Packaging Blog: Packaging Industry News

Agent Cool Blue not so cool as 4 million bottles get recalled

2007-04-12T14:21:00.000-04:00

Because of contamination by microorganisms. all lots of Glacier Mint and Bubble Blast flavors of Listerine Agent Cool Blue plaque-detecting rinse sold or distributed since the product's launch last year are being recalled effecting some 4 million bottles of product.

Fortunately this product recall does not affect any other Listerine products and it is likely that the alcohol contained in conventional Listerine products may have thwarted these contaminates.

Despite the use of preservatives in Agent Cool Blue, McNeil-PPC Inc said product testing showed contamination by microorganisms but added that the risk of illness after consuming the product is low, except for any individuals with weakened or suppressed immune systems. So far there has not been any report of consumer health problems.

If you have any of the products, return the product for a full refund. For further information check out the Agent Cool Blue web site or call (888) 222-0249.

Reduced packaging helps the National Parks

2007-02-17T17:22:00.001-05:00

Sometimes small changes in consumer behavior can make huge changes to the environment. The revolution in digital photography has made a huge change in packaging.

I just read a fascinating observation on how outdoor digital photography in National Parks has actually reduced how much litter from empty film canisters and photographic film packaging is actually creating cleaner environments in our recreational areas.

The real question now is what your company is doing to reduce the environmental impact of excessive packaging or what creative innovations that you are using in your packaging strategy so that your products and company has less of a negative impact on the environment, improved customer perception of your company and products, and maybe even some more money on your bottom line.

Tell us what you have done and maybe your story will appear here or in our other syndicated media outlets.

Send your environmental success stories to: whatwearedoing at packagingblog.com.

Plastic and glass packaging definitions

2006-11-22T13:12:00.001-05:00

Experienced and rookie packaging professionals will enjoy the plastic and glass definitions page and compatibility information I found while surfing packaging sites today.

Since plastic bottles and glass bottles are used in packaging of all types it helps to have this information at your fingertips.

Don’t know what Types I, Type II, and Type III glass containers can be used for? Go to the bottle definition page.

AptarGroup Acquires Packaging Manufacturer MBF

2005-10-09T17:34:00.001-04:00

One of the leading US Packaging manufacturers AptarGroup Inc has acquired a French packaging components maker MBF Development for about $43 million cash.

As part of the deal, AptarGroup whose 2004 sales topped $1.3 billion will assume $10 million in debt to buy out MBF Development whose yearly earnings are around $52 million.

AptarGroup, with 2004 sales of about $1.3 billion, supplies dispensing products such as finger tip sprayer pumps, dispensing pumps, treatment pumps, fragrance pumps, and foaming dispensers servicing the personal care, cosmetic, fragrance, food and pharmaceutical markets.

Oxygen Scavenging PET Bottles and Jars

2005-10-07T14:58:00.002-04:00

With advent of an improved oxygen-scavenging barrier that is undergoing testing right now, PET will now be able to take and even larger sector of ridged packaging from bottles and jars.

PET is by far one of the fastest growing segments of the beverage bottling industry, but has also made huge inroads in the cosmetic and personal care and food industry. Much of its rapid acceptable into the market is due to the fact that PET bottles and jars are not only shatterproof and recyclable now (see PET recycling increases for 2004 on Packaging Blog), they are as cosmetically appealing as glass - without the weight.

One of the key negative attributes of PET Bottles and other PET packaging containers is that fact that PET does a poor job in keeping oxygen from permeating the container and reacting with whatever is inside. Oxygen reacting with the fill of a container can affect the flavor of foods and drinks, the color and fragrance of a fill and it can dramatically affect the shelf life of some products as well.

Constar International has worked hard to beat this problem and is now on its third solution DiamondClear which when blended with monolayer PET, binds oxygen and stops the negative effects of oxygen on the fill.

The 2 prior methods Constar International had to correct this problem had their own issues: Oxbar is a multi-layer oxygen scavenger but required beverage makers to invest in multilayer injection equipment, and MonOxbar, which is a monolayer barrier material which cost less than Oxbar but was not accepted well due to the pearlescence and haze, which dramatically reduced its attraction on the shelf.

Expect to see far more products packed in PE packaging such as teas, sauces, creams and more due to this exceptional new advance in PET plastics.

PET recycling increases for 2004

2005-10-05T18:21:00.001-04:00

The recycling rate for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic used in packaging for rigid containers such as bottles and jars has increased to 1.003 billion pounds in 2004.

According to 2004 PET Recycling Rate Study published by National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) 21.6% of post-consumer PET containers were recycled which is the highest percentage since 2001.

I find it reassuring that finally Pet recycling seems to have taken off and it has occurred just in time too since the supply of PET container such as bottles and jars has also set a record of 4.637 billion pounds. Obviously, there is still a long way to go with recycling PET containers, but I find this news very encouraging. The recycling rate is also helped by fact that Recycled PET (RPET) has stable prices that now effectively can compete with virgin PET. Thanks to enforcement of Rigid Plastics Packaging Container Law in California which requires a minimum of 25% post-consumer recycled content in rigid plastic packaging for nonfood products, RPET bottles and jars have tripled.

While it is encouraging that post consumer recycling of PET packaging is increasing, there are still companies that use PET packaging that are dumping PET bottles and PET jars when they become excess or surplus rather than selling or brokering their surplus packaging with a company that specializes in liquidating surplus packaging such as Closeout Packaging.

It is amazing that some companies will let obsolete surplus packaging deteriorate in their warehouse and use up valuable real estate rather then turning their surplus packaging into cash. When was the last time you went through your warehouse to see what surplus packaging to could sell and turn stagnant inventory into working capital all while saving the environment?

Caps and closures use in packaging predicted to rise

2005-10-03T13:08:00.001-04:00

According to world renowned research group Freedonia, accelerating economic growth, increased demand from China and packaging such as gabletop and aseptic drink cartons and plastic pouches no adding closures, an average growth rate of 4.8 percent by 2009 is expected for closures and caps in packaging.

Even though the price of raw materials has caused a spike in the pries of plastic packaging components, since they are few or no alternatives to caps and closures used in packaging, their sales are not expected to suffer but actually thrive.

the Increase in cost for the raw materials used in caps and closures have no only increased the short supply of raw materials due to a double wallop of hurricanes to the Gulf region this year, a huge increase in demand by China driven by dispensing caps and closures, child resistant safety caps, and overcaps are putting a squeeze on supply and driving material costs up.

We have all seen a dramatic decline in the use of metal caps for packaging and this void in the market has been predominantly filled by plastic caps and closures.

In a bold move, the makers of Dannon yogurt Dannone, now saves 3.6 million pounds of plastic each year by eliminating the plastic overcaps formally used on their 6 oz yogurt package. While this tactic worked form Dannon, most companies don't have the luxury of being able to remove excess packaging in order to increase packaging savings.

Avon and Estee Lauder both lower 2005 expectations

2005-09-28T09:32:00.001-04:00

The HBA Expo floor was abuzz that both Avon and Estee Lauder have reduced their earnings expectations for financial year citing the continued rise in oil price that is hitting manufacturing costs, as well as other factors.

Avon announced that and unexpected shortfall in all of its four sales regions will be effecting its original projection by as much as 16%. Avon is still expecting revenue increases though in spike of the current situation.

On the other hand, Estee Lauder expects an approximately 1% hit due to currency translation negatively impacting sales and a 10% hit to their bottom line caused by factors such as expenses relating to closures and over-stocking.

Cosmetic and personal care manufactures all expressed concern yesterday because of economic uncertainty and the fact that raw material costs especially in packaging, and transportation are expected to skyrocket.

Distributors of packaging complained that increases on inbound freight on packaging such as glass bottles have been affected by as much 25% this year, which does not even factor in the latest fuel increases.

Manufacturers of packaging and packaging distributors have no choice but to pass these increases on to their customer, which has everyone up in arms. Since packaging accounts for about 10% of most products cost, this is going to effect bottom lines if even the most profitable companies.

The announcements are early signs that cosmetics manufacturers are in for a rough storm, as economic conditions continue to look doubtful.

Both the Packaging and Industrial Films Association (PIFA) and Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) warned its customers of significant price increases.

On a brighter note, two suppliers of printed labels I interviewed both claim that the do not expect any price increases that they will have to pass onto their customers and that they are both doing so well they are willing to absorb the increases of their raw material costs.

HBA Packaging show jitters…

2005-09-27T09:04:00.001-04:00

It is that time of the year again when the best packaging, cosmetic and personal care show -the HBA Expo in New York City begins.

This show looks like another groundbreaker from what I saw yesterday while walking the floor after an interview yesterday.

Since I have exhibited or visited all but one show since the HBA Expo started, I guess I can be considered and expert on this show.

New booths and an ever-expanding Asian supplier section are the first things that struck me when walking the trade show floor. Plenty of new packaging and new raw materials I saw in the cases and in displays is what is drawing me back today for the grand opening of the premier packaging show.

Anyone who recognizes me and asks for a a free dinner tonight, gets one. I will be the person in the suit with shoes on and a briefcase. See if you can find me!

