Nestlé Waters North America’s ReadyRefresh by Nestlé delivery service has expanded its beverage portfolio as part of ReadyRefresh’s mission to deliver healthy, convenient and great-tasting hydration to its customers. 

The name change better reflects who FPSA members really are: companies that provide solutions for food production.

With the improvements made, Tetra Pak aims to grow the capacity of its field force, enhance the customer experience and build competency through workforce development.

Acquisition broadens TransPak’s capabilities in custom packaging for military, aerospace and high-value equipment.

 The latest addition is the HERMA PP white light (grade 884) plastic film in combination with the special film adhesive 62Xpc.

RRD’s four new press installations increase speed and flexibility for brands, logistics, and freight services.

The two-and-a-half-year integration phase of the Sonderhoff Group into Henkel AG & Co. KGaA has been completed. As of January 1, 2020, all Sonderhoff companies have been merged into the Adhesive Technologies business unit. 

The material provides adhesion in a cool, damp environment and can be washed off again at a later stage without leaving any residue.

Toray Plastics (America) Inc. introduces new Lumirror® STM Soft-Touch Matte film, a unique, matte-coated polyester film technology that simplifies processing and enables the manufacture of a robust, upscale, soft-touch matte lamination.

As food and beverage manufacturers navigate a consumer audience that has changed its attitudes and behaviors completely, they must also address changing the Nutrition Facts on their labels. Changes to labels like those required under the current regulations can have wider-reaching implications for some brands.

According to the FDA website: Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. of Evansville, Ind. is expanding its December 30, 2020 voluntary recall of certain dog and cat food products produced in its Chickasha Operations Facility to include all dog and cat pet food products made with corn products because those products may contain aflatoxin levels that exceed acceptable limits.

A recent report by Packaged Facts estimates the overall U.S. pet food and treats market at $39 billion in 2020. Given the increase in pet adoption in 2020, seasoned and new pet parents alike are seeking the best options for their four-legged companions.

Dozen’s Half & Half project is the first gold award won by Ukrainian designers at Pentawards since 2015 and only the second in the competition’s history.

We recently talked to a representative from ACMA on how the packaging company can help confectionery manufacturers with their goals, as well as meeting consumer demands.

The Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA) announced PROCESS EXPO UNIVERSITY has expanded to include international speakers from Canada and Latin America.

The long-time producer of pancake mixes and syrups changes its name to Pearl Milling Company, announces annual $1 million commitment to uplift black girls and women.

In addition to the rebrand, Coconut Bliss has added to new ice cream offerings.

Sidel has announced the acquisition of Makro Labelling in order to expand its offerings in the labeling machine domain, while also providing Makro with an opportunity for global development. 

The new U.S. chapter joins 20 Every Can Counts chapters across Europe, the United Arab Emirates, and Brazil.

Designed with Inline Plastics’ Safe-T-Fresh® technology, each package features tamper evident and tamper resistant seals to keep all food safe and secure.

Searo Labs has formulated a unique family of materials that harness the strengths of seaweed. PA will help to accelerate the scale-up and commercialization of the technology.

New equipment and new patents are part of this newly designed print, production and test site – one of the few North America locations for liquid-filled cartons.

Wynn Petfood is now packing its entire product portfolio of premium pet food blends (that are mixed with water at home) and practical snacks for dogs 100% in paper.

Now and then I like to reflect on how the packaging industry intersects with my personal background. This seems especially appropriate now since it was approximately one year ago that I became Chief Editor of Packaging Strategies.

With more and more consumers shopping online and receiving packages in the mail, brands must work to convey messaging they once may have tried to accomplish through retail displays.

Labelexpo Americas 2024 in Rosemont, Illinois, was a key event for the label and package printing industry, featuring over 450 exhibitors. It offered live demonstrations and showcased the latest advancements in machinery and materials, underscoring its significance as a premier platform for industry innovation and networking since 1989.

Adding new blanking die cutters streamlines production and boosts capacity.

Universal Investment & Industries has been extremely successful in the service and packaging industry for years.

New product line provides fully compostable alternatives for over 40 popular packaging items that typically aren't available in compostable varieties – like window boxes and sandwich boxes.

The brand is undergoing a packaging redesign for its three Harvest Snaps flavors: Honey Dijon, Loaded Taco, and White Cheddar Jalapeno.

This move comes as part of a strategic effort to elevate the brand’s presence in retail environments and enhance its appeal among health-conscious consumers.

New 34,000 square foot facility enables Atlantic Packaging to further support West Coast customers and the continued transition to sustainable packaging.

Crown Packaging Corp. expands services to meet growing demand for packaging solutions.

The brand currently includes blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries.

Rethceif is a manufacturer of automated form-fill-seal packaging and robotic palletizing equipment.

