Americas: 915 Labs releases microwave system for food packaging
915 Labs' new Microwave Assisted Thermal Sterilization system, or MATST, to help meet the growing consumer demand for high-quality, natural and additive-free packaged food. The company's pilot-scale MATS systems are currently operating in commercial test kitchens such as in US-based companies AmeriQual and Wornick. The design and build of the first full-scale system is also under way, with expected installation at...
Asia Pacific: GualapackGroup buys two Chinese companies
The GualapackGroup has taken more stakes in two Chinese flexible packaging companies: Guangzhou Secure Packaging Co., Ltd. in Guangdong and Secure HY Packaging Co., Ltd., in Jiangsu. With this move the group strengthens its pouch manufacturing and laminates production capacities as a complete provider on the Chinese, Far East Asian and Pacific markets, in collaboration with Japanese partner Hosokawa Yoko...
World: Israeli company offers powdered lemon juice on-the-go, industrial applications
Yehuda Deutsch carries pre-measured, portioned sachets of dried lemon powder called Lemon Tree in his pocket everywhere he goes. The general manager and owner of Israeli company Israfoods (2006) Ltd even has the song of the same name by German band Fool's Garden as the ring tone for his mobile phone. A friend had a cold and told Deutsch that he...
Americas: Koelnmesse, Corferias to organize Andina-Pack 2017
Koelnmesse and the Colombian trade fair company Corporación de Ferias y Exposiciones S.A. (Corferias) will from 2017 organize the packaging technology trade fair Andina-Pack. The show has been staged to date by the current owner and organizer of the event, Pafyc Ltd since 1991. The event’s venue will continue to be the Corferias exhibition grounds in Bogotá. Andina-Pack will be the second...
Europe: SternMaid installs co-packaging lines in German facility
SternMaid has commissioned a new, fully automatic can filling line for powdered and granulated products at its facility in Wittenburg, Germany. A tray and wrap-around packer and a buckling-arm palletizer have also been installed. The equipment enables the contract manufacturer and co-packing specialist to handle up to 90 cans per minute, greatly increasing the plant’s filling and packaging capacities. The company invested...
Americas: Crown wins award for print quality
Crown Beverage Packaging North America and Mother Earth Brew Co. (Vista, CA) clinched the Best of Category award, Craft Cans, in the 19th Annual Excellence in Quality competition by International Metal Decorators Association. The top honor was for Crown’s print quality, ink laydown and registration in production of Mother Earth Brew Co’s Honcho Hefeweizen (Bavarian Style Wheat Beer) 12-ounce standard...
Asia Pacific: Zebra OneCare launched to support Zebra devices
Zebra Technologies Corporation launches Zebra OneCare, a portfolio of support services that maximize the uptime and availability of Zebra mobile computers, printers, barcode scanners, radio frequency identification devices and Wireless Local Area Network infrastructure. The new flexible offering enables partners to grow revenue and expand relevance with end customers. Zebra also introduced the Operational Visibility Service (OVS), a new managed service...
Americas: Researchers unveil natural dairy thickener with probiotic potential
Microbiologists at Oregon State University have discovered and helped patent and commercialize a type of dairy or food thickener, which may add probiotic characteristics to the products in which it is used. The thickener is now in commercial use, and Oregon State University (OSU) officials say it may have a significant impact in major industries. The global market for polymers such...
Americas: Antibiotic resistance in foodborne germs is an ongoing threat, says CDC
Antibiotic resistance in foodborne germs, an ongoing public health threat, continued to show both positive and challenging trends in 2013, according to human illness data11 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Efforts are underway to curb the injudicious use of antibiotics, but each year, antibiotic-resistant infections from foodborne germs cause an estimated 440,000 illnesses in the US. The National...
Europe: Cracking quality assurance in eggs – Stable Micro Systems
As consumers increasingly demand highly desirable and nutritious food, the popularity of eggs continues to rise globally. According to the Birtish Egg Industry Council, egg consumption in 2014 increased by two per capita to reach a total of 11.8 billion eggs in the UK. Various drivers are thought to be behind this growth including changing diets, as more consumers seek meat-free...