Traditional Packaging still preferred by consumers.

2005-09-26T21:58:00.001-04:00

According to a report by the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) in conjunction with PACK EXPO, Americans continue to favor traditional packaging, including metal cans, instead of pouches and newer packaging in their food and beverage Purchases.

This report was based upon telephone interviews of 1,000 respondents who considered metal cans to be the safest of all containers. The study also revealed that busy consumers want future packaging to be simple, easy to use and convenient. This further reinforces the fact that all of the recent innovations in metal packaging and not only overwhelmingly applauded by consumers, it shows that the metal can remains one of the most economical, environmentally friendly and safest packaging format.

88% of the survey respondents favored traditional packaging such as metal cans, plastic and glass bottles and jars over pouches and paperboard packaging. There is also a perception by consumers that metal packaging is best at keeping nutrients without preservatives.

90% of survey respondents cited food safety and tampering as major concerns as that the metal can was the most tamper evident packaging followed by glass containers, plastic containers, paperboard packaging and the pouches used in packaging.

Robert Budway, CMI president proudly announced that "This packaging trends report captures a moment in time," and that "The metal-packaging industry is in the midst of a dynamic change with breakthrough innovations easy-to-use containers with twist-tops, resealable metal lids, pull-tab lids and peelable opening systems representing an exciting new chapter in the venerable food can's 200-year life." He went on to say "Increasingly convenient packaging methods and rising recycling rates highlight the new focus of the metal-can industry: improving the ease of consumers' lives and protecting the environment around them."

Cans have been on of the most successfully recycled component of packaging for many years now and my own experience has shown me that people who are not normally "recyclers" more of then that not at least recycle cans so it was not surprising to me that 86% of the packaging survey respondents listed metal cans as recyclable over paperboard and pouches.

I had the pleasure of spending hours discussing packaging and the evolution of packaging with two extremely well known packaging industry distribution insiders and our combined experience in the packaging field exceeded 50 years.

In both interviews the topic of cycles of evolutions in rigid packaging was disused at length. Metal cans for aerosol came up in one interview, and metal packaging for food and beverage played an important role in the second interview. Both insiders perspective clearly showed that while individual metal packaging components have changed - especially an aerosol packaging, metal packaging is still an integral part of their business and they expect that metal will continue to be so based upon their customers demand for traditional packaging.

Plastic resin prices poised to soar…again.

2005-09-25T17:34:00.001-04:00

Plastic resins prices have already surged almost 40% since June and with even the limited damage caused by Rita. Prices will surge again.

Going to the gas station has become increasing painful for everyone the past few months and we all knew that this is not the last place our wallets and pocketbooks were going to be affected by the ever increasing cost for oil and natural gas.

Soaring natural gas prices are not only going to be dramatically increasing the cost to heat homes this winter, they are pushing up the costs of chemicals and resins that will increase across the board packaging costs.

Natural gas is going to increase resin prices for packaging because not only it is and integral raw material in plastic resin but it is a fuel source to run the plastic resin manufacturing facilities.

Not only is styrene, glycols and other raw materials in tight supply because of 2 hurricane-related production shutdowns and transportation issues, fuel surcharges for trucking materials to their destinations have doubled creating business-threatening cost changes. Manufactures in the plastic molding industry will have no choice but to pass these increases costs to their customers, which will ultimately hit consumers hard.

If this is not bad enough, the law of supply and demand will also dictate higher prices for plastic resin in packaging as according to the U.S. Census Bureau figures, the U.S. trade deficit in plastics products grew to an astounding $1.47 billion in 2003 from a mere $526 million in 2002. Resin shortages may even become an even bigger concern than higher prices.

According to Chuck Hamley, president of Advanced Extrusions Inc "So far we are not having trouble getting material. But it is my No. 1 concern".

Packaging Manufacturer Saint-Gobain Calmar Acquires Italian Pump Company

2005-09-25T10:22:00.000-04:00

Saint-Gobain Calmar a packaging manufacturer who specializes in pumps, dispensers and sprayers has just acquired Microspray Delta an Italian manufacturer of pumps for the fragrance and cosmetics industries.

Calmar is one of the leading manufacturers of pumps sold in the US and abroad is going after the small but competitive European market for cosmetic pumps. The other current leaders of this niche market are the leader Rexam and the Aptar group. This move by Saint-Gobain Calmar will thrust them into the number 2 position.

Calmar is best know her in the US for their dispensing packaging such as fingertip sprayer pumps, trigger sprayers pumps, dispensing pumps, cosmetic treatment pumps, and airless dispensing systems. In 1998, Calmar became part of the Saint-Gobain Group's Packaging Sector. While Calmar has now sold fragrance pumps for years in the US, their sales pale in comparison to the dominate leaders in the US fragrance pumps market: Emsar (a division of Aptar) and Rexam.

Microspray Delta who employs 70 people and whose revenues reached over €16 million, was established in 1948 an for the last 18 years specialized in producing pumps which has allowed the Milan based company to sustain growth as a result for increasing demand for pumps.

Microspray Delta currently manufacturers including screw, snap-on and crimper pumps, along with a variety of actuators, caps and other accessories. Their pumps have always been received well by packaging buyers and consumers alike due to functionality and consistent quality.

Good Job Alcan!

2005-09-08T20:18:00.001-04:00

Alcan Inc. announced today that it is donating 500,000 to the American Red Cross to assist in relief efforts following the devastation caused to the U.S. Gulf coast by hurricane Katrina last week even though Alcan does not currently have any facilities in the affected region.

"On behalf of Alcan, our deepest sympathies and prayers go out to the families and friends of the victims, in particular those who are part of our family. At present, many Alcan retirees and at least one employee were directly impacted by the hurricane," said Travis Engen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Alcan Inc. "Tens of thousands of people have lost everything: family, friends, homes, jobs. It is reassuring to see the global community unite and collectively assist the survivors to rebuild their lives," he added.

Ironically, Alcan operated a cable plant until 2003 in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, which is a town that was virtually flattened by Katrina. This facility is one of the few buildings to have not been completely destroyed by Katrina and is being used in the relief effort. Alcan has also stated that they are monitoring developments in the region and continuing to assess additional means of providing assistance.

Alcan, not only a leader in packaging, a company setting a good example!

Injection molder for Packaging bought by Rexam

2005-09-06T13:04:00.000-04:00

The Rexam global packaging group has acquired US-based Delta Plastics who employs over 350 people for $154m.

Delta Plastics designs and manufactures jars and closures primarily for the personal care and food packaging sectors. They also have a technology center, which designs, develops and manufactures Delta Plastics own molds and automation equipment.

Delta Plastics 2004 sales reached $50m and it had net operating assets of $49m was previously owned by private equity fund Stonebridge Partners, which took control in June 2003.

Rexam chief executive Lars Emilson said: "Delta Plastics is a well run operation that has posted impressive growth rates in recent years.

"The acquisition is perfectly in line with our strategy to grow our Plastic Packaging business and enhance our current product offering. It will increase our presence in the important US market and we foresee a number of synergies in areas such as raw materials purchasing, technology access and additional sales."

Alcan and United Steelworkers move forward

2005-09-04T09:03:00.001-04:00

850 unionized employees represented by United Steelworkers (USW) Local 5668 at the Ravenswood, West Virginia, aluminum rolling mill, have ratified a new five-year agreement effective as of June 1, 2005 with Pechiney Rolled Products, LLC., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alcan Inc.

"I am very pleased with the outcome of the ratification vote. It is a
clear demonstration that all parties concerned are determined to work together to build a bright future for Ravenswood," Michel Jacques, President and Chief Executive Officer, Alcan Engineered Products. "Building on the progress achieved in the last two years, we are now in a position to undertake new initiatives to improve the long-term viability of the plant. Soon to be re-named Alcan Rolled Products-Ravenswood, the facility is a key asset of the Engineered Products Business Group, helping to serve better a wide range of customers especially in aerospace," he added.

The Ravenswood plant is one of the largest aluminum rolling mills in the world and produces high quality aluminum plate, coil and sheet products for the packaging, aerospace, aeronautical and transportation industries.

Alcan is a multinational, market-driven company and a global leader in aluminum and packaging which employs almost 70,000 people and has operating facilities in 55 countries and regions. With operations in primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum as well as flexible and specialty packaging, aerospace applications, bauxite mining and alumina processing.

Aluminum Can Companies Donate Cans

2005-09-03T11:15:00.000-04:00

Millions of Cans of Water for Victims of Hurricane Katrina will be possible because of the generous donations by Aluminum Association member companies Alcoa, ARCO Aluminum, and Novelis whom are sending truckloads of canned water to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

250,000 cans were shipped yesterday from The Aluminum Association's Cans for Habitat for Humanity recycling program, with the packaging donated by Crown Cork and Seal.

The companies are arranging production for about 5 million more cans for the ongoing relief effort. Packaging companies Ball Corporation, Crown, and Rexam are producing the new canned water supplies. Even beverage and can maker Anheuser-Busch Companies announced Friday its plans to donate 2.5 million cans per week.