Packaging Strategies recently spoke to three heavyweights in the area of form/fill/seal equipment, TNA Solutions, Viking Masek Packaging Technologies, and Formost Fuji Corp., regarding their responses to a variety of new demands including sustainability and new food trends.

SeaWell™ active packaging utilizes food contact-safe absorbent materials embedded into its proprietary Drip-Lock™ technology to trap excess fluids inside patented pockets or wells.

In this interview, Videojet’s Sherry Washburn discusses how recent improvements to soft-pigmented inks are facilitating coding and contrast printing for packaging.

Innovative packaging solutions and revolutionary digital watermarking technology come together to power sustainability initiatives for the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Videojet 2380 large character marking system now employs up to four printheads to print on multiple sides of cases and cartons.

While paper packaging in many ways is more naturally eco-friendly than plastic packaging, Sun Chemical is busy developing inks and coatings solutions to ensure that true recyclability is achieved as the ‘paperization’ trend gains steam.

The USDCHF has moved up to a high of 0.88357. That is just short of a high swing area on the daily chart above at 0.88379. Get above that level and stay above, opens the door for more upside momentum.

ON the downside, the closest risk is the 200 day MA, but more conservative risk would be the 50% of the move down from the May high at 0.87986. I would think that short term traders seeing a move above the 50% and the 200 day MA would want to see both those technical levels remain broken.

If not, there could be some disappointment on the failed break and more downside corrective probing.

Last week, the tech giants — Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Meta — released their quarterly reports, which showed steady revenue and profit growth across the board, pretty much in line with previous ones.

However, except for the results of Jeff Bezos’ company and Amazon stock, the investors were not “fully satisfied.” Mixed forecasts for the next quarter and expected spending were of concern, especially in AI.

Although companies are confident in AI's enormous potential, developing and building the infrastructure to support it is proving costly, and results continue to fall short of expectations.

Right now, the biggest beneficiaries of the AI boom are similar to those in the gold rush — the ones supplying the tools. In today’s terms, that means essential hardware and cloud service providers.

For example, Microsoft Cloud quarterly revenue grew 22% year-over-year to $38.9 billion, with Azure and other cloud services experiencing a 33% increase, about 12% of which was driven by AI services.

Amazon's AWS, in turn, generated $27.4 billion in Q3. Although slightly below expectations, growth in this segment remains strong at 19% (up from 12% last year), underscoring the growing demand for it.

Chipmakers, which drive these AI advances, are also experiencing huge gains. Leading the way is Nvidia, which recently surpassed Apple in market capitalization to become the world's most valuable company.

Taiwan's TSMC, a major chip supplier to giants such as Nvidia, Apple, and AMD, is also thriving. TSMC's technology powers leading-edge products in smartphones and advanced computing systems.

TSMC's third-quarter revenue rose 36% to $23.5 billion, while net profit soared 54.2% to $10.1 billion. Revenue from high-performance computing chips now accounts for 16% of the company's profit.

Who else benefits from the AI boom?

The list is not short: data centers, telcos, and networking companies are all reaping benefits, as are mining companies, driven by increased demand for metals and materials for chips and electronics.

Another big beneficiary could be the energy sector. Following the rise of AI tools such as ChatGPT, the UAE's Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology noted that global energy demand is expected to double.

Apparently, a single ChatGPT query requires ten times more energy than a Google search. As AI usage increases, so will the need for more data centers that do not run on air.

The minister expects a seven-fold increase in the use of solar and wind power, at least a 65% increase in demand for LNG, and a continued reliance on oil for fuel and other products.

Washington, D.C. -- Radio and television stations are not adequately compensated for their news content on technology platforms because of an imbalance in market power, according to a new study released today by BIA Advisory Services. The study found that each year broadcasters lose nearly $2 billion in value that they generate for two of the largest technology platforms through publication of their valuable content – particularly local news.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Broadcast television stations significantly increased the number of local news telecasts and hours of news content they aired over a 10-year period, according to an analysis of Nielsen data conducted by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB).

Washington, D.C. -- The new CineCentral destination at the 2023 NAB Show gives attendees an opportunity to learn side-by-side with Hollywood's award-winning production professionals and gain skills with hands-on training inspired by NAB’s Cine Consortium. CineCentral is located in Central Hall (C7345) and adjacent to the Create Experiential Zone featuring sessions on Cine+Live, the burgeoning live production style where cinematic tools and storytelling is integrated into live entertainment. Additional workshops will be presented by American Cinema Editors, American Society of Cinematographers, International Cinematographers Guild/Local 600 and The Society of Camera Operators.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt participated today in a Senate AI Insight Forum titled "Transparency, Explainability, Intellectual Property and Copyright."