www.ceepackaging.com
Issue 10
Early Spring 2009
Economic
slowdown hits
bottled water
sales
Moody's applauds Poland, Czech
Republic and Slovakia
Romania believes it
can escape the worst
of the slowdown
World
Bank urges
EU to
protect
economic
gains in
CEE region
European standard agreed for
corrugated packaging
News Analysis Opinion Product Developments
A wards Branding Company Information Events
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Central and Eastern European Packaging
Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080,
www.ceepackaging.com
e. mail : alan@ceepackaging.com
Contents
Issue 10, Early Spring 2009
Around the region ...................................................................................4
Products and branding ........................................................................ 11
World Bank Urges Europe to Protect Eastern European Gains
Poles increasingly pessimistic
Estonian consumers worried about financial difficulties
Romanian central bank believes that it can weather the slowdown
Moody's applauds Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia
Wednesday is shopping day in Poland
No label look for soft drinks
Carlsberg Poland relaunches Okocim beer
Spout system devised for car care products
High impact graphics on food packaging applications
Net bags become compostable
Going for a natural look
Allowing fruit to be washed in the packaging
An alternative to glass and tin
Happy Easter soap egg wrapped in biodegradable film
LCA for bag in the box packaging is positive
Cadbury upgrades packaging to suit demographic
Rexam extends sampler range
Highly elastic stretch film for industrial applications
Technology .... ....................................................................................... 24
BOPP line working at 505 metres per minute
Cast film launched for medical applications
Organic additive used in pillow film that accelerates biodegradation
Plant opened for extracting polyol from PET products
Industry news ........................................................................................30
European aluminium tube association to celebrate fiftieth anniversary
European standard for corrugated packaging designed to guarantee safe stacking
Recession hitting labeling business
Analysis ...... .......................................................................................... 29
Alufoil sales dropped in 2008
Recyclng rate for aluminium foil trays and containers reaches forty percent
Packaging a concern for consumers of bottled water
Slowdown hitting sales of bottled water
Industry winners......................................................................................10
Events .................................................................................................... 38
Slowdown fails to hit interest in food technology event
Award for mistletoe kisses
Letters .....................................................................................................11
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
3
Around the region
World Bank Urges Europe to Protect Eastern
European Gains in Economic
Growth and Poverty Reduction
The World Bank has urged European countries to protect the hard earned gains
iin boosting economic growth and fighting poverty that were made in
Central and Eastern Europe during the past two decades, gains that now are
at risk during the global economic downturn.
'E
astern Europe is being hit especially hard in these trying times,' said
Indermit Gill, World Bank Europe and
Central Asia Chief Economist, who
made his comments at a launch of the
latest World Bank EU10 Regular
Economic Report in the Polish capital.
'In choosing EU membership, the EU10
countries committed themselves to
openness and integration into the global
economy. This path has paid dividendsspurring economic growth and reducing
poverty. If the world turns protectionist,
developing countries will find it difficult
to protect these hard-won gains. Fiscal
stimulus programs in industrialised
countries should be used to encourage
photo: Siemens
Slovakian president Ivan Gašparovic (far left in brown suit) at the opening
of a Siemens research and development facility in his country. Slovakia,
once a predominantly rural country and one of the poorest in CEE has
becoming an industrial powerhouse over the past five years or so. Now
one of the largest car manufacturing countries per capita in the world, seventy percent of its entire GDP is dependant on exports. Now part of the
euro zone and facing difficulties in finding markets, their may be some belt
tightening although the economy is not likely to enter into negative growth
in the opinion of this publication.
production in ways that are broadly efficient, not narrowly nationalistic. During
times of economic crisis, growing protectionism may be the greatest danger to
economic recovery.'
Latvian President Valdis Zatlers
came to power two years ago when
the economy of his country was in
double figure growth and the envy of
most of Europe. It is still in double
figures only this time in a negative
fashion.
4
Weakening prospects
The prospects for economic growth in
the EU10 countries in 2009 continue to
weaken-say the EU10 Regular
Economic Report of the World Bank.
The prospects for global recovery, for
private capital flows, and for growth in
the EU10 continue to deteriorate.
Forecasts are subject to very high degrees
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
of uncertainty, mostly on the downside.
The EU10 economies face the challenges of a dearth of international liquidity, exposure to vulnerable banks, and
collapsing export markets. The impact
will now be felt strongly in the real economy as defaults spread and foreclosures
creep up, and as unemployment rises
sharply.
Spurring European integration
The ongoing crisis should spur deeper
European integration, rather than a
return to the nationalism of the past.
Taking a long-term view, the World
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Around the region
The World Bank team in Warsaw appeals for aid to the new EU entrants
Bank recommends continued efforts to
make economic borders 'thinner' which
means that EU15 governments should
resist temptations for protectionist policies that make their borders 'thicker' as
they design economic stimulus programs. The bank urges welcoming rising
economic density - spatial concentration
is an integral element of strategies for
growth and competitiveness. At the
same time institutional convergence
needs to be converged and the EU10
countries should continue efforts to harmonize financial and employment regulations, foster a sound macroeconomic
environment, simplify customs regulations and rules of origin, and improve
domestic governance.
A difficult year
'With the recent past in mind, it seems
probable that 2009 will be a difficult
year,' said Erika Jorgensen, World Bank
Europe and Central Asia Economic
Adviser and the author of the report.
'The global integration of finance, production, and labour was a good thing,
although now, looking back, it is easier to
see the dangerous build up of vulnerabilities that came from, for example, mortgages in foreign currency with floating
interest rates. With little or no room for
fiscal stimulus, governments will need to
focus on other measures to stabilise the
financial sector and on better spending
to deliver core services and provide safety nets to the most vulnerable.'
EU10 vulnerable
As the international economic crisis continues to unfold, spreading from financial markets into the real economy, the
EU10 economies find themselves especially vulnerable. External demand has
collapsed, driven by recession in the
region's main trading partners. Foreign
capital inflows to the EU10 states have
dropped off, especially intrabank lending
and foreign borrowing by companies. A
credit crunch within the EU10 has further undermined production, as banks
weather a crisis of confidence of lending
to each other and to the private sector.
'Compared with emerging markets in
East Asia and Latin America, EU new
member states entered the crisis weakwith high public debt ratios, low foreign
exchange reserves, rigid exchange rate
regimes, and banks that depended more
on foreign savings than domestic
deposits,' said Gill.
Benefits of integration
The successful EU10 integration with
the EU and globally, although differentiated across the 10 countries, has brought
major benefits, including rapid convergence in incomes, improvements in living standards, and a sharp decline in
poverty rates. But the easy flow of credit
that made this possible was mirrored in
rising private sector debt, growing expo-
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Europlast, Retal, PET Power, WIP Poland,
CrazyCan, Coca Cola, Petcore, Erema,
Bericap, CMAI
“Have we reached the end of the downturn
or is the worse still to come ?”
Visit us at www.cmtevents.com to Register or contact sasha@cmtsp.com.sg
6
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
Around the region
sure to foreign exchange risks, and easily-financed large current account
deficits.
The unprecedented series of external
shocks have now revealed the financial
sector in the EU10 as even more volatile
than those in more advanced economies,
while the extreme export dependence of
some of the EU10, while supportive of
high growth in the past, is now pulling
the economies downward.
Poland in the best shape
'Among the EU new member states,
Poland is in better fiscal and financial
shape,' said Thomas Laursen, World
Bank Country Manager for Poland and
the Baltic Countries. 'Poland is affected
by the ongoing crisis through the impact
of falling external demand on Polish
exports, a slowdown of credit activity,
and lower FDI inflows. Nonetheless,
compared with the rest of the region,
Poland demonstrates more balanced
growth and, with private consumption as
the main driver, a positive GDP growth
of up to two percent in 2009 is within
reach. The government remains committed to fiscal discipline, while exploring
ways to cushion the effects of the crisis
on the poor.'
Poles increasingly
pessimistic
For the last few months the level of
pessimism among Poles has been growing. March was no exception: once
again consumer moods worsened significantly. The Consumer Confidence
Index (CCI) measured by Ipsos fell by 4
points from February's level down to 67
points. The decline is particularly
marked in ratings for the economic climate, which fell by 7 points to barely
47. Such low ratings for the economic
climate have not been seen since 1992.
Poles believe that the crisis has now
affected the country's economy.
There was also deterioration, though
to a much smaller extent, in the willingness to buy index: in March its level fell
three points to 81. Although Poles are
increasingly worried about their own
future, this pessimism has not spread to
cover the whole of society. Twelve
pecent of Poles believe their material
situation will be better 12 months from
now. Such optimism is particularly
common among those with higher education.
March has seen no change in expectations regarding unemployment: currently 64 percent of Poles expect the
jobless figures to rise in the future.
Neither has there been any change in
expectations regarding inflation - with
few anticipating the rate at which prices
are rising to increase.
Polish consumer confidence in March 2009
Points
Consumer Confidence Index:
Economic Climate:
Willingness to Buy:
Current Index:
Expectations Index:
67.23
46.73
80.91
56.24
67.10
Change since
February 2009
-4.16
-6.61
-2.52
-5.71
-4.36
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
7
Around the region
Estonian consumers
worried about
financial difficulties
stonian President Toomas Hendrik
Ilves saw the economy of his country contract by 9.4 percent in the fourth
quarter of 2008 compared to the same
period a year earlier, due to a steep
decrease in manufacturing output and
domestic demand.