"This is a major natural disaster with untold death and human suffering," said Aluminum Association Steve Larkin. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast."

The Aluminum Association, based in Washington, DC, represents U.S. and foreign-based primary producers of aluminum, aluminum recyclers and producers of fabricated products, as well as suppliers to the industry. Member companies operate almost 200 plants in the United States and many conduct business worldwide contributed $1,000 to the American Red Cross for the relief effort.

I am glad to see when there are so many on need, that members of the packaging industry are pulling together to make a difference. Thanks for making for making a difference.

Packaging company Rexam to build new plant

2005-09-02T09:47:00.000-04:00

Rexam global consumer packaging group has announced that it is to build a new beverage can making plant in Brazil, to meet increased demand.

Rexam's Chief Executive Lars Emilson, announced "The project is a continuation of Rexam's strategy to increase our presence in this important market and will reinforce our competitive advantage in the region. It is an important step forward in an exciting market and it will strengthen our capability to serve our beverage can customers in South America."

The packaging manufacturer Rexam is and the world's number 1 beverage can manufacturer and the cans slated for product in the new plant are regarded as the optimal packaging solution for beverage distribution.

The beverage can manufacturing plant will be in Cuiab, in the state of Mato Grosso, in the centre-west of the country which is the region with the fastest growing GDP levels in Brazil.

Is my prescription for maggots and leeches ready?

2005-08-31T10:15:00.001-04:00

Even though maggots and leeches have been used for hundreds of years for medical purposes, the Food and Drug Administration finally classified them as biotherapy medical devices which would require a prescription.

Doctors now have FDA approval to use maggots which are the larvae of green blow flies, to trim dead flesh with more precision than scalpels. Disinfected maggots which are white as snow and wiggling are applied to wounds as a last resort in some cases. Apparently there is little or no discomfort while the maggots eat decayed flesh and a treatment normally takes from 1 to 2 days.

Since the maggots only eat decayed flesh and do not touch the live tissue, to cure rate is high with relatively no pain, no need to go to operating room, and no bleeding, typically.

In addition to ulcers, maggots have been used to treat to skin ulcers, bedsores and to aid burn victims. Some of the burn victims from the Sept. 11 attack on the Pentagon benefited from this biotherapy.

According to Gilbert Waldbauer, a professor emeritus of entomology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, prior to the FDA endorsement of disinfected maggots as medical devices, doctors would get their maggots from local insect specialists for their supplies.

Dr. Ron Sherman's maggot therapy laboratory at the University of California Irvine, ships maggots grown under sterile conditions to US and Canadian doctors and he sent enough medical-grade maggots for about 2,000 treatments.

Leeches which are usually imported from France have been used by doctors for centuries to control bleeding especially after reattachments of severed fingers and toes.

A panel suggested that the FDA needs to include instructions on how to humanely kill leeches before disposal because medicinal leeches become engorged with potentially tainted human blood, they must be disposed of as biohazardous waste.

It will be interested to see the response from PETA.

Contaminated Pepsi

2005-08-25T09:31:00.001-04:00

Pepsi Cola is in serious trouble now that testing in nearly a half a dozen bottling and packaging plants revealed alarming results of excessive E-Coli bacteria that is in health threatening levels.

The Rajasthan government announced the bad news for Pepsi in a statement by state Medical and Health Minister Digamber Singh who stated that stern action would be taken against bottling plants who failed the government testing for the presence of E-Coli bacteria.

According to the minister, 2004 Standards dictate that an E-Coli count should not exceed 50 per parts per million (ppm) but a number of the Pepsi plants plants were violating these norms with counts as high as 110 ppm according to the minister.

Now that Pepsi has joined Coca Cola in being on the bad side of the Indian government one has to wonder how much this is going to effect soft drink sales in India.

The companies on whose products the tests were conducted are: Varun Beverages Ltd and Sahil bottling Company, Alwar; Ronak Soft Drinks, Chittorgarh; Balaji Bottling, Kota; Ambika Bottling Plant, Abu Road and Balaji Bottling, Ajmer.

Coca Cola in India ordered to shut down its bottling plant

2005-08-20T16:05:00.000-04:00

Coca Cola was ordered by the pollution control authority of the south Indian state of Kerala to shut down its bottling plant in Plachimada of Palakkad District.

According to the Kerala Pollution Control Board Chairman G Rajmohan that waste from Plachimada Coca Cola's plant is contaminating the drinking water of the adjacent villages, and that the Coke bottling plant’s waste treatment system is inadequate.

G Rajmohan explained that the Pollution Control Board found cadmium content in the sludge generated by the Coke bottling plant was above permissible limits.

Spokesperson from Coca Cola said that the company is evaluating the steps to be taken in the future, including judicial measures.

Packaging unchanged for Mars and Snickers

2005-08-19T15:54:00.000-04:00

Even though more than 3 million bars were recalled and destroyed in New South Wales afterMasterfoods received a series of threatening letters seven weeks ago, the candy bars return to the shelves today in the original packaging.

There was considerable speculation by packaging insiders (see packaging blog article Packaging rethink for Mars and Snickers) that Masterfoods who lost at least $10 million in the cost of recalling potentially tampered with chocolate bars would change their packaging to a more tamper proof package, but according to the president of Masterfoods, Andy Weston-Webb "We've looked at tamper-proofing packaging and if we could we'd consider it, But there really is no tamper-proof packaging that is available in the marketplace. We'll always look at opportunities to improve the security of packaging."

Masterfoods says for confidentiality reasons it cannot say whether the cost of a recall of the bars will be covered by insurance.

Rigid packaging prices expected to climb

2005-08-17T16:51:00.000-04:00

According to the S&P depending on their contracts, processors can expect the higher raw material costs for ridged packaging to be to be passed on soon.

Those companies using rigid plastic containers, metal and glass for their products will the ones most affected by this increase in packaging prices. It is predicted that cosmetics and toiletry producers can expect the higher costs to be passed on sooner than other industries.

According to a Standard & Poor's report released this week, a significant number of manufacturers have responded to recent price hikes by managing their packaging inventories more efficiently and by shopping for their packaging more earnestly and purchasing lower priced packaging.

According to Liley Mehta a credit analyst for Standard & Poor's stated that ongoing raw-material price pressures, mainly due to significant hikes for plastic resin, and limited year-over-year volume growth are the key issues facing the packaging industry.

She went on to say "End customers are also managing their inventory balances in anticipation of raw-material price movements, and smaller order patterns have affected volume growth for plastic packaging suppliers".

Because of increased oil and natural gas prices and efforts by the petrochemical companies to push through further hikes are going to offset the slight decrease in prices we have seen the past few months in some plastic resins such as polypropylene and polyethylene. Now it appears that resin prices will increase for the remainder of the year adding further pressure to flexible plastic packaging companies.

Since most companies that produce ridged packaging generally have contractual agreements allowing for price adjustments due to raw material increases, they will be able to pass down their increased costs to their customers.

Also hit by increased raw material cost is the glass packaging sector in the US due to higher natural gas prices and increased soda ash prices, though most glass packaging producers are expected to gradually recoup higher energy costs through the price adjustment allowances within their contacts with their customers.

Food Packaging Labels are critical to sales

2005-08-16T16:42:00.000-04:00

According to a new study by ACNielsen a packages label is a crucial factor in a consumer decision to purchase a product.

The Online Consumer Opinion Survey which was conducted by ACNielsen who asked 21,100 consumers from North America, Central and South America, Asia, Europe and South Africa about tier level of understanding food package labeling, when they would even check the labels on food packaging and what they actually were checking as they were shopping.

The president of ACNielsen Asia Pacific Bienvenido C. Niles Jr commented "For manufacturers of packaged goods, the product's nutritional proposition - whether it appeals to the specific selection criteria of the consumer - and the clarity of the information on the nutrition panel are critical at the point of product trial," and went on to say "Whether the product 'contents' meet the consumers' selection criteria, and how easily the label is understood, can determine whether or not the consumer proceeds to purchase the product, or return it to the shelf."

What I found interesting about this study on packaging labels and how they affect a consumers purchasing response is how local customs and culture have such a strong influence as to whether a consumer will or will not check the labels of food packages as well as how versed they are with what is contained on the packaging labels.

A glaring example of how local customs and habits can influence a consumers interaction with labels on food packaging is that In Japan, for example, consumers place such a high level of trust in well-known manufacturers, and given the strict legal restrictions in Japan which causes consumers to believe that the only products being sold are of the highest quality thus 24 percent of consumers in Japan never even check food labels. Compare this to Thailand where 41 percent and India where 32 percent of consumers claim to always check labels on food packaging.

The study found that North Americans had the best understanding of food labels and nutritional information and awareness of food related health issues such as the consumption of trans fats, but surprisingly still had a significant percentage of consumers who did not check what they eat.

According to Alice Fawver, senior vice president, retail measurement services, ACNielsen US Marketing "Food labels represent an important opportunity for consumer packaged goods manufacturers to differentiate their products and build consumer trust, but the opportunities are lost if labels aren't being read," and that "It is critical for manufacturers to make their labeling as relevant and clear to their consumers as they can, given consumers are making purchase choices based on the information on the packaging. If they can't understand the label, they may not risk the purchase."

