tna, a global supplier of integrated food packaging and processing solutions has recently introduced Paul Irwin as regional sales manager for Australia.
Starting at the company as an apprentice electrician, Irwin has been with tna’s technical team for 16 years.
In his new role based in Melbourne, Australia, Irwin will be responsible for regional sales of the company’s processing and packaging systems and advising customers on the company’s seasoning solutions.
He shares with Food News International on his take on the manufacturing scene in Australia.Â
FNI: What do F&B manufacturers in Australia require of packaging and processing solutions?Â
Irwin: Three key demands that stand out in Australia’s food and beverage packaging and processing industries are total integration, performance and flexibility.
Today, manufacturers are increasingly looking for fully integrated, seamless processing and packaging lines, which tna is able to meet this demand and take it one step further by providing intelligent systems across the entire production line.
Performance has always been a top priority of manufacturers.
High-level performance is necessary amidst continuing downward pressure on pack sizes and rising labor costs.
In order to optimize yield, per capita and per square meter, as well as enable continuous improvement, food and beverage manufacturers require reporting systems that capture and analyze output data.
On flexibility, manufacturers require packaging systems to run all bag sizes and formats for a given flavor, so that plants can produce multiple flavors concurrently on each packaging station in the line.
This need is further intensified by the trend for gourmet and ethnic short run flavors, which on machine systems help meet this demand.Â
FNI: What are your views on Australia’s packaging and processing market? Â
Irwin: We see food and beverage manufacturers competing in a very crowded market, where consumers are calling out for product differentiation with new, more exotic and increasingly layered flavor profiles.
We anticipate that short runs and seasonal products will become the norm, as manufacturers attempt to keep customers engaged with traditional snack products, as well as grow the market with more gourmet flavors.
Manufacturers also aim to achieve this using a system with several stock keeping units.
Convenience and health will continue to drive the snacks sector with smaller, portion-controlled pack sizes and formulation and process developments.