E
Manufacturing sharply down
According to the national statistics
office, Eesti Statistika, added value
decreased in almost all areas of the economy. The output of the manufacturing
sector, having the biggest influence on
GDP, dropped sharply due to the
decreasing demand on the domestic
market. At the same time, export of
Estonia's
manufacturing
sector
decreased as well.
Estonia's economy has contracted for
three consecutive quarters now, starting
with a 1.1 percent fall in the second
quarter of 2008 and decreasing by 4.2
percent in Q3.
Consumer confidence falling
Consumer confidence, having started to
decrease already in the second half of
2007, continues to drop at a faster pace
in 2009.
According to the economy research
institute Eesti Konjuktuuriinstituut
(EKI), surveying consumer confidence
regularily since 1992, this important
indicator of economy was at its historically lowest leveln of minus forty in
February 2009.
Sixty three percent of consumers
expect the situation to worsen in the next
12 months.
Fifty two percent of the people polled
by EKI plan to spend less money on consumer goods in the following months. In
the next 24 months 91 percent of consumers are more or less confident they
will not buy a car, while 94 percent rule
out acquiring housing property.
Expectations of inflation have lowered
8
Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves
significantly over the last 12 months. In
February 2008, 87 percent of those
polled expected prices to rise in the near
future; a year later, 39 percent expected
price rises.
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
Regular information on the
Estonian economy on
www.ceepackaging.com
and our daily newsletter!
Around the region
Romanian central bank believes that it can
weather the slowdown
Romania's central bank (BNR) believes
the country has a chance to avoid a hard
landing by registering a two per cent
growth rate for 2009.
The central bank has predicted 4.5
percent inflation for the end of 2009
and a 3.2 per cent inflation for 2010,
with a disclaimer that this outlook is
surrounded by high uncertainties.
BNR Governor Mugur Isarescu highlighted that the wide current account
deficit and fewer financing resources
have encouraged volatility in the
exchange rate of the leu to the euro, seeing it fall to historic lows. This has
resulted in higher debts for individuals
and companies who are paid in RON,
but have loans in euro.
Inflation for 2008 was 6.3 percent,
well above the target of 3.8 percent. The
end of 2008 also saw a drop in demand
for Romanian products from abroad
and a breakdown in business access to
financing. There were fewer sales, less
industrial output and a lowered business
confidence in the Romanian market.
The central bank stated that its move
towards disinflation has also been
affected by the disparity between high
Romanian Central Bank Governor
Mugur Isarescu
wages and low productivity. Risks in
2009 include the lack of availability to
loans for Romanian business, a lack of
competitiveness in Romanian exports,
due to the low productivity rates, and a
reduction in the private manufacturing
sector. The central bank has lowered its
interest rate by 0.25 per cent to ten per
cent, due to uncertainties in the market
and the change in its inflation forecast.
The bank has maintained the existing
minimum reserve requirements on leu
and foreign currency.
Moody's applauds
Poland, Czech
Republic and Slovakia
In an effort to differentiate risks linked
to investing in Central and Eastern
Europe (CEE), credit rating agency
Moody's said in a report that
‘Emerging European countries should
not all be treated as if their credit worthiness were subject to uniform pressure.’
It divided the region's countries into
four groups depending on the extent to
which they are affected by the global
credit crisis. Poland, the Czech
Republic and Slovakia were placed in
the group one - consisting of countries
whose rating is well anchored. Other
groups were coined as follows: (2)
countries whose credit fundamentals
are resilient but which could be subject
to some rating volatility should our
assumptions of support prove unfounded (Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia);
(3) countries whose relative credit fundamentals are being eroded but external support provides a rating floor
(Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia); and (4)
countries whose credit fundamentals
are eroded and support is less likely
(Ukraine).
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
9
Around the region
Wednesday is shopping day
in Poland
Most men hate shopping... or do they?
esearch commissioned by Visa
Europe in a number of European
markets reveals that Wednesday is the
best day of the week for a calm shopping
experience in Poland - shopping has the
best flow on account of the shortest
queues. Respondents across the country
pointed to Wednesday as the day they
are least likely to shop for food or clothes
in the country's shopping centres, supermarkets and retailers.
R
Evening the best time for groceries
Evening is the quietest time to shop for
groceries, with just seven percent of
respondents heading out to the shops
during this time. Both for Poles and
Britons, early evening proves to be the
quietest time to shop for clothes, with
just seven percent of those surveyed
choosing this as their preferred time.
Findings also show that shoppers are
increasingly in a hurry, and that male
shoppers are more impatient than
women. Nearly half (49 percent) of male
respondents cited queues as their biggest
irritation, versus 43 percent of women.
Women like to go it alone
Interestingly, more than half of Polish
men (53 percent) like to go shopping for
clothes with a partner, while every fourth
one buys on their own. One in eight men
(12 percent) leaves all the shopping to
their partner, compared to one in twelve
(eight percent) in the UK. British
women choose to shop for clothes with a
female friend almost as frequently as
Polish women (22 percent and 20 percent, respectively). Shopping alone is
preferred by 38 percent women; with
only one percent of British women and
three percent of Polish women willing to
be accompanied by a male friend.
The research findings debunk the
myth that shopping for groceries in
Poland is largely the domain of women.
As it turns out, the pattern is more balanced, both for everyday shoppers (32
10
Polish women prefer to do the shopping alone but research shows that
they do not do all the shopping. The really good news for men is that only
three percent of Polish women expect her male partner to come along with
her on shopping trips for clothes.
percent of men and 36 percent women)
and those purchasing groceries two to
three times a week (32 percent men and
31 percent women). Surprisingly, one in
six respondents (16 percent) shops for
groceries just once a week. The favourite
venues are local retailers (56 percent),
with shopping centres scoring just above
half that level (30 percent respondents).
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
Shopping for clothes
Among those shopping for clothes,
women are slightly in the lead: 37 percent of them hit the shops for clothes
every month, against 29 percent men.
The favourite stores are in shopping centres (38 percent), with local retailers and
continued on next page
Industry winners
Award for
mistletoe kisses
mcor Flexibles received the 2009
FPA
(Flexible
Packaging
Association) Silver award in the category
Technical Innovation for Galaxy®
Mistletoe Kisses™ packed in Amcor
ZigZag.
Amcor ZigZag is an opening solution
which allows the consumer to separate
the Mistletoe Kisses™ wrapper into several pieces without touching the chocolate. The wrapper can be opened anywhere along the length of the bar which
enables the consumer to choose exactly
where to tear the pack open.
‘Our Galaxy® Mistletoe Kisses™ flow
wrap contains three single pieces in one
wrap. Consumers who want to share the
product or save part of it for eating later
clearly benefit from the possibility to
open the pack anywhere along the length
of the wrapper. I am very proud that our
Galaxy® Mistletoe Kisses™ has been
awarded for Technical Innovation by the
FPA. This joint accolade continues to
build our relationship with Amcor,’
explains the Head of Packaging
Innovation at Mars Chocolate Europe.
Amcor says that ZigZag is ideal for
many products which are shared or eaten
on-the-go. The consumers are able to
divide the wrapper into several pieces
without touching the actual product.
Also, the zigzag edge along the seal also
clearly differentiates the pack on the
shelf.
A
continued from previous page
other small shops chosen by 24 percent
of the respondents. Every fifth respondent shops in high street stores (19 percent).
Paying for purchases
Once at the shops, secure card payments
are chosen by one in six shoppers for
groceries (16 percent) and one in five
shoppers for clothes (21 percent). Card
payment for clothes is most popular
among people aged 25-34 (30 percent of
the respondents) and 35-44 (26 percent). In the UK, where cards have been
used for decades, 60 percent of all
respondents prefer card payments to
cash.
Visa acceptance network is being
developed steadily, both world-wide and
in Poland. Visa cardholders can use
their cards for payment at more than
160,000 merchant locations across
Poland and over 29 million locations
globally.
Mariano Dima, Executive VicePresident, Marketing at Visa Europe,
said: ‘This research should provide people with some insight into the best
times to go shopping and through our
wide range of payment products, we
want to help people make their shopping experience flow better.’
The research was commissioned by
Visa Europe and was carried out by
ICM Research Agency in Greece,
Poland, Turkey and the UK.
The research was conducted by phone
using the CATI method (computer
aided telephone interview) during
December 2008 and January 2009, with
a sample of 1000 people in each country,
aged 18-65+.
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
11
Products and Branding
No label look for
soft drinks
Letters
Danger to PET recycling
Dear Alan
I'm writing to give a counterbalance to
your report in the CEE Packaging
newsletter of 19 March 2009 reproducing the claims of NatureWorks on their
survey of sorting equipment manufacturers.
Because NatureWorks had repeatedly
claimed that 0.1 percent of PLA had
no effect on PET recycle, Petcore commissioned an independent study by
PTI in Switzerland to identify the level
of PLA that would affect the PET
recycle stream. We were surprised to
find that even 0.1 percent of PLA in
the recycle stream produced PET recyclate that was too degraded for PET's
major applications.
In February last year Petcore refuted
these claims.
We also had several conversations and a
meeting with NatureWorks personnel
from the US and Europe where we
explained our findings and gave them
free use of our report.