Organic Packaging under review again

2005-08-15T15:41:00.000-04:00

The US federal government is now writing new regulations concerning organic food packaging labeling as a result of legal challenges by an organic blueberry farmer from Maine.

Obviously the new rules are detrimental to consumers as products must be 95 percent organic in order to be qualify for the US Department of Agriculture's organic seal for packaging, but presently products with 70 percent organic ingredients are allowed to advertise on their packaging and elsewhere that they have been "made with organic ingredients".

It seems quite obvious that organic manufacturers said they might switch to the "made with" organic ingredients label that could result in less organic ingredients used which does not help the consumer by keeping healthier products in the food stream or encourage organic and more environmental sound farming methods.

In my humble opinion in order to be labeled as organic, food should be 100% organic. If I order a slice of toast, I want 100% toast, not 95% toast and 5% shoe leather. I would also refuse to eat toast that is made from 70% bread and 30% non bread ingredients.

Even though Arthur Harvey's 2002 suit with the alleged that the organic food regulations were far more lax than the original legislation intended failed, Harvey won several points on appeal including limiting the use of non-organic agricultural products in food tabled "organic." (see packaging blog article:Organic Seal results in USDA Law Suit).

Now the National Organic Standards Board, which advises the US Agriculture Department, will be meeting to discuss the ramifications of Harveys' lawsuit.

AUSPAK:Packaging Trade Show

2005-08-10T16:44:00.000-04:00

The AUSPAK is Australia's only trade show that is an international exhibition of packaging and processing machinery, materials and associated technology which has been steadily increasing ion popularity with packaging professionals from around the world.

AUSPAK 2005 will be held in Sydney from October 11 th to the 14 th at Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park. This even is only held once every 2 years and is alternated between Sidney and Melbourne Australia. Expect to see the latest packaging machinery, packaging products, and technology with more than 900 brands on display from over 200 exhibitors. Catagory of buyers attending this packaging show include food, beverages, chemicals, household products, confectionary, printing, packaging, pharmaceuticals & cosmetics and plastics.

The last AUSPAK show saw a 19.5% increase in attendance when compared to the previous AUSPAK show and if they keep it up this will become a world class packaging show.

US Glass Packaging Company in trouble

2005-08-09T14:21:00.001-04:00

In a move expected by many one of the last US manufacturers of glass packaging Anchor Glass Container files for Chapter 11 and effective immediately Anchor Glass named Chief Financial Officer Mark Burgess who joined the company in May as chief executive

Anchor Glass Container Corp stated that will continue paying employee salaries and to continue employee benefits without disruption and stated that its senior secured credit facility lenders have agreed to convert their loan facility into a debtor-in-possession facility so that the company may continue to operate.

Is the latest move by Tampa Florida based Anchor Glass Container Corp. (agcc) who voluntarily filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 the beginning of the end of US manufacturers of glass used in packaging?

Safety Alert on Oral Drops with packaged Syringe

2005-08-05T09:08:00.000-04:00

Again confusing packaging for children's medication causes the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to announce that the Perrigo Company has initiated a voluntary nationwide recall of all lots of concentrated infants' oral drops.

The medication effected by the recall is packaged with a dosing syringe bearing only a "1.6 mL" mark which may be confusing in determining the proper dose for infants less than 2 years of age as directed by a doctor and could lead to improper dosing, including overdosing.

A physician who noticed the potential confusion that the packaged dosing syringe could cause filed a complaint with the American Academy of Pediatrics. The packaging and labeling allows safe dosing for 2-3 year olds weighing 24-35 lbs,

Even though the packaging for 2-3 year olds is safe, these products are also intended for use by children younger than 2 years and weighing less than 24 pounds and the labeling directs consumers to consult with their doctor for correct dosing directions for smaller infants.

The oral dosing syringe packaged with these products is not marked so as to accurately measure doses less than 1.6 mL. The prior packaging that enclosed a dropper, not the oral dosing syringe, was marked with two markings on it ("0.4 mL" and "0.8 mL"). The new package as a syringe with a single mark on has caused confusion among consumers and health-care professionals and may lead to improper dosing which may cause liver damage.

The medication contains acetaminophen; acetaminophen, dextromethorphan HBr, and pseudoephedrine HCl; or dextromethorphan HBr, and pseudoephedrine HCl and on retail level effects the following medications:

Cherry Flavor Infant Pain Reliever 160 mg Acetaminophen (0.5 oz. and 1.0 oz)
Grape Flavor Infant Pain Reliever 160 mg Acetaminophen (0.5 oz. and 1.0 oz)
Cherry Flavor Cough and Cold Infant Drops (0.5 oz)
Cherry Flavor Decongestant and Cough Infant Drops (0.5 oz)

The products were sold nationally under the following store-brand labels: American Fare, Best Choice, Brooks, Berkley & Jensen, CVS, Dollar General, Eckerd, Equaline, Equate, Family Dollar, Food Lion, Good Neighbor, GoodSense, Healthy Generations, Health Pride,Hy-Vee, Kroger, Leader, Longs, Major, Medicine Shoppe, Meijer, Parklane, Publix, Rite Aid, Safeway, Shop Rite, Sunmark, Target, Today's Health, Top Care, Walgreens, Western Family, and Winn Dixie.

A packaging professional not understanding how a customer uses his product and paying attention to small details caused this immense problem that endangered the health of small children and will cost the company untold millions to recall the existing packaging. I am glad it was not me.

Packaging Professionals Need to be Cloned!

2005-08-04T12:25:00.000-04:00

This years HBA Expo in New York is scheduled to run at the same time the PACK Expo will be running in Las Vegas.

Exhibiting in a trade show is a ton of work and a huge commitment of time and money if you want to do it right so why in the world would trade shows in the packaging industry shows book conflicting dates? Even just walking a trade show and getting the most bang for the buck requires time effort and follow up.

The PACK Expo going on from September 26th to the 28th in Las Vegas boasts that it is “the largest and most comprehensive packaging show in the Western Hemisphere, and the only place you need to go to find the latest cutting-edge packaging and processing solutions.” and claims to have more than 1,200 packaging and processing exhibitors in 500,000 square feet.

PACK Expo Exhibit Hours:

September 26th, to 28th 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

The HBA Expo running from September 27th to the 29th in New York has been a huge show for the health and beauty industry for 12 consecutive years will have 575 exhibitors from 65 countries in 289,000 square feet and claims it is expecting 16,601 attendees.

HBA Expo Exhibit Hours:

September 27 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

September 28 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

September 29 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

So what is a small to mid size company do when conflicting shows which both have value to the many of the same packaging professionals do? Both shows have exceptional opportunities for packaging professionals and great conferences and lectures by the who’s who of packaging and manufacturing and processing. The choice is tough and time won’t permit me from visiting both so I am going to the HBA Expo and will have to hear second hand what the PACK Expo was all about.

If you haven’t booked either of the shows the time to do it is now as my preferred hotels in New York were running out of show rate rooms last week.

Too bad cloning is not an option!

Packaging company CCL's Q2 profits up

2005-08-03T12:24:00.000-04:00

Toronto-based CCL Industries Inc reported a huge increase in net profits for the second quarter as the packaging company booked a big gain from the sale of its North American custom manufacturing business for $273-million which was completed May 17th.

Quarterly sales rose 20.7 per cent to $280.1 million from $232 million for Toronto-based CCL Industries Inc who manufactures specialty aluminum containers, plastic tubes and closures and product labels producers of cosmetics, deodorants, cleaning products and other consumer brands.

CCL Industries Inc earned $113.8 million or $3.53 a Class B share for the quarter that ended June 30 2005 compared to a profit of $11.9 million or 37 cents a share for the same 2004 period.

Chief executive Donald Lang said in a release: "We are very pleased with the performance of our specialty packaging business across all divisions".

Biodegradable Packaging certified in 3 continents

2005-08-02T13:46:00.000-04:00

Grenidea Technologies AgroResin packaging is made from the by-products of the palm oil industry or agricultural fibers, such as wheat straw which are common by-products of annual crops has received US certification for its food packaging, allowing multinational companies to use its biodegradable product in North America and Europe.

The Singapore-based company's AgroResin product is already being used in the Asian market and is wood free, pulp free, emission free, and chemical free and has already received certification within the EU as biodegradable packaging for food. According to Grenidea Technologies "If your company is a molded pulp manufacturer, you can use AgroResin material with your existing processes, there is no need to make new, significant investments in manufacturing."

Grenidea will introduce AgroResin into the US market at the beginning of 2006 and even though AgroResin packaging can be used in a wide range of food contact applications, from fresh produce, dried food and bakery products to frozen food, Grenidea Technologies says it plans to first target the fresh fruits and vegetable packaging segment of the market.

To be certified as biodegradable packaging in the EU, the packaging must be capable of undergoing physical, chemical, thermal or biological decomposition such that it ultimately decomposes into carbon dioxide, biomass and water. The demand for environmentally-friendly biodegradable packaging is a huge growth area, which is now driven by legislation, such as the EU's directive on packaging and packaging waste, which requires companies and retailers to cut down on the waste produced by their food products.

A new program which is made up of the leading UK retailers, is being launched under the Waste & Resources Action Program (Wrap) which will cause greater pressure on food processors to ship their products in environmentally-friendly materials.

DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers raises Resin Prices

2005-08-01T13:42:00.000-04:00

DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers decision to raise resin prices by 7 cents ($0.07) per pound for all grades of DuPont(TM) Elvax(R), Elvaloy(R) AC and Nucrel(R) specialty resins is in response to strong demand and high energy costs.

This DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers resin cost increase will take effect in all regions effective Sept. 1, 2005, or as customer contracts allow.

According to B. C. Chong, vice president DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers, "Price adjustments are needed in response to changing market conditions including sustained, record- high raw material and transportation costs.

DuPont is a company founded in 1802 and the DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers, business is part of DuPont's Performance Materials platform, which had 2004 sales in excess of $6.6 billon.

UK issues recalls of contaminated food

2005-08-01T13:31:00.000-04:00

Ingredient contamination cause of latest round of food recalls as the UK's Food Standard Agency (FSA) announced the withdrawal of three food products last week due to the presence of Sudan I, undeclared irradiation and contamination.

The ongoing discovery of Sudan Red, which is an industrial dye normally used to color shoe polish, plastics, oil and other synthetic products but was banned after it was discovered to be a potential carcinogen, has shaken up the British food market, with over 600 well-known processed foods pulled from UK shelves in February 2005 alone. Batches of Rajah Premium Hot Curry Powder and Rajah Premium Mild Curry Powder that were sold at the following supermarkets: Somerfields, Budgens and Kwik Save have been withdrawn from sale because of traces of the illegal dye Sudan I that were discovered in the curry powder.

The affected products, sold by BE International Foods in 100g tins and 425g tins, have a best before date of up to and including June 2008. The affected products also come in a 400g packet with a best before date of June 2007. Products with later best before dates are not affected.

In order to avoid such problems Brussels now requires that imports of chili and chili products including curry powder must be certified they are free of the illegal chemical dyes.

If that wasn't enough to upset shoppers and merchants in the UK, Nong Shim noodle based snacks have been withdrawn due to the undeclared presence of irradiated ingredients and the FSA has now identified further companies: Korea Foods Company, J K Foods, Rose Kibong, Green Farm, S W Trading, Songs Supermarket and Jo Enterprise that have imported the implicated Nong Shim Brand products.

Irradiation which is used to prolong the shelf life of food products and/or to reduce health hazards is an accepted manufacturing process in the USA and approved for use since 1963, the European consumer remains skeptical of the food safety aspect.

Last but not least two complaints of a glass-like substance being found in sunflower seed products from Nature's Harvest by Holland and Barrett has been forced to withdraw specific batches of the seeds. Holland and Barrett has started the recall by withdrawing all of the affected items and point-of-sale notices in all stores.

Cut Development Costs of Packaging Containers

2005-07-28T11:01:00.000-04:00

Maker of Household Goods Japan-based Lion Corp now combines green and user friendly packaging container designs with IBM and Dassault Systèmes (NASDAQ: DASTY) Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions while Development Costs of Containers by 50%.

Lion Corp. is a leading consumer goods company in Asia that sells hygiene, health and beauty products including toothpastes, toothbrushes, soaps, cleansers, hair-and skin-care products, cooking-related products, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and other products, household detergent, and cleaning products.

The Lion Corp packaging design team has chosen the CATIA V5 one of the leading 3D products to be their new (PLM) to design and develop detergent containers that are both environmentally friendly and will increase customer satisfaction.

Thanks to CATIA V5's surfacing capabilities, design strategies, analysis tools, and Digital Mock-up functionalities, the packaging team at Lion will be able to combine green design and ergonomic packaging. All of the different teams that are involved in package design will be able to work together in one product development environment and reusing previous packaging product development data and reducing errors.

Fewer raw materials and fewer physical prototypes need to be used, allowing more concepts to be explored while at the same time increasing innovation.

"To succeed in the highly competitive household products market in Japan, we think that our company needs to speed up all of its corporate processes," said Shigeru Hirata, director of the Packaging Engineering Department at Lion. "In particular, container design is seen as a key factor for products and is so important that it could be called a 'silent salesman.'"

Foaming soap launch

2005-07-27T13:30:00.000-04:00

Due to the success of Dial Complete anti-bacterial foaming soap and Softsoap Foam Works, instant foaming hand soap for children, the leading liquid hand soap maker in the US Colgate-Palmolive has broadened its selection their first adult anti-bacterial instant-foam product.

This new adult bacterial soap to be dispensed through a foaming dispenser will be called Advanced Protection and it clearly indicates the growth of the hand soap foaming dispensers here in the US and abroad.

Foaming dispensers for soap and other products first started in industrial and service sector applications. Since these foaming dispensers allow a precise mixture of liquid and air they provide instant foam, which makes the product appear richer and use less water and product in the process.

Many major personal care industry players such as P&G, L’Oreal and Unilever use this new packaging technology and have been rewarded with a tremendous growth in sales in products using the foaming technology such as bath and shower washes, shampoo and conditioners, hand soaps, baby washes and children’s washes.

Maximizing liquid bottling efficiency

2005-07-26T14:57:00.000-04:00

Australian company Rheology Solutions has found a way of enhancing the bottling of 'stringy' and difficult to handle liquids, leading to a cleaner more efficient and cost-effective packaging process.

For the cosmetic, food and pharmaceutical industries, the pumping, mixing and processing of fluid streams and then filling the final product is often a messy process as it is very common problem when filling bottles with liquids that are of an unpredictable viscosity there is often spillage so before labeling and final packaging, the bottles often have to be cleaned, lengthening the packaging process and causing, often unnecessary costs associated with both waste and the cleaning. This unpredictability of viscosity can also lead to significant losses of product.

A liquid's viscosity is the degree to which the liquid resists flow under an applied force and the secret behind regulating the flow of liquids in packaging is to accurately gauge the liquid's viscosity. An accurate estimate of this can allow processing and packaging to be adapted to minimize waste. Very often this can be accomplished by adapting the filling speed to suit the bottling application.

These properties can be quickly, scientifically and reproducibly measured for the first time using Rheology Solutions Thermo Electron Haake CaBER1 Capillary Break-up Extensional Rheometer.

The Extensional Rheometer can provide information on the apparent or relative extensional viscosity, as well as directly measuring the time to break-up of liquid strands. Using this knowledge, the surface tension of the liquid and actual extensional viscosity can be computed to be factored into the filling process.

A Rheology Solutions spokesperson said. "The stringy behavior of these fluids is related to a flow property known as extensional viscosity. Products with high extensional viscosity will tend to form threads or strings when poured, chewed or otherwise stretched. Although extensional viscosity may be related partly to viscoelastic properties, it can only be properly measured in extension, not by the traditional techniques of shear or dynamic rheometry."

Plastics Packaging Container now has Smart Seal

2005-07-25T09:26:00.000-04:00

New 1-gallon, rigid plastic package by Letica Corporation features color-coordinated containers, gasketless lids and ergonomic handles that virtually eliminates tampering and is watertight even after reclosure.

There are many potential applications for the Smart Seal package which includes cleaning supplies, foods, drinks and drink mixes, flavorings, fruit, dairy products, pet foods, adhesives, lubricants, gypsum and similar solids, stucco, inks, paints, and other materials.

The new Smart Seal packaging container even has a tapered configuration allows nesting of empty containers for efficient shipping and Letica delivers this and other products to customers nationwide via their own freightlines.

After selecting Letica's new 1-gallon Smart Seal* containers to replace existing packaging the El Paso Chile Company's freezer drink mixes rapidly grew to be their top-selling product line. Each 1 gallon smart seal package holds pouches of dry and liquid ingredients which the customer mixes with water and spirits and then freezes the mix in the Smart Seal* packaging container. This versatile package allows the customer to mix, freeze, store, and serve these slushy freezer drinks.

The Letica Corporation based in Rochester, Mich., is a privately owned company and was founded in 1967 having 14 locations across the continental United States. They produces a wide range of rigid plastic containers and lids, paper and plastic cups and lids for the foodservice industry and supplies several large quick serve restaurants and convenience store chains in America.

OTC Progesterone use raises concern

2005-07-22T13:50:00.000-04:00

Researchers are concerned women using Over The Counter (OTC) Progesterone products may be exposing themselves to risk without the counseling, screening and supervision that accompany the use of prescription progesterone products.

The June 2005 Journal of Clinical Pharmacology published a study recently published which found substantial evidence that OTC topical progesterone results in similar drug exposure as a result of skin absorption as taking a prescribed oral progesterone product.

The study was supported by Bassett Healthcare, led by Drs. Anne C. Hermann, Anne Nafziger and Joseph Bertino. The study was based upon twelve, healthy, post-menopausal women which were treated with topical OTC progesterone ( Pro-gest cream ) in one phase and then were prescribed oral progesterone ( Prometrium ) in the other phase of the study.

The results of the study showed that there were no differences between the two groups in the amount of progesterone exposure in the body. Regardless of the source of the progesterone, women involved in this study experienced similar rates of adverse effects.

The American College of Clinical Pharmacology has expressed considerable concern about the risk that many over-the counter (OTC) cosmetic preparations may pose to the public as since many of these cosmetic preparations are not regulated by the FDA are used without any medical supervision.

Commonly prescribed to women Progesterone used in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in postmenopausal women, and for the treatment of amenorrhea, infertility and premature labor. Past studies revealing the health risks of HRT causing a dramatic declines in prescriptions for these products. Natural progesterone in the form of herbal beauty creams continues to be sold over-the-counter exempted from regulatory scrutiny.

AptarGroup: All-Time High Quarterly Results

2005-07-20T17:36:00.000-04:00

AptarGroup (NYSE:ATR) a supplier in the packaging industry of a broad range of dispensing systems for the fragrance, cosmetic, personal care, pharmaceutical, household and food/beverage markets boosts dividend by 33 percent to $.81 per share compared to $.61 per share in the prior year as a result of record a breaking second quarter.

A 14 percent increase in sales for the quarter ended June 30, 2005 brought in $356.1 million from $311.8 million in the prior year. Net income for the second quarter of 2005 increased to a $29.3 million from $22.8 million in 2004. Reduced income taxes of approximately $3.2 million ($.09 per diluted share) related to research and development credits in the U.S. and tax changes in Italy helped boost Aptars net income.

Commenting on the quarter, Carl A. Siebel, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aptar said, "We are pleased to report that we continued to build on the momentum we experienced in the first quarter. We achieved a record level of quarterly sales as a result of strong demand for our products from the personal care, pharmaceutical, household and food/beverage markets. Sales to the fragrance/cosmetic market slowed in the quarter and were approximately equal to the prior year's level."

Siebel added, "With increased volumes, we were able to leverage our infrastructure and realize operating efficiencies. In addition, we were successful in passing through the majority of our raw material cost increases. These factors contributed to our record earnings per share."

Siebel further commented, "We are optimistic that the trends we have experienced in the second quarter will continue into the third quarter. At the present time, we believe demand for our dispensing systems from all of the markets we serve, other than the fragrance/cosmetic market, will improve over prior year levels. In addition, we plan to reduce and redeploy certain personnel at our French fragrance/cosmetic operations. We plan to implement this program over a three year period and we expect to realize cost savings over time. Anticipated charges related to the first phase of this effort will be approximately $3 million in the second half of 2005 and will be recorded in the quarter in which they are recognizable for accounting purposes."

Siebel concluded, "Excluding any effects of this program, we expect diluted earnings per share for the third quarter of 2005 to be in the range of $.70 to $.75 compared to $.68 per share in the prior year."

Rexam Plastics Packaging gets new group director

2005-07-19T12:46:00.000-04:00

There will be a new director that will be responsible for Rexam's global plastics packaging business, health and beauty, pharmaceutical and plastic containers for food and beverages.

Graham Chipchase the Packaging Group Finance Director since March 2003 will now take the newly created position of Group Director Plastic Packaging. Mr. Chipchase will be responsible for Rexam's global plastics packaging business which includes the beauty and pharmaceutical packaging operations and plastic containers for food and beverages.

Rolf Börjesson, Rexam's Chairman was quoted as saying "During the time that Graham has been Finance Director, he has demonstrated the quality of leadership and a keen understanding of operations that make him eminently suited to this new role. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Yves for the excellent job he has done in building up a vibrant and flourishing beauty and pharmaceutical packaging business within Rexam."

Rexam is a global leader in consumer packaging whose product list includes beverage cans, glass bottles, glass jars, plastic containers for food, plastic beauty products such as lipstick cases, compacts and dispensing systems, plastic pharmaceutical products, PET bottles, plastics closures and other smaller product ranges, all of which serve the consumer packaging market.

FDA Issues Advisory on the Fentanyl Patch

2005-07-18T18:15:00.000-04:00

The FDA issued a Public Health Advisory regarding the safe use of transdermal fentanyl patches. This is in response to reports of deaths in patients using these patches for pain management.

Several important safety precautions include but are not limited to patient education regarding signs of overdose, proper patch application, use of other medications while using the patch, safeguards for children, and proper storage and disposal of fentanyl transdermal patches were issued on a patient information sheet and an alert to healthcare professionals in regard to this potent narcotic medication.

The FDA is working closely with the manufacturers of fentanyl patches to evaluate the risks associated with their use and to develop a plan to help patients avoid accidental fentanyl overdose is conducting an investigation into the deaths associated with these patches.

There are still questions if the reported adverse events may be related to inappropriate use of the patch or factors related to the quality of the product.

The FDA is working closely with the manufacturers of fentanyl patches to fully evaluate the risks associated with their use and to develop a plan to help patients avoid accidental fentanyl overdose.

Dispensing Solutions is Launching DispenseQuick Division

2005-07-17T20:00:00.001-04:00

Dispensing Solutions Inc. (DSI), from the repackaged pharmaceuticals sector, announced the launching of DispenseQuick and the DispenseQuick System, its new point-of-care division.

DispenseQuick introduces a new bottle design along with many new features and packaging designs that are a first to the industry and supports the DispenseQuick System that is comprised of: DispenseQuick Dispensing Cartridges and DispenseQuick Cabinets, both patent-pending and the10-Pak dispensing cartridges load into the DEA-compliant cabinet. The entire DispenseQuick System supports eDispense, DSI's proprietary dispensing technology.

Richard Wolpow, co-founder and COO said "It has taken us close to a full year to design this exciting new division. We have combined 20+ years of all our successes and mistakes to produce an unprecedented dispensing program that has been well worth the wait and effort."

Dispensing Solutions Inc. for 25 years they have been creating, producing and deploying point-of-care medication and technological dispensing programs. They operate as a pharmaceutical repackaging facility and are an FDA/DEA registered drug manufacturer.

DSI currently operates five divisions: Government, DispenseQuick (point-of-care), OneDose (hospital unit-dose outsourcing), Programs (custom programs creation and deployment), and Contract Packaging (bottles, blisters, pouching, bagging/over-wrap.

Coca-Cola may have a Fatwa to deal with

2005-07-16T15:14:00.000-04:00

Coca-Cola may face a fatwa, or decree by Muslim leaders if more samples prove to have liquor in them following the discovery of alcohol in a bottle of the beverage.

In June of this year a Mpumalanga doctor, Haroon Dindar, bought a crate of 1.25 liter bottles of Coke from a bottling plant in Ermelo South Africa. One of the bottles that he opened had a smell of alcohol so he sent the contents for testing. The test showed it had in fact contained 0.925g of alcohol per 100ml.

Moulana Abdool Wahab Wookay, chief executive officer of the National Independent Halaal Trust, said samples from bottles in the same batch were sent to an independent laboratory in Durban.

So far Muslim ulama, or leaders, are satisfied so far after visiting a number of Coca-Cola plants around the country that this was an isolated case.

The potential financial loss to Coca Cola if a fatwa is issued could be staggering and since Coca Cola is one of the cultural symbols of many generations of Americans one has to wonder if this was accidental, intentional for the economic reasons, or intentional by a disgruntled employee? Was this a hate crime do to offend a Muslim who would consume this product by accident, or was it even intentional for political reasons?

So I ask, since this is such an isolated incident, was this alleged alcohol introduced into the bottle as the raw ingredients where contaminated? Was it in the mixing, production and bottling, or was it contaminated in the distribution channel or retail level?

It is also a possibility that Dr. Haroon Dindar is creating another finger in Wendy’s chili incident that could have larger finical and political repercussions.

FDA says Able Labs falsified drugs data

2005-07-15T09:29:00.001-04:00

Able is on the brink of bankruptcy as their shares have lost almost half their value as a result of the FDA report Able Laboratories fabricated data.

The FDA report raised concerns about the quality control and reporting procedures within Able Laboratories and released twelve observations. The report goes so far as to say "the quality unit and senior management failed to assure all drug products distributed have the safety, identity, quality, and purity that they are represented to possess".

The FDA conducted this inspection of Able Laboratories between May 2 and July 1. During this inspection Able Laboratories suspended manufacturing and recalled all its products that were in distribution.

Able intends to seek a "consent decree of permanent injunction" in a letter of response to the FDA which would Able hope would allow them to keep operating under court supervision.

Alcan selling plastic bottle business

2005-07-14T10:51:00.001-04:00

Alcan wants to explore the sale of its food plastic business and of Alcan's plastic bottle business have been put on notice.

Alcan a worldwide packaging leader plans to sell the plastic bottles business as part of an ongoing restructuring of its food packaging operations in order to concentrate its food business on the more profitable flexible packaging market.

Since world demand for converted flexible packaging is forecast to grow by about seven per cent to $53.5bn this year (see PackagingBlog article US flexible packaging demand to decrease) this looks like a logical move for Alcan to make.

Alcan's plastic bottles packaging business has plants in both North America and Europe and in 2004 had sales of $130m. The entire Alcan plastic bottles packaging business employs a total of 495 people. The Alcan plastic bottles packaging unit provides a range plastic bottles for products such as juice, energy drinks, coffee beverages, teas foodservice, and infant formula. They also manufacture both hot and cold fill containers that are used for condiments such as ketchup, salsa, pasta sauces, cheese sauces, syrups, relish, fruit, jams and jellies and salad dressings.

The President of Alcan's food packaging business in North America, Ilene Gordon was quoted as saying "This business is a leader in its field, pioneering multi-layer bottle technology for hot- and cold-fill products," said the. "We are confident that we can find a strategic buyer that will be attracted to the growth and profit potential of the business, as well as by its commitment to providing customers with top-tier quality and service."

Alcan has been both expanding and restructuring its packaging division since 2002. The significant growth they have experienced has mostly been a result of acquisitions such as Algroup in 2000, VAW Packaging (FlexPac) in 2002 and Pechiney Packaging in 2003.

Through these and other acquisitions Alcan controls a substantial position in European, Americas and Asian flexible packaging markets. The packaging division expanded manufacturing capacity in Poland, Russia, China and Malaysia in early 2005. In Europe Alcan's packaging business has plants in the France, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, Spain and the UK.

Alcan now supplies the food, pharmaceuticals, medical, health and beauty aid, and tobacco markets with food and beverage packaging currently represents 62 per cent of sales in the packaging division.

The entire Alcan food group manufactures packaging for dairy products, pet food, fresh and frozen food, beverages, shrink bags, retorted food, dry food, and snacks.

"Our food packaging business is moving strategically to focus greater resources on the flexible packaging market, where we already enjoy substantial scale and leadership positions and where we believe the most attractive growth opportunities lie," said the president and chief executive officer of Alcan Packaging, Christel Bories.

Alcan is a leader in both the packaging and aluminum markets and has 70,000 employees and operations in 55 countries. Alcan’s packaging business alone had revenues of $6.1bn in 2004. The plastic packaging accounts for 59 per cent of the division’s business, while aluminum makes up 26 per cent.

Recycle Now, the British recycling initiative

2005-07-13T10:42:00.000-04:00

The UK launched the Big Recycle a week-long campaign to encourage more people to recycle by raising public awareness which does increasing the amount packaging and other waste being recycled.

The Big Recycle is part of Recycle Now which is a £10m campaign which is run by the Waste and Resources Action Program, a not-for-profit company set up to promote sustainable waste management. UK recycling organizations includingBritish Glass, Corus, Novelis, and Paperchain were involved as well.

Besides the Big Recycle, Recycle Now includes and a year-round schedule of promotional events, a recycling information website, newspaper and magazine adds and a series of animated TV commercials.

The Big Recycle was mostly organized by local councils, community groups, individuals, and supermarkets throughout England, Scotland and Wales. The volunteers showed why they should be recycling and how, and where, they can recycle.

The recycling campaign was being led by the environment minister Ben Bradshaw, who visited some of recycling plants ahead of the launch. Mr. Bradshaw said the UK was on track to reach its target of recycling 25% of waste by 2006.

He said: "I welcome this new study (see Recycling on the rise in the UK…but slowly) which shows that households and businesses are recycling more than ever before, which is excellent news. There is no doubt that it is becoming easier to recycle in the UK, and that people are becoming increasingly keen to do so. However, there is still room for improvement. The study does indicate that meeting European 2008 packaging waste targets will be challenging. We need to continue expanding our recycling infrastructure, and encouraging all households and businesses to play their part. Awareness-raising campaigns such as the Big Recycle have an important role in shifting public attitudes."

Friends of the Earth is an environmental charity welcomed the Big Recycle initiative but their spokesperson Claire Wilton warned that more action was needed. "We've been asking the government for a long time to put more money into awareness campaigns but we've still got a long way to go. What we need is more money and higher recycling targets which should lead to more local authority collections."

Recycling on the rise in the UK…but slowly

2005-07-12T15:24:00.000-04:00

A new study compiled by Valpak, a packaging compliance regulator, shows UK households and businesses are recycling one third of all their packaging in 2004 - an increase from around one quarter in 2002 more waste packaging.

The Valpak packaging recycling report also found that approximately 2 billion aluminum cans and 2.5 billion steel cans, 3.5 billion glass bottles and glass jars, 1 billion plastic bottles were recycled by British households in 2004. This brings the total recycled weight of packaging, including cardboard containers, to 1.25 million tons. UK business generated 5.6m tons of packaging in 2004 of which 66% of which were recycled.

The British government wants 30% of British waste to be recycled by 2010 but their current rate of recycling is rate said to be at around 14.5%. Despite nearly 60% of household waste being recyclable, Britain has one of the worst records in Europe when it comes to recycling with some parts of the country councils only manage to recycle 10% or less. Compare this to countries such as Austria whose people recycle 60% of their trash while Switzerland and the Netherlands which are also recycling at 50% plus.

In the next part we will discuss Recycle Now, the British recycling and educational initiative.

US flexible packaging demand to decrease

2005-07-07T16:58:00.001-04:00

US demand for flexible bulk packaging is expected to decelerate to 3.4 per cent growth per year with about 60 per cent of the demand to be for plastic flexible bulk packaging.

A researcher for the Freedonia Group a market research firm who conducted this study stated "Nonetheless, overall advances will benefit from healthy outlooks for manufacturing and retail activity. Products offering a combination of cost benefits and increased performance efficiency are expected to see the best growth, often supplanting a variety of alternative formats, both flexible and rigid."

The fastest growth is expected to in both the film wrap and flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBCs) market. The higher demand for plastic shipping sacks and plastic strapping will outpace the industry average, all of this at the expense of paper and steel packaging producers.

Plastic shipping sack packaging demand is expected to be driven mostly by the agricultural and horticultural market.

30 per cent of total flexible bulk packaging demand in 2004 was for Film wrap, which will remain a growth segment of the industry.

FIBC's low cost, versatility and performance for the shipping and storage of bulk dry flowable products is very attractive to manufactures. The demand for FIBC is expected to expand 5.6 per cent annually through 2009. This increased demand is strongly influenced by the popularity of home centers, club stores and other mass retailers and the ever growing requirements for the bundling and protection of goods during warehousing and distribution.

Packaging rethink for Mars and Snickers after threats

2005-07-06T12:47:00.000-04:00

Just as the Tylenol poisoning changed pharmaceutical packaging forever, the threat in Australia to Masterfoods is likely to cause safer packaging of chocolate bars in the wake of the current extortion bid involving Mars Bars and Snickers.

It is now 5 days since Masterfoods received a letter claiming that seven contaminated chocolate bars had been placed in stores across Sydney.

Masterfoods is still recalling chocolate bars across New South Wales and is still working on getting its message out to the thousands of store owners who still have not heard the news. The company has even placed ads in Sydney's major newspapers in order to get its message directly to the public and will not discus the potential cost of such a recall but is expected to run in the millions.

Masterfoods president Andrew Weston Webb said "Obviously the number of products runs into many thousands and that's why we're calling on the help of the community as well if they see any product out there if they could make sure it's taken off shelf".

Mr. Webb said "Packaging is a concern for the whole food industry to ensure we have tamper-evident packaging," Masterfoods president Andrew Weston Webb said.

When the dust settles, chocolate bars may soon be a little harder to open, and the cost of the packaging will certainly go up. For packaging designers opportunity is knocking at your door!

No Packaging material has green advantage?

2005-07-06T12:16:00.000-04:00

Jane Bickerstaffe who is the director of the Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment (Incpen) spoke at the Biodegradable plastics in packaging applications conference yesterday and claimed that promoting one material over another encourages the public to focus on trivial issues.

“An environmentally-responsible pack is one that gets its contents from production to consumption with minimum use of materials and energy, generating minimum wastage of contents and used packaging,” annouced Jane Bickerstaffe who went on to state that It was of secondary importance whether the packaging was degradable or inert, derived from renewable or non-renewable resources, capable of being refilled or easy to recycle and that no packaging material or type of packaging has a monopoly of environmental virtues.

The Biodegradable plastics in packaging conference was organised by Pira, which is owned by Swiss additives giant Ciba Specialty Chemicals.

Packaging Growth: East beats West

2005-07-06T10:27:00.000-04:00

PCI Films Consulting forecasts that growth in flexible packaging will increase faster in central and Eastern Europe than in Western Europe over the next five years.

The results of this PCI Films Consulting study on flexible packaging is forecasting a 1% per annum growth in Western Europe and a 7% annual growth in Central and eastern Europe is forecast to be 7% per annum. Total European demand for flexible packaging is expected to be nearly €10.0bn in 2009.

The study also pointed out that rapidly rising raw material costs and high substrate prices are putting pressure on the profitability of flexible packaging and leading plastics converter groups, for example Alcan Packaging and Amcor Flexibles are setting up facilities in lower-cost countries.

The author of the report Paul Gaster said: "The highly competitive flexible packaging environment, especially in western Europe, is becoming more intense. It is clear that overcapacity remains a problem there and increased interest from end users in sourcing converted products from Turkey and some low-cost Asian sources is also creating additional pressures."

Packaging Dilemma #1 Part 2

2005-06-17T14:29:00.000-04:00

What ridged packaging containers are attractive with great shelf appeal, functional, maybe even innovative but are still environmentally friendly?

Obviously some products due to their chemical nature or function of use are limited as to what packaging you can use. This article will only address products where the choice of packaging container is up to the buyer.

The three packaging container materials that these we will examine are plastic, glass, and metal. These are the three most popular materials in ridged packaging and are many times interchangeable between the same products.

ll three packaging materials are recyclable, although for universal ease and efficient recycling glass bottles and jars and aluminum containers reign supreme. Although many plastics can be recycled in many cases coextruded plastic containers cannot be recycled. Containers made from PVC are the least recyclable and is some cases is even banned as a packaging material.

New plastic resins for packaging are being developed from renewable sources such as corn. You can read about this on the article Packaging from Bioplastics: a new era on PackagingBlog.com. This to me is one of the most promising advances in packaging.

Not only are some of these Bioplastic materials the most recyclable - even compostable (see Green cookies for all on PackaingBlog.com) the fact that less petroleum is needed in the manufacturing of the material in helping save the environment before the packaging container is even manufactured!

When you think of metal containers that are used in packaging you generally think of cans for food, aerosol cans such as for hair spray, or aluminum soda or beer cans. Aluminum cans are being recovered and recycled more than any other material - even in states that do not have deposits. Aluminum containers used in packaging are attractive and durable and are being used in an ever-expanding range of products such as personal care items and even wine. You can read more about this new phenomenon on the PackagingBlog article Aluminum Bottles keep growing in popularity.

Glass packaging can easily be recycled and is environmentally sound as long as it is not decorated by being chemically etched, metalized, or colored with environmentally unfriendly pigments. It is not only the residual effects of some of these processes that remain in or on the glass packaging, that can be an environmental factor, but the manufacturing processes that pose the risk. While much of the frosting and coloring of glass containers for packaging that is manufactured in the US is environmentally sound, glass containers produced in many foreign countries does not have to be produced with the same environmental controls that glass bottles and jars in the US and most of Europe must adhere to.

One container used in packaging offers 3 very significant environmental advantages is the Airless Dispensing System which is available with a self sealing mechanism in the dispensers actuator.

The fact that the system is airless (as product is dispensed, a piston moves up so air is not allowed back into the container) and that the actuator seals by it self so air does not come into contact with the product, means that the product inside will have greater stability and thus might not need as much or any chemical preservatives in the product. Less preservatives means lower environmental impact.

Airless packaging systems evacuate more product that any other packaging method. More of the product inside the container gets dispensed outside of the container meaning less residual product that will enter the waste stream. Happier consumer as they can use all virtually all of the product they paid for, cleaner environment because customers are not throwing product into a landfill

And the final environmental advantage of this airless packaging system is this all plastic dispenser has no metal parts and thus the entire contains and dispensing mechanism is 100% recyclable unlike any pumps with metal parts

In part 3 next week we will examine other ways your packaging choices can help or hurt the environment.

Packaging Dilemma #1 Part 1

2005-06-16T14:32:00.001-04:00

What do you do when it is your job to present the most attractive or innovative packaging for a product when it is a less environmentally friendly packaging than other alternatives?

For those who design, manufacture, distribute or decorate packaging the motives are simple: the more complex or expensive the packaging and decoration, the more profitable the package can be for the salesperson and the company presenting the package.

For those companies who purchase the packaging materials, the more unique, innovative and attractive the package is, if positioned properly, the more units that can be sold verses the competition with a similar product in a less attractive and innovative package. Of course cost of the packaging factors into this equation as well.

We think most consumers’ motives are even simpler, they want for the lowest price the best performing, safest, and easiest to use product. The Natural Marketing Institute conducted a recent survey of 2,000 adults and found that 88 percent think that it is important for companies to not just be profitable, but to be mindful of their impact on the environment and society. What I also found surprising is that more than 70 percent of those consumers who were surveyed claimed they were more likely to buy products or services from a company, which is mindful of its impact on both the environment and society.

This packaging dilemma lies in the fact that “over packaging” a product might give it better shelf appeal, but at what cost to the environment and loss of sales from your more conscientious and environmentally aware customers? While we know that many respondents who answered the survey that they make their purchasing decisions based upon the ethics and environmental record of a company, there is often a gap between what someone says to others and what they actually do on their own. Even if 1 out of 3 customers actually change their purchasing decisions based upon this criteria, can you afford such as significant loss of customers?

Consumers are becoming more educated in environmental issues. Urvashi Rangan who is an environmental scientist at Consumers Union which publishes Consumer Reports magazine, said" We are not only interested in helping consumers understand how to buy more environmentally sustainable products, but also how to use them in the most sustainable way, which can save them money and save their health in the long run". They have now put together a fascinating website comparing products for their environmental impact at GreenerChoices.org.

Sometimes what seems like an environmentally good idea can go horribly wrong. When SC Johnson and Son decided to remove chlorine as an ingredient from its plastic wrap last July, they never expected that their new packaging that came with the new “slide 'n cut bar” that was needed to cut the new less flexible wrap would be such a disaster. An amusing yet informative story about this packaging failure by Caroline Baum can be found on Bloomberg.com.

So what can you and your company do to protect the environment, increase sales and maybe even save a few bucks on your packaging purchases?

It is not just as easy as switching from using aerosol propellant using CFCs to a fingertip sprayer pump to save the ozone layer as now even the exemption on albuterol inhalers has been dropped by the FDA as there will be sufficient supplies of using new environmentally friendly propellants by the time the BAN on them kicks in (see FDA to Ban CFC Inhalers article on packaging blog).

I can say from personal experience that using a foaming pump rather than a dispensing pumps or dispensing caps when I am washing my hands does save water and soap. Since a foaming pump produces foam faster and with less soap, you are saving water, which is becoming a more precious commodity and reducing the amount of chemicals in the soap going down the drain and to the local wastewater facility or septic tank. Now here is a case where you an offer the consumer much better packaging that is in fact more environmentally sound.

There has been an explosion of new packaging of premositened wipes on the retail shelves. Products from cleaners, waxes, and car care products can now be found in these handy dispensers. Since these dispensers are all plastic, the whole package can be tossed into the recycling bin. If these keep growing in popularity, they could effect the sales of packaging such as trigger pumps and other sprayer pumps. The huge success of this packaging shows that customers are willing to pay much more for a product the sake of convenience.

In part 2 I will touch on packaging containers.

FDA reports most websites selling Canadian drugs are not in Canada

2005-06-15T15:03:00.000-04:00

FDA commissioned study which investigated the approximately 11,000 web sites on the web claiming to sell Canadian prescription drugs and found fewer than 2 percent are actually based in Canada.

The study also found that around 10% were true online stores and those that were originated in places such as the United States, Barbados, Mexico, the Czech Republic, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and El Salvador. What is so disturbing is that websites located in may of these countries do not have the government scrutiny and oversight to guarantee quality of the pharmaceuticals as the United States or Canada does.

American consumers are going in droves to Canadian Pharmacies to get their prescription drugs as prices keep going up in the US.

Many US consumers feel safe buying drugs from their neighbor up north since Canadian drugs have similar quality control as their US counterparts and even though it is illegal to import any prescriptions drugs into the US, the FDA has been usually turning a blind eye to those who are importing medicine for their own use. Consumer groups have been fighting the FDA to allow importation of drugs for personal use, but this new study only provides more ammunition for the FDA.

Todd Bransford from the Virginia-based company Cyveillance Inc. who are the people that the FDA commissioned to perform the study said "The reason people are going to Canadian sites in this country is to buy cheaper drugs. Now, if a consumer goes to a fake Canadian pharmacy that's based in the US and the drugs are still cheaper, that's a pretty good indication that there's something wrong with those drugs".

Food and Drug Administration director of pharmacy affairs Tom McGinnis commented "We worry about the deception because if these pharmacies are in Southeast Asia someplace, the quality and purity of the drugs may not be the same as what they're get from their state licensed pharmacy. They might not act the same way in the body, and they could be dangerous.". He went on to say "If they're really not Canadian pharmacies, they're fooling American consumers who might believe drugs in Canada-a pretty good assumption--are just as good as the drugs they get in the U.S.," McGinnis said that the FDA plans to test the medicines sold from some of the more suspicious websites.

The FDA is warning consumers that they should be extremely cautions if the web site selling "Canadian" drugs has prices far to low below market rates, unfamiliar packaging, grammatical errors on the website or the packaging of the drugs or unusual drug dosages. Another indication of a possible problem is web sites that cannot be reached through a search engines and only through clicking on links in spam e-mails.

Welcome to Packaging Blog

2005-06-14T12:32:00.000-04:00

As a professional in the packaging industry for more than 15 years, buying, selling and designing packaging, it is fair to say with my experience I know a thing or two about packaging and the packaging industry.

There is a blog with some of our archived articles at PackagingBlog on bloglines, but from now on we will be posting here.

All comments are welcome, but please, no worthless spam!