sign from God.

Image Credit Business Wire