They are lauding separation efficiencies
of 97.5 percent for bottles and up to 99
percent for flake. It is cleverly worded
but deliberately disingenuous.
NatureWorks are knowingly endangering the PET recycle industry worldwide. The PLA value chain should
fund a separate collection and recycle
system for PLA containers to prevent
their polluting established recycle systems.
Petcore is preparing a response.
Sue Ward,
Petcore
Ave E van Nieuwenhuyse 4
1160 BRUSSELS
Belgium
If you disagree with anything published in our magazine, newsletter
or on our website, please let us
know by writing to
alan@ceepackaging.com
Authors must give a telephone
number and full address.
12
assia Mineralquellen is a German
soft drink water company, located
in Bad Vibel.
The company produces water and carbonated soft drinks for 12 different
brands.
In 2008 the Marketing Department
decided to change their premium brands
Bizzl and Rosbacher from paper labels to
CCL's pressure sensitive labels. All bottles are for the returnable market so they
chose to use CCL's WashOff Labels
which are removable in industrial bottle
washers.
The labels were reverse printed in
gravure to protect the surface. The transparent design allows a view through the
label to see the content.
H
Cost and emission reduction
CCL claims that label removal process is
fast and clean, all adhesive and ink stays
on the label and does not pollute washing bath. At the same time there is a
dramatic reduction in energy, water and
chemical use as well as waste water treatment.
With the launch of two further products in February 2009 now all eleven
horeca bottles of Hassia are decorated
with trendy No Label Look Labels.
Verena Christmann, Public Relations
Manager of Hassia Mineralquellen says
that ‘Together with the new longneck
bottle the No-Label Look decoration
upgrades the product clearly. It has a
modern, significant design, ideally for
the trend and scene gastronomy, ensures
a strong impact since autumn 2008 even
at the young target group and is very
popular.'
CEE Packaging is providing some new services of which
you might like to take advantage.
Business Opportunities
We receive a number of requests to source goods, some of
which have been published in the magazine. From now on
these requests will be published on our daily newsletter and
on the website. under the heading business opportunities.
Unless otherwise stated, it will be necessary to contact us
for details of the enquiring company.
Supplier Guide
Along the same line as business opportunities, we will be
publishing a supplier guide in the magazine. If you would
like your products to appear in it please contact us.
Career opportunities
This section is open to companies trying to seek suitable
employees with experience in the packaging industry.
Advertising vacancies on our website is free of charge.
For more information contact: alan@ceepackaging.com
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
Products and Branding
Carlsberg Poland relaunches
Okocim beer with
new identity and branding
The new look launches in Poland Spring 2009,
with export markets seeing the new design in 2010.
kocim, one of Poland’s best-known
beer brands, owned by international brewing company Carlsberg, has been
redesigned by international branding
consultancy LFH.
The agency worked with
Carlsberg using its unique connected
processes approach to ensure the
project delivered consistent creativity
across all elements of the programme, from strategy to off-pack
application, as well as ensuring effective implementation and speed to
market.
O
Completely new branding
In addition to creating a new identity, packaging and bottle, the agency
has developed a complete brandworld for Okocim, including brand
guidelines, PoS, glasses, parasols, and
fridges. The key objectives are to reestablish Okocim as the iconic and
distinctive premium Polish beer and
boost sales.
LFH, which has offices in the UK
and Belgium, has undertaken the
year-long project which reviewed
Okocim’s positioning and identity.
The result is a newly designed bottle,
together with a graphic design solution,
which for the first time gives the range a
clear brand architecture, helping consumers to understand the different beers
within the Okocim family.
Enhancing brand values
Aldona Szczerba, Okocim Marketing
Manager says, ‘Okocim has retained a
strong presence in the hearts and minds
of consumers, but in recent years as the
market has become more competitive,
the core brand values needed to be
enhanced.
The new look Okocim is going to radically change that and will appeal to peo-
ple who know how to ‘enjoy a small
moment of real pleasure’. LFH has
developed a look and feel with a new
brand positioning that will restore its
position as a Polish beer icon, but in a
much more engaging and contemporary
way rooted in a great tradition. This
major step will completely revitalise the
Okocim brand.”
Fresh logo
LFH has redeveloped the logo to make it
fresher and more distinguished. The
new design retains recognisable elements
such as the goat and red shield, but the
logotype has been evolved and a new
bespoke brand typeface created. LFH
also created the oval branding device and
introduced a new brand colour to
emphasise the brand’s quality and
strengthen the identity.
New bottle, new colours
The new, fully embossed bottle is a first
- and a category breaking design for
Polish beer.
Its new shape is contemporary,
whilst retaining heritage cues –
the agency has created a waisted
design in brown glass, giving it
both elegance and making it
comfortable to hold.
The embossed logo implies
quality, and incorporates traditional elements such as ears of
barley.
Graphically, the label design
creates a distance between
Okocim and other beers. The
redesigned neck label uses different background colours for each
variant – a marked change from
the market norm, green for full
light, burgundy for black beer
(porter), yellow for wheat beer
and black for a stronger variant.
Tradition lacking differentiation
Steve Irvine, Creative Director at
LFH says, ‘With 166 years of
heritage, Okocim is one of Poland’s
favourite premium beers. The Polish
beer sector has remained very traditional
and is dominated by brands that lack differentiated brand values and also adopt
similar visual cues. Our challenge has
been to redefine the brand and communicate that through the new design, to
attract new consumers who appreciate
the good things in life. Our radical
approach will give Okocim clear standout in Poland, as well as its key UK and
US export markets.’
The Okocim brewery was founded in
1845 by German émigré Jan Götz.
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
13
Products and Branding
Spout system
devised for
car care products
onax, a manufacturer of car care
products has developed with Bericap
a user-friendly closure-pourer system for
its window cleaning and antifreeze products.
The system is used for the five litre
Sonax Xtreme Antifrost & Klarsicht
Konzentrat as well as for other antifreeze
and clear view products.
S
Multiple advantages
In comparison to conventional pouring
system solutions the cap-pouring system
offers varied advantages.
The pourer is integrated proper and
14
solid into the packaging or the canister,
so that it does not disturb the end customer while carrying the canister, but
when required it can be taken any time.
Thanks to the tight fit, the pourer
matches securely with the neck of the
canister.
For easy pouring the pourer is
equipped with a de-aeration pipe as well
as with a preferential direction for filling,
so that the customer can empty the content without any problem.
Based on the construction of the pourer, spilling due to a high and uncontrolled flow rate which could lead to a
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
defilement of the motor comportment,
can be avoided. In addition, the pourer
can be put back properly in the canister
for repeated use.
Other applications
The manufacturers claim that this cappouring system can be also used for other
areas where a clean and straight pouring
is required. If this packaging works as
well as the claims that are being made for
it, then one hopes that it may find applications outside that of the comparitively
specialised field of motoring!
21st week
18
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21
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May 2009
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Products and branding
High impact graphics
on two piece
food packaging applications
he Pentafood® film product line has
been
extended
to
Include
Pentafood® W-5120 and W-5150 rigid
polypropylene films. Designed to work
in conjunction with one another,
Pentafood® W-5120 and W-5150 films
are specifically designed for food packaging applications utilising two-piece
printed containers.
Two-piece containers are produced as
blanks, which are pre-printed on traditional printing presses, then are assembled into a container. The manufacturer
claims that they are ideal for high impact
promotional containers (movies, sports
teams, etc.) and premium product lines
such as ready to eat meals, beverage cups,
snack food containers, popcorn tubs, and
cereal packaging, these films are
designed to provide superior graphics
quality that exceeds traditional plastic
containers while offering features
unavailable with paperboard. Pentafood®
W-5120 and W-5150 films are available
in North America and Europe.
Pentafood® W-5150 base film is engineered with material stiffness to minimise waste and eliminate waviness on
the bottom of finished containers.
Pentafood® W-5120 sidewall film is
optimised for printing and sealing to
itself and the container base. In addition,
W-5120 film can be heat sealed to a variety of lid stocks compatible with PP containers. These films can be used on existing traditional printing presses configured for plastic sheet.
As compared to traditional paperboard, Pentafood® W-5120 and W-5150
films offer superior brightness and gloss,
as well as providing a superior printing
surface due to a lack of ink absorption.
These films are microwaveable and
available in translucent and opaque
colours.
Pentafood® W-5120 and W-5150
polypropylene films were developed to
meet packaging requirements for a high-
T
16
impact printed container,' notes Walter
Egenolf, Klöckner Pentaplast's business
manager of food packaging films for
Europe. 'The expansion of our food
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
packaging film range to include this film,
along with our existing Pentafood®
films, continues to provide the broadest
selection of films available today.'
Products and branding
Net bags
for fruit and vegetables
become compostable
iró has launched what it consdiers to be the first certified
complete compostable net bag. The
new net packaging system developed
by Giró comprises 100 % compostable materials certified according to EN 13432 for net and etiquette.
For the knitted net itself BioFlex® F 1130 and for the etiquette
Bio-Flex® F 2110 of FKuR were
selected. ‘The excellent mechanical
properties of Bio-Flex and the easy
processing were convincing factors
that made us decide to use these
materials from FKuR,’ says Carles
Llorens, responsible for Engineering
at Giró. ‘We are sure that other innovations with these materials will follow.’
Net bags are often used for fresh
food & vegetable packaging. Quality
factors are high elongation at break,
G
high stretch elasticity as well as good
printing and welding properties.
Bioplastics are a class of polymers,
which have properties comparable to
conventional polymers, but are made
from renewable resources or enable
the biodegradability of the products
made from this material.
Giró is a group of companies that
provides technology and systems for
the fruit and vegetable packaging
industry. Giró is currently present in
more than fifty countries on the five
continents.
FKuR Kunststoff GmbH produces and markets special customised biopolymers under the
brand names Bio-Flex® (polylactic
acid - copolyester compound),
Biograde® (cellulose ester compound) and Fibrolon® (natural fibre
reinforced polymers).
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
17
Products and Branding
Going for a
natural look
harta is an innovative new packaging solution produced by Alcan
Packaging Food Europe, designed to
appeal to the growing demand of customers who want a more natural look
from their packaging.
C
With or without metal
Charta comes in two variants; with or
without metal, adding to this versatility;
the pack can be used for valve applications.
It offers barrier and puncture resistance which helps preserve the aroma and
freshness of the product.
Paper and film laminate
The Charta pack, made from a paper
and film laminate, has Forest
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Stewardship Council (FSC) certification. The FSC is an independent, non
governmental, not for profit organisation
established to promote the responsible
management of the worlds forests.
The manufacturer’s say tha the paper
pack can be printed to have a bright,
clean modern appearance or can be given
a more rustic, old-fashioned look.
Giorgio Dini, Alcan Packaging Food
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
Europe considers that 'it is clear that a
number of our customers are looking for
packaging that is environmentally conscious; this particular packaging solution
fulfils this need as it is made using a sustainable resource, has a more natural look
to generate on shelf appeal, but importantly still maintains the high product
protection which consumers usually
expect'.
Products and branding
Allowing fruit to be washed without
removing it from the packaging
mcor has devised a product called the
PushPop which allows consumers not
only to open the pack easily but they are
also able to wash the fruits without removing the product from the pack due to incorporated holes at the bottom of the pack.
Amcor says that the packaging is tamper
evident, easy to open and easy to use.
Customers only need to push in the special
perforation on the top of the pack, pop the
pack open, and enjoy their blueberries
directly from the pack.
The company says that the PushPop can
be used for a wide range of fresh produce,
such as single use packages or can be used to
replace trays and punnets. It is stackable,
stands up in the fridge and offers on-shelf
product differentiation as the entire surface
can be printed, including the top and the
bottom of the pack.
A
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
19
Products and Branding
An alternative to
glass and tin
R
jars.
These jars offer both extended shelflife and the ability to be pasteurised and
sterilised, along with plastics' traditional
benefits of lightweighting, easy handling
and shatter resistance, to provide a viable
alternative to both glass and tin for a
wide variety of food products.
of the jars enable product to be more
clearly visible and provide greater flexibility for labelling and sleeving.
The Classic range is currently available
in five sizes - 212ml, 610ml, 700ml,
830ml and 1 litre. The jars can be specified with a choice of closures to suit different product requirements, including
Induction and Conduction seals, Ideal™
and Bapco™.
New shape and new word
The 'squround' design of the new jars - a
predominantly round shape with squared
shoulders - means the jars have the
strength to withstand high temperature
processing while being able to run down
existing filling lines.
Equally important, the straight sides
PP structure with EVOH
The jars feature a multi-layer polypropylene structure with EVOH providing
effective protection against oxygen
ingress to deliver a shelf life of up to 12
months or longer. PP can withstand
temperatures up to 120°C, allowing
products to be sterilised and pasteurised
PC Containers Corby has introduced a range of multi-layer plastic
20
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
during the filling process.
Increasing regulation in recent years in
the foodservice sector - for example
HACCP rules regarding safety in food
preparation areas - has already seen plastics replacing glass for catering jars. This
trend is now continuing into the retail
sector where plastics offer environmental
benefits in terms of their lighter weight
and resulting reduced impact in the distribution chain, as well as convenience
and ease of use.
'We are able to offer a comprehensive
support service, covering handling, filling and decoration, to enable customers
to take full advantage of the Classic
range as a genuine alternative to glass
and tin,' comments Vince Dean, Sales
and Marketing Manager, RPC Corby.
Products and Branding
Happy Easter soap egg
wrapped in
biodegradable film
nnovia Films' biodegradable and compostable packaging film, NatureFlex™
has been chosen by the ethical handmade cosmetics company, Lush to wrap
its range of 'Happy Easter' gift eggs.
I
Bath ballistic mix
The hollow eggs, available in two varieties (Pink - Candy Fluff Egg and
Yellow - Honey Bee Egg) are made from
bath ballistic mix and contain two Lush
products inside. When the inner products have been used, customers can simply break off pieces of the outer shell and
throw them into the bathtub for an
indulgent fragrant soak. The gift eggs
are wrapped in transparent NatureFlex™
NE30 film, which has been converted
into sheets by Innovation Packaging
Solutions Ltd.
ers operating Good Forestry principals
(FSC or equivalent). NatureFlex™ films
typically have a renewable biobased content of some 95% by weight of material.
Aiming for minimum packaging
"Lush prides itself on using the minimum amount of packaging possible.
Where they do need it, we are delighted
that NatureFlex fits their key sustain-
ability requirements; biodegradable,
compostable and from readily renewable
resources. NatureFlex offers ethical
manufacturers such as Lush, the ability
to align their packaging message with
the spirit of their product marketing,"
said Andy Sweetman, Global Marketing
Manager - Sustainable Technologies.
Making the packaging more sustainable
"Using NatureFlex is yet another way
Lush has been able to make its packaging more sustainable while still offering
sumptuous gift ideas including this alternative to the traditional chocolate Easter
egg," said Ruth Andrade, Environmental
Officer, Lush.
NatureFlex™ was an obvious solution
for the packaging as the film begins life
as a natural product - wood - and breaks
down in a home compost bin (or industrial compost environment) within a
matter of weeks. It also offers advantages for packing and converting such as
inherent deadfold and anti-static properties, high gloss and transparency, resistance to grease and oil, good barrier to
gases and aromas and a wide heat-seal
range.
NatureFlex™ films are cellulose based,
derived from renewable wood-pulp and
are certified to meet both the European
EN13432 and American ASTM D6400
standards for compostable packaging.
The wood-pulp is sourced from managed plantations from referenced suppli-
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080 21
Products and Branding
Company claims that
Life Cycle Assessment for
bag in the box packaging
is positive
apak, Europe's largest supplier of
bag-in-box systems, recently commissioned PIRA to undertake an independent Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
of bag-in-box packaging. The company
claims that the assessment suggests that
the format has excellent environmental
credentials not just for wine but for many
other food and non-food market sectors,
making it a real alternative to traditional
packaging materials.
R
22
LCA is a technique used to quantify
the environmental impact of products
during their entire life cycle. The different elements of the life cycle are examined from raw material extraction, manufacture, transport and usage, through to
waste processing or disposal. For each
stage an inventory is made of the energy
and material consumption, and of any
emissions introduced to the environment. The most familiar emission
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
described is the carbon footprint of a
particular product or process.
Bag in the bog versus alternatives
Rapak selected PIRA to ensure a completely impartial and independent report
with the specific aim of assessing and
comparing the potential life cycle environmental impacts of bag-in-box technology with alternative liquid packaging
formats. The report considered the most
Products and Branding
commonly used packaging materials in
each of the respective sectors assessed,
which included chemicals, wine, postmix
syrup, dairy, edible oils, industrial products, aseptic and bulk packaging.
Reducing environmental impact
Jean-Paul Roosendaal Sales and
Marketing Director for Rapak in Europe
explained, 'As a responsible packaging
producer, we need to be aware of and
reduce the environmental impact of our
products. Such a study allows our customers to make informed decisions in
the selection of packaging for their particular products, adding environmental
considerations alongside equally important factors such as packaging performance and consumer requirements.'
The study compared thirty different
packaging formats over the range of
market categories. Among the many
findings it confirmed that the weight of
packaging raw materials was a key element and this impacted on distribution
scenarios, both for empty and filled
packaging. This is driving many supply
chains to consider bag-in-box where formally they had only considered traditional conventional rigid alternatives.
One recent example is a major British
lubricant oil supplier who has converted
its range of containers to bag-in-box.
Rapak believes this trend is set to continue with many other non-food customers trialling and converting to bagin-box. The company says that it is
already in discussion with a number of
organisations, and for users new to the
format,
‘Environmentally competitive’
'The PIRA report's conclusion that bagin-box systems were 'environmentally
competitive' and in many cases superior
to alternative packaging formats in the
categories considered has qualified what
has long been felt about this packaging
medium,'
comments
Jean-Paul
Roosendaal. 'This is creating new opportunities by allowing customers to not
only fulfil their social responsibility obligations but also save money.
No format better than another
'Nevertheless, the purpose of the LCA
was not to prove that one packaging format is 'better' than another - there are
too many variable factors for any pack
realistically to be able to take that position. But with the environment having
an increasing influence in packaging
decisions, this type of research is invaluable in helping customers make the right
choice for their particular product or
application.'
Rapak will be presenting the LCA
findings to existing customers over the
coming months.
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
23
Products and Branding
Cadbury upgrades
packaging
to suit demographic
he Cadbury Highlights range of
powdered hot chocolate drinks has
been relaunched with an improved recipe
with eye-catching and newly designed
shrink-sleeves – but Cadbury’s has kept
faith with the existing Highlights jar
from RPC Containers Raunds for its
style and convenience.
T
Aims of rebranding
The decision to rebrand reflects a shift in
consumer culture away from dieting
towards ‘wellbeing’-based purchasing.
‘Our core demographic – 25-45 year old
women – want to feel good about themselves whilst having an indulgent chocolate experience,’ explains Richard
24
Holden, General Manager Beverages at
Cadbury. ‘As a result, Cadbury
Highlights now contains twice as much
milk chocolate as the old recipe, and the
packaging has changed to address this
fact.’
Sleeves designed to be eye catching
The eye-catching full-body sleeves
showcases the ‘chocolatey’ nature of the
brand, yet the Highlights jar itself
remains unchanged in order to maintain
consistency of logistics and brand recognition. ‘Despite the relaunch of the
range, we saw no reason to part company
with the existing jar from RPC
Raunds,’confirms Richard Holden. ‘We
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
are still extremely impressed with the
quality of the container.’
PP jar
Cadbury has been using the custommoulded jar for many years, following
the decision to remove glass across its
supply chain. The RPC jar is extrusion
blow moulded in co-polymer PP to
deliver significant shatterproof and
lightweighting benefits. Available in
150g and 220g sizes, the RPC Raunds
design offers a ‘double curve’ and is
amber-tinted to enhance its appearance.
Products and Branding
Rexam extends
sampler range
exam has just added a seventh member to its range of Sofistics samplers
- the world's best-selling family of cream
and lotion mini-dispensers: a 7.5 ml,
ideal for trial-sized products, gift-withpurchase, and branded, multiple product
travel sets.
The full range of Rexam Sofistics samplers now includes the new 7.5 ml, plus a
1.2 ml, 3 ml, 5 ml, 10 ml, 15 ml and 30
ml.
Rexam claims that the products are
reliable and completely customizable, in
terms of colour and decoration, Sofistics
samplers are available worldwide to suit
the needs of customers in both developed
and emerging markets. Rexam's full
service, global, capabilities optimize production and supply chain efficiencies,
allow unlimited customization and decoration, and help deliver unsurpassed
value.
R
designed to create an exacting replication
of the full-sized retail product's end-user
experience. 'These high quality, customizable mini-dispensers are perfect for
short lead-time, quick-to-market projects, at a time when upgraded packaging
is expected by consumers around the
world,' he said.
'And our research shows that today's
on-the-go consumers enjoy the easy
transport of their favourite products, for
use in the office, in the car or wherever
their active lifestyles take them,'
Desmaris said.
Brand building programmes
'The latest addition to our Sofistics sampler range anticipates further industry
demand for hard-hitting, brand-building
promotional programs that demonstrate
a powerful return-on-investment,' said
Eric Desmaris, Rexam's Global Sales
Director of Promotional Samplers. 'In
today's challenging market environment,
with so many new personal care products
being launched, cost-efficient, innovative
sampler programs are the way to create
customer contacts that result in sales success.'
According to Desmaris, Rexam's
Sofistics line communicates brand originality, elegance and quality. They are
Office space to rent in Warsaw
We have up to 100 square metres of office space in the centre of Warsaw (ul. Foksal just
off ul. Nowy Swiat) to sublet. Historic and prestigious building but modern space. Bright
and sunny. Excellent public transport. Security 24/7. Can be very flexible.
For more details call Sylwia Urbanowicz on +48 505 169901
or Alan Heath on +48 502 159080.
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
25
Products and Branding
Highly elastic stretch film
becoming available
for industrial applications
The highly elastic styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBC) Styroflex® 2G66
made by BASF, is now going into the serial production of films
for stretch hoods by several industrial users.
ischof and Klein, a manufacturer of
packaging material with worldwide
operations, is now using Styroflex to produce the stretch hood films of its
SmartFlex® SE series, and at almost the
same time, two of its major international
B
customers as well as PCI Augsburg have
switched over to this film for packaging
their cargo. Owing to its high stretchability and recovery capacity, this
Styroflex film lends itself very well for
securing a wide array of palletized loads.
Multiple layer film
The new stretch hood films consist of
several layers, the core layer being made
of Styroflex 2G66.
'We chose Styroflex for our films
because, in addition to being very easy to
PCI Augsburg, manufacturer of building and construction chemicals in Southern Germany, is palletizing different
cargo items, some of them with sharp edges, which have also been difficult to wrap with film: They are now using
stretch hood film made of Styroflex® 2G66, a styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBC) from BASF. Tear resistance and
recovery capacity ensure that the film continues to stabilize the packaged goods even if the pallet is tilted by up to
35 percent, thus greatly enhancing the stability of the load.
26
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
Technology
process, it also displays good recovery
properties.
Tests have shown that the film containing Styroflex wraps tightly around
the load, holding it securely on the pallet,
even after being stretched by as much as
220 percent.
Films made of pure polyethylene, in
contrast, can only be stretched between
20 and 50 percent in industrial use since
otherwise they do not recover sufficiently', explains Ulrich Drögsler, head of
sales for industrial packaging at Bischof
and Klein.
Protection against slipping
The hood film made of Styroflex protects the cargo - be it kitchen cabinets or
chemical containers - against slipping
since, together with the pallet, the load
forms a unit.
Thanks to its high puncture resistance,
the Styroflex film can be even thinner
than pure PE films, which are usually
from 80 ?m to 120 ?m thick. This entails
a two-fold benefit for customers since
greater stretchability and less thickness
reduces the film weight per pallet while
the improved pallet stability lowers
insurance and logistics costs. The PCI
Augsburg company - a manufacturer of
building chemicals located in Augsburg,
Germany and a BASF subsidiary - is utilizing the advantages of this film especially in order to package items with
sharp edges which are otherwise difficult
to wrap with film; these products include
tile adhesives in buckets and footfallinsulation panels. Tear resistance and
recovery capacity ensure that the film
continues to stabilize the packaged
goods even if the pallet is tilted by up to
35 percent, thus greatly enhancing the
stability of the load. Besides, a single film
tube size can accommodate different
packaging tasks and pallet sizes. This
saves not only storage costs but also cuts
the time needed for retooling.
Bischof and Klein is currently developing a UV-resistant SmartFlex® SE film
on the basis of Styroflex; this film will be
suitable for outdoor applications such as
wrapping roof tiles, garden furniture and
chemical products.
The film is already undergoing testing
and is expected to be commercially available in mid 2009.
BOPP line working at 505
metres per minute
ubai based Taghleef Industries (Ti),
one of the leading film manufacturers
worldwide,
and
Brückner
Maschinenbau have set yet another
remarkable milestone within the BOPP
film industry: In Sohar, Oman, Ti`s latest high-performance 8.7 m wide BOPP
line is running at a constant speed of 505
m/min with a film thickness of 20 µm.
Thus, Ti is clearly demonstrating their
strong commitment to continuous technological progress, producing finest film
quality on state-of-the-art equipment.
The Oman line is one of the most powerful of its kind with an approximate
output of five tons per hour.
For the ambitious project Brückner
not only provided the complete film
stretching line but also an entire turnkey
package for the new BOPP production
D
facility: plant layout, utilities, resin storage facilities, peripheral equipment, finished material handling and film recycling systems. The solution of complete
engineering along with Ti`s excellent
support throughout all project phases
have attributed to this success story.
Dr. Detlef Schuhmann, CEO of
Taghleef Industries, said: 'Our seventh
joint project with Brückner has been
characterized by an extremely positive
cooperation. A smooth commissioning
was followed by a stable production at all
times and now has been highlighted by
breaking through the 500 m/min barrier
within short time. With the new line we
have taken a decisive step forward to further strengthen our market position.'
What will the economic downturn do
to the packaging industry
in Central and Eastern Europe?
Here our opinions on this subject at Packaging Innovations
Warsaw on 28 - 29 April 2009.
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
27
Technology
Cast film launched for
medical applications
orealis is launching a new cast film
grade
from
the
Bormed™
polypropylene (PP) family - the pharmaceutical solution for film and moulding
applications - that delivers what the
company believes to be best-in-class
transparency for medical packaging
applications.
Bormed RE806CF produces cast films
with a balance of optical properties even
after steam sterilisation, high purity and
good sealability.
Produced at Borealis' new state-ofthe-art PP unit in Burghausen,
Germany, Bormed RE806CF is a medium ethylene random copolymer without
slip or anti blocking agents. It is based on
Borealis' proprietary Borstar® -Sirius
catalyst technology which adds novel
characteristics to PP to enable a step
change in product performance.
Bormed RE806CF allows cast films
differentiated by outstanding purity,
owing to low volatiles and extractables,
very high gloss and low haze to be
achieved. It provides good thermal stability with a melting point of 143°C. Its
high transparency is retained during and
after steam sterilisation processes.
Borealis believes that Bormed
RE806CF's benefits make the grade
ideal for use in applications where transparency and sterilisation resistance are
key requirements, such as pharmaceutical, diagnostic and medical device packaging.
Like all Bormed materials, RE806CF
is produced under strict conditions to
guarantee consistent, high quality and
compliance with international norms for
the medical and pharmaceutical markets.
For film converters, Borstar technology
allows the PP grade to be tailored to provide processability without compromising on superior product quality.
B
tional Innovation Headquarters in Linz
is delivering pioneering materials with
cutting-edge performance to the
advanced packaging sectors,' comments
Nina
Ackermans,
Application
Marketing Manager, Borealis Film and
Fibre Business Unit. 'We understand the
high value that our customers in the
Technological commitment
'Bormed RE806CF is an excellent
example of Borealis' commitment to
investing in new technologies. Our innovation capabilities with the new interna-
28
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
medical film industry place on product
consistency, reliability of supply and easy
processing, in addition to responding to
the aesthetic and performance criteria
required by the demanding healthcare
market. Bormed RE806CF has been tailored to help cast film converters meet
these challenges.'
Technology
Organic additive used in pillow film
that accelerates biodegradation
without compromising biodegradability
regis Corp. is introducing EP-Flex™
Renew™, a high performance lowdensity polyethylene air pillow film that
is made with up to 50 percent less resin
than competitive inflatable void-fill
products. The new film structure also
contains a proprietary organic additive
that accelerates microbial biodegradation, without compromising recyclability.
'Pregis is constantly looking for ways
to deliver high performance products
while minimizing our impact on the
environment. Through technological
inroads, we have been able to engineer an
air pillow film which has half the thickness of competitive products yet offers
improved performance,' explains Evan
Everett, general manager, packaging systems, Pregis.
Unlike other air pillow films which are
marketed as 'environmental, or
biodegradable,' EP-Flex™ Renew™
doesn't contain any heavy metals or salts
(which are found in oxo-biodegradable
options.) Additionally, the product can
be transported in high heat and has a
longer shelf life than starch-based
degradable products.
EP-Flex™
Renew™ film uses a water-based ink and
is tinted green using an organic colorant
to provide consumers with a visual cue.
It will not begin to biodegrade until it
enters a landfill (anaerobic), compost
(aerobic) or other environments which
contain microbes. Complete biodegradation typically occurs within one to five
years, depending on conditions.
EP-Flex™ Renew™ has been optimized to run through Pregis' AirSpeed®
5000 and Airspeed® Smart™ systems
which produce air-cushioning void fill
on demand. No equipment adjustments
are necessary to run the film.
'Air cushioning pillows have always
been an environmentally-responsible
choice when compared to peanuts,
moulded foam and others. Now Pregis
P
has taken void-fill to a new level by producing a competitively priced alternative
with significant environmental advantages. Not only is EP-Flex™ Renew™
designed to biodegrade in landfill environments, but it is 100 percent recyclable
and contains up to ten percent recycled
content,' Everett says.
Puncture resistance
The manufacturers claim that EPFlex™ Renew™, along with the still
available original EP-Flex™, provides
greater puncture resistance and improved
tensile strength compared to competitive
products. They say that this line has
been engineered to provide stronger,
more resilient air pillow seals.
EP-Flex™ Renew™ is compliant with
both ASTM D5511 (determines the
degree and rate of anaerobic biodegradation of plastic materials in high-solids
anaerobic conditions such as landfills)
and ASTM D5338 (determines the
degree and rate of aerobic biodegradation of plastic materials on exposure to a
controlled-composting environment
under laboratory conditions).
The film is available in twenty, twenty
five and thirty centimetre wide rolls.
Longer length bulk pack rolls are available for high volume consumers to minimise changeovers, while eliminating
cartons and reducing the amount of pallets and cores used.
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
29
Technology
Plant opened for
extracting polyol from
PET products
new synthesis process for generating polyol from PET materials is
now being used industrially by Petopur
GmbH, Schwarzheide. The processed
materials are from clean and carefully
sorted PET, such as PET flakes, PET
production waste and PET films. The
planned annual production output is
4,000 tonnes of polyol (APP) for application in rigid foam processing. The start
of production took place on 27 February
2009.
The plant equipment and the process
technology for the new plant were provided by H&S Anlagentechnik GmbH,
Sulingen. The core unit of the plant is a
reactor, which carries out the synthesis
process of PET conversion into an APP
(Aromatic Polyester Polyol). The PET
A
material is fed to the reactor from above
and being weighed. The process quantity
is then added to the reactor, heated and
Control panel of the synthesis plant
30
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
mixed mechanically by means of agitator
while DEG (diethylene glycol) is being
fed in. The resulting end product is high-
Technology
Start-up in Schwarzheide: Ralf Knief (H&S Anlagentechnik) hands over the plant to Joachim Prueger (Petopur)
ly pure polyol. According to Joachim
Prueger, the Managing Director of
Petopur GmbH, the system operates in a
completely closed loop, without generating any waste and with a high energy
recovery factor based on the use of heat
exchangers in each individual process
step. Process heat is recovered by means
of the heat exchangers and is being used
for the next batch. From the environmental point of view, the plant concept
from H&S Anlagentechnik incorporates
a high level of the modern equipment
and technology.
Again according to Joachim Prueger,
thanks to its advantageous basic properties, the highly-pure APP offers a number of benefits to PU rigid foam processors when compared with genuine polyol: inherent flame retardancy, low density of the rigid foam (up to 5 percent
material saving), very low acid content,
long shelf life, improved lambda values
(thermal coefficient, insulation factor)
and compressive strength which is at
least 20 percent higher of the rigid
foams produced out of the PET based
polyol. According to Petopur statements,
now it will become possible to obtain
significantly better properties of the end
product for a very attractive price. The
details relating to the APP properties
and the rigid foam produced out of it are
based on the assessment of an external
test institute.
Along with manufacturing of basic
polyols, Petopur also produces system
polyols according to the individual customer's order. A compact blending module at Petopur is the part of the H&S
plant technology as well. Blending
process enables adjustment of the certain
product properties by means of additives,
paints or flame retardants, in order to
meet the customers' requirements. The
aim of this application-based specialisation of the company is a perspective system formulation for medium sized companies.
Compact core cell: reactor for
synthesising PET into APP (polyol)
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
31
Industry news
European aluminium
tube association
to celebrate fiftieth anniversary
Düsseldorf-based etma - European Tube Manufacturers Association is celebrating the
fiftieth anniversary of its foundation this year. Despite the economic crisis, the association's 52 member companies from 19 European countries reported good figures for 2008.
Nontheless, innovative strategies and greater flexibility are called for in order to successfully master the increased challenges that European tube producers are now facing.
n 2008, with its extremely difficult
fourth quarter, the European tube
industry was stable, in contrast to the
prevailing trend.
Etma members produced a total of
nearly 10.4 billion tubes in 2008 and
thus a good three percent more than in
2007, the previous record year. A
remarkable achievement given the
macroeconomic environment.
They thus manufacture more than
I
32
eighty percent of all flexible tubes produced in Europe. Aluminium tubes
make up 40 percent of the market with
plastic and laminate tubes each accounting for 30 percent.
Fifty years ago
The situation was completely different in
etma's foundation year. When the members of the then German Tubes
Association and the UK Collapsible
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Tube Manufacturers Association met in
Paris on 25 April 1959 to form what is
now the european tube manufacturers
association (etma), most tubes were
made from aluminium.
Etma members produced a total of
two billion tubes in 1960, but annual
production has risen by way of 3.4bn in
1980 and 7.3bn at the turn of the century to 10.4bn tubes today.
Industry news
International growth
In addition to the rapid technological
and economic development of the tube
industry, etma also represents a success
story in transnational co-operation and it
implemented the European idea very
early on: following the inauguration by
German and British companies, they
were joined as early as 1960 by companies from France, Italy and Austria. By
1970, tube producers from Spain,
Portugal, Greece, Finland and Sweden
had joined, although it was years or even
decades before the respective countries
became members of the EEC or the EU.
Companies from countries that are not
even members of the European Union
are now also members of etma: from
Switzerland since 1960, Norway since
1963 and Russia and Turkey since 2001,
the year of the major Eastern enlargement of etma.
Jubilee in Turkey
It is not least because of the influence of
this geographic enlargement that etma
will be holding its congress in its jubilee
year in Istanbul. At its golden jubilee celebration in the city on the Golden Horn,
members will look back on a fifty-year
record of success.
Creation of norms for tubes
etma has left its mark with the creation
of Europe-wide norms and quality standards for tubes, which benefit not only
member companies but also their industrial clients and above all European consumers. etma monitors legislative procedures and regulatory developments in
the field of packaging, food legislation
and the environment and collects reliable
data on the packaging and commodity
markets. It provides its member companies with statistics and the results of productivity studies.
These benchmarks and etma's database help companies position themselves
and develop strategies for the future.
Well equipped to face crisis
In its jubilee year, etma believes the
European tube industry is well equipped
to face the crisis and will be less strongly
hit compared with other branches of
industry. The industry benefits here from
the fact that it mainly produces tubes for
consumer-oriented fields. Core markets
are, for example, food, cosmetics, dental
care or the robust pharma sector, which
appear to be relatively stable in the current difficult environment.
Challenges ahead
However, there are also new challenges
facing member companies.
The trend, and with it the desire on
the part of customers, is towards ever
more demanding tube designs: new and
multifunctional closures, more elaborate
printings and embossing are examples of
innovative design elements.
At the same time, because of the pressure due to the crisis, customers are placing their orders at very short notice, production runs are significantly smaller.
This leads to higher retooling costs, production capacities cannot be utilised in
an optimal manner and there is increased
cost pressure.
This is a situation that demands maximum flexibility from the European tube
industry in etma's jubilee year and will
provide plenty of issues for discussion at
the congress in Istanbul.
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
33
Industry news
European standard for
corrugated packaging
designed to guarantee safe stacking
new Europe-wide standard for corrugated packaging guarantees safe
stacking of boxes from different producers and countries of origin and therefore
makes logistics along the entire retail
supply chain more efficient. The standard, the Common Footprint (CF), has
been presented by the European
Federation of Corrugated Board
Manufacturers (FEFCO) in February
2009 at Fruit Logistica in Berlin.
A
in contrast to 66 to 81.5 percent with
plastics.
Paul Brown, chairman of the FEFCO
S3 Corrugated Packaging Initiative,
points out: 'The Common Footprint is a
milestone in logistics. It saves the retailers money and our environment benefits
from it: optimal use of space, fewer necessary transports, less used road fuel.'
The FEFCO Common Footprint
defines strict technical specifications for
corrugated packaging. These consist of
fixed measurements for the outside
dimensions and for interlocking tabs and
matching receptacles at the short sides.
Identical outside dimensions make sure
that all corrugated packaging is compatible with euro-pallets. Tabs and receptacles give added stability so that packaging can be stacked securely. The height
of the packaging remains flexible and
can be chosen to suit the products that
are transported. This way, best use of pallet height can be made both in lorries
and in distribution centres. In terms of
space efficiency, corrugated packaging
outperforms packaging with fixed
height, as a study commissioned by the
Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI)
has shown in 2007: Space utilisation of
corrugated packaging is 91 to 98 percent
34
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Packaging that adheres to the FEFCO
Common Footprint can be easily identified by the Common Footprint stamp
(CF stamp) on the sides of the boxes.
The CF stamp is available for download
on www.fefco.org for manufacturers who
produce boxes according to the FEFCO
specifications.
Analysis
Recession hitting
labeling business
Slump in demand leads to sharp fall in
sales for the Swiss Gallus Group
amounting to CHF237 million from
CHF289 million in 2007.
The recession triggered a sudden
drop in demand for label printing
machines due to reduced consumption,
especially in the USA, and in particular
because of a high level of uncertainty
amongst customers regarding the
development of the global economy.
The recession has not been the only
reason for a drop in performance in the
company's opinion. The complete
takeover and development of the folding carton business, completed in 2006,
and renamed Gallus Stanz- und
Druckmaschinen GmbH, made a disproportionately large contribution to
the decline in profits in 2008. Several
large-scale ventures which were
acquired in 2007 and 2008 will only
start contributing to sales in 2009. The
company manufactures reel-fed printing machines and die-cutters for the
production of folding carton and cardboard products.
Alufoil sales dropped
in 2008
The global economic downturn adversely impacted the aluminium foil sector
during 2008 leading to a 6.3 percent
shipment decrease to 809,200 t compared with 2007 (863 800 t), according
to figures from European Aluminium
Foil Association (EAFA).
Sales within EAFA region* were down
by 6.4 percent while exports fell by 5.7
percent.
Within EAFA region, thinner foils
used for flexible packaging applications
and household foil decreased by 6.2 percent per cent while thicker gauges mainly used in technical applications such as
automotive and construction industry
were down 6.8 percent.
Figures for the fourth quarter of 2008
showed that thinner gauges fell by 5.6
percent in comparison with the corresponding period in 2007. The food and
beverage customer base for many thinner
Recyclng rate for aluminium foil trays and
containers reaches forty percent
European average recycling rate for alufoil trays and semi-rigid containers has
reached 40 percent, according to figures
compiled by the European Aluminium
Foil Association (EAFA).
Used in markets such as ready prepared meals, bakery products, pet foods
and takeaway foods, alufoil trays and
containers are a consumer-friendly and
infinitely recyclable material.
Peter J. Hauser, Chairman of the
Board of Directors of St Gallen
based Gallus faces a tough year
ahead.
gauge applications was less affected than
many other industries.
On the other hand thicker gauges were
particularly hard hit in the fourth quarter
with a 14.6 percent decrease compared
with the final quarter of 2007. This was
due to the general economic downturn
especially affecting the transportation
sector. Overall the fourth quarter saw a
fall of 8.8 percent to 182,300 t (2007:
199,900 t).
'The aluminium foil industry, like
many sectors, has been severely challenged by global recessionary effects and
this is likely to continue well into 2009.
However, we believe that alufoil's record
as a sustainable and innovative packaging material and the essential role it plays
in the prevention of food waste through
its barrier and preservation properties
will ensure a healthy future,' commented
EAFA President Fred McDonogh.
Recyclable product
Aluminium is 100 percent recyclable
with no loss of quality in the recycling
process and recycling of used aluminium
saves up to 95 percent energy. Recycled
aluminium foil trays are used again for
the production of new aluminium products.
Felix Steinbrecher, EAFA's Container
Group chairman, said: 'The average
recycling rate of 40 percent proves that
real progress is being made across
Europe, and there is still the opportunity
to improve.
'The recycling figures married to continuous light weighting through downgauging of material, make alufoil trays a
sustainable packaging option in addition
to its modern and convenient features.'
The above recycling rate is an average
European rate based on national consumption and recycling data compiled by
EAFA from European countries where
consumption volumes and recycling rates
vary considerably.
The European Aluminium Foil
Association is the international body
representing companies engaged in the
rolling and rewinding of alufoil and in
the manufacture of alufoil containers and
of all kind of flexible packaging. Its more
than 120 members include companies in
Western, Central and Eastern Europe.
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
35
Analysis
Packaging a concern
for consumers of
bottled water
onsumers throughout Europe
believe that bottled water should be
offered in packaging that is safer for the
environment. That is a key finding of
research undertaken by multi-packaging
specialists Hi-Cone into bottled water
packaging across Europe.
Hi-Cone says that a major concern
among European mineral water producers is to find packaging solutions that
help to control costs and satisfy consumer demands. In the market research,
consumers expressed strong sentiment in
favour of more convenient and environmentally friendly multipacks for bottled
water. This is typified by the growing
popularity of eight pack, half litre PET
bottles among French consumers of all
ages for on-the-go consumption.
C
multipacks. They are well represented in
all countries and concern for the environmental impact of packaging is
stronger in the purist group.
Branding v product features
The research showed that bottled water
consumers in Europe fall into two categories: those who respond well to brand
visibility and are influenced by shelf
appeal, and those classified as 'purists' for
their preference for packaging that
shows the clean, natural features of the
product. Both types of consumer, however, agree that alternative packaging
concepts are needed for bottled water
36
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Concerns about packaging
There were various concerns shared by
survey respondents about bottled water
packaging. Consumers believe there are
too many PET bottles disposed in the
environment, even though a large majority are recycled. They also believe minimal packaging is a lower cost alternative.Furthermore there is a strong preference for packages that are easy to carry
and open, convenient for storage, and
generate less waste for disposal. Bottled
water purchases are motivated by brand
recognition, product availability and,
above all, price because the brands have
little differentiation with a few exceptions.
The research revealed certain differences between various countries. In the
UK, bottled mineral water is viewed as
an indulgence because of the cleanliness
Analysis
of the public water supply. While the
product represents purity, freshness and
healthy lifestyles, this is compromised by
the perceived negative environmental
impact of the packaging. However,
British consumers appeared undecided
about which packaging options are best
for the environment or least harmful to
it. Only the most committed 'green'
consumers said they would sacrifice convenience or pay extra for environmentally friendly packaging options.
...only the most committed 'green'
consumers said they would sacrifice
convenience or pay extra for environmentally friendly packaging
options...
Reasons for choosing bottled water
In Germany, consumers drink bottled
water primarily as a healthy lifestyle
choice. German consumers are drinking
more water in different circumstances
and locations, which has fuelled growth
in PET multipacks of smaller bottles.
Multipacks are preferred for this convenience, while in terms of environmental
considerations, consumers prefer multipack options that generate less waste and
offer convenient transport and storage.
In Spain, where bottled water is popular as an alternative to the tap, shrinkwrapped six-packs of large and small
bottles are the most common water multipack. Consumers associated elaborate
packaging designs with competitive
brands, but also believe flashy or excessive packaging overshadows the austere
natural aspects of water. Simpler or minimal packaging designs are associated
with generic brands, and are viewed as
better for showing purity. Spanish consumers are concerned about the environment and feel obligated to recycle and
generate less waste. However, they
believe that bottled water companies
should be responsible for providing more
environmentally friendly packaging and
not pass any extra cost onto consumers.
French consumers are avid drinkers of
bottled waters. Like their British,
German and Spanish neighbours, they
are concerned about the environment
and believe bottled water companies
should offer packaging options that are
safer for the environment. French consumers responded well to the concept of
minimal packaging and also believe photodegradable plastic is less toxic to the
environment.
Expecting something new
According to Ton Hoppenbrouwers,
business unit director Europe for ITW
Packaging, the Hi-Cone research clearly
shows that European consumers expect
something new in terms of bottled water
packaging and will look favourably on
companies that respond to this burgeoning demand.
'Companies are getting the message
about minimal packaging, but they have
to reconcile this with the need to differentiate their brands on shelf,' he
explains. 'From Hi-Cone's perspective,
we are advising that these goals are not
incompatible. Truly minimal packaging
solutions are available with ring carrier
multipacks, and these packages can also
provide excellent shelf visibility.'
Slowdown hitting sales
of bottled water
The combined forces of the economic
downturn and environmental pressures
are causing a sharp slowdown in the
global bottled water market, according
to a recent analysis by global beverage
industry specialists, Canadean. The situation is most marked in the USA, where
Canadean is forecasting annual growth
of less than 1 percent for the next five
years. This is a significant deceleration
from the double-digit rates seen from
2000 to 2008, and has major implications for the PET plastics industry, in
particular.
'In the decade up to 2008, the US
bottled water market accounted for 20
percent of the growth in global PET
demand in beverages, ' comments Emily
Neill, Business Development Director
at Canadean. 'This growth driver has
been switched off, and the momentum
in bottled water demand is now firmly
focused in the dynamic Asian markets.'
High profile tap water campaigns
across many US states, and bottled
water bans by public institutions have
resulted in consumers reverting to tap
and filtered water. This is being mirrored in some major European markets
such as France and the UK, with the
economic conditions reinforcing this
trend.
On a broader note, the prognosis for
global commercial beverage consumption is relatively healthy. Beverage
demand is forecast to weather the economic storm, growing by 2.0 percent in
2009 and 2.6 percent per annum in the
longer term. The more buoyant cate-
gories include still drinks, nectars (juice
drinks) as well as bulk and bottled
water, where growth in countries such as
China, India and Indonesia will compensate for the stagnation in western
economies. After a near flat performance in 2009, carbonates are expected to
return to a growth rate of 2 percent
annually. Those companies with strong
international exposure will benefit from
rising demand in Asia to offset the
tougher markets in North America and
Europe.
Alcoholic drinks are likely to show a
mixed picture, with beer, wines and spirits in gradual decline in Europe, where
health and legislative issues are hitting
traditional alcohol consumption. The
pattern is clear: beer and spirits are in
decline in their key markets such as
Germany, the UK and Scandinavia,
whilst wine is under pressure in France,
Italy and Spain. Meanwhile, Asia will
continue to be the engine for beer
demand, with a projected annual growth
rate of around 5 percent.
More intriguingly, the energy drinks
category grew at double digit rates
across a large number of countries in
2008, and is predicted to rise by nearly
10 percent globally in 2009. Upsizing in
serving volume, the entry of more private label and B brand products, plus
strong support from the multinational
players are all factors pushing up consumption. And evidently in straitened
times consumers are prepared to pay for
that extra boost.
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37
Events
Anuga FoodTec:
Slowdown fails to hit
interest in
food technology event
nuga FoodTec, the international
trade fair for food and drink technology, ended on Friday 13th March
2009. This year's Anuga FoodTec welcomed approximately 34,000 trade visitors from 114 countries, a figure comparable to that of the previous fair. Some 43
per cent of the visitors came from
abroad.
'In view of the overall economic situation, this is a satisfactory result and a
positive signal for the economy as a
whole,' said Koelnmesse CEO Gerald
A
38
Böse. 'The excellent figures for exhibitor
and visitor participation is a clear signal
to the sector that it should meet the
challenges it is facing today by coming
up with innovative solutions. And these
figures are also an indication of the sector's commitment to Anuga FoodTec as
the leading information and purchasing
platform of the international food industry.' Anuga FoodTec is a specialist trade
fair whose multi-sector approach covers
all aspects of processing, packaging,
hygiene, storage and distribution in food
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and drinks production.
The same conclusion about the fair
was reached by Dr. Reinhard Grandke,
Chief Executive of the German
Agricultural Society (DLG). 'Anuga
FoodTec has impressively lived up to its
reputation as the leading business platform of the food and drinks technology
sector,' he said. 'Issues such as automation, packaging, hygiene and food safety,
which were the centre of interest at this
year's Anuga FoodTec, show that the
safety and quality of food, as well as sus-
Events
Trends at Anuga FoodTec 2009:
Hygienic technologies
Hygiene is the first priority in the food industry. This is why hygienic
requirements for the design of machinery have recently become very challenging. The machines for hygienic applications that were exhibited in
Cologne feature optimised surface properties and can be easily dismantled, cleaned and reassembled in a few minutes. The current standards
and guidelines that are complied with, such as GMP, FDA, EHEDG, QHD
and 3A, guarantee high product safety for the consumer.
Aseptic packaging
As the trend continues for fresh, natural foods made with minimal processing and processing that preserves the foods' natural qualities, the use of
aseptic packaging technology for filling sensitive products, such as milk,
juices and trend drinks like smoothies, will increase. This means the range
of processes used for aseptic packaging will continue to be expanded and
improved. In addition to complete filling lines, the full spectrum of knowhow in all areas of filtration, separation, sterilisation and air-conditioning
was also on show in Cologne. This enabled other sectors where hygiene
is also the top priority, e.g. the well-represented meat industry, to profit
from the exchange of technologies at the cross-sector Anuga FoodTec.
tainable food production, will continue
to be a focus of the relevant technologies
in the future. The high professional level
of the exhibition and the many innovations on show encourage us to look
ahead with optimism, even in difficult
economic periods.'
A total of 1,194 exhibiting companies
from 39 countries attended this year's
Anuga FoodTec, representing a slight
increase over the exhibitor figure posted
by the previous event (2006: 1,178 suppliers from 40 countries).
The majority of the exhibiting compa-
Automation
Automation and robotics play a decisive role in preparing food producers
for the future. They also help to decrease cost-pressures in the food
industry that result from changes in buyer behaviour and higher quality
standards in the manufacturing and packaging of food. Automation is
increasingly moving away from the central control structures. State-of-theart, decentralised on-site control, intelligent servo motors and pneumatics
are featured in the machinery and facilities exhibited. And more and more
applications include the use of Ethernet in all areas of automation. Thanks
to TCP/IP standards, the LAN port known from the world of IT allows communication between individual systems, from the control level right to the
field level.
Energy
While the topic of energy efficiency has become a classic issue in other
areas, there are still many sectors in the food industry where energy consumption can be optimised. At Anuga FoodTec it was shown that the issue
of energy consumption is becoming increasingly topical among suppliers
of machines and facilities for the food industry. Thanks to modern measuring and control technology, use of raw materials and energy can be optimised.
nies were satisfied with the fair. 'In contrast to all the expectations we had
because of the currently critical economic situation, we had more visitors this
year than at the last event, which was
already very popular,' said Marcus Ley,
Marketing Manager of EMEA Ecolab
GmbH & Co. OHG. 'Another extremely positive feature we noticed was the
decision-making authority of the visitors, which was much greater than at the
previous event. This confirms the trend
we noted at the last Anuga FoodTec.
Most of the visitors we met here were
decision-makers. This enabled us to not
only intensify our existing business relationships, but also to generate new business at the fair. All in all, Anuga FoodTec
2009 also was a resounding success for
our company. That certainly answers the
question of whether trade fairs are
worthwhile and whether we will come
back the next time around.'
Exhibiting companies also reported
successful business deals that were carried out during the fair. 'From our view-
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39
Events
The PET wal of excellence at Anuga FoodTec
point we can confirm that the food
industry is still ready and willing to make
investments. We were entirely successful
in reaching our targets,' concluded Dr.
Michael Gerretz, head of marketing at
Vemag Maschinenbau GmbH. A similar
conclusion was reached by Birger
Becker, Managing Director of MettlerToledo Garvens GmbH: 'Even though
the volume of visitors at our stand was
not quite as high as in the past, we are
very satisfied with the results of the fair.
The trade visitors had a very high degree
of decision-making authority, and the
number of business deals we closed
exceeded our expectations.'
The exhibiting companies had particularly high praise for the expertise and
strong decision-making authority of the
trade visitors. 'We're highly satisfied with
how the fair went. Even though we experienced a slight decrease in the number
of contacts we made, the decision-making authority of the visitors was impressive in every way,' said Stefan Schiffer,
40
Managing Director of Ishida GmbH.
This opinion was shared by Dr. Klemens
van Betteray, Vice President of CSBSystem AG, who said, 'The quality of the
trade visitors was excellent.' In an initial
survey, more than 81 per cent of the
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trade visitors said they played either a
key role or a supporting and consulting
role in investment decisions at their
respective companies. In the same survey,
82 per cent of the survey participants
said the product range on display at
Events
Anuga food was good or very good. A
total of 74 per cent of respondents said
they were satisfied or very satisfied with
their visit to the fair.
Anuga FoodTec focused on hygiene
technologies, automation and sustainability, in particular energy efficiency.
These themes also were addressed by the
trade fair's very diverse supporting programme. A strong turnout was registered
by the Anuga FoodTec forums, which
were coordinated and organized by the
DLG. The symposiums and presentations by renowned institutes and speakers were dedicated to themes including
technologies for chilled food and freshcut products, product quality and food
safety, pasta technology, convenience,
dairy technology, meat technology and
advances in technologies for the liquid
foods segment.
In addition, Anuga FoodTec was an
event for establishing new business partnerships. To name one example, the
renowned InnoBev Global Soft Drinks
Congress organized by British trade
publishing house Zenith International
took place for the first time at the trade
fair, bringing together the soft-drink sec-
tor's leading manufacturers, suppliers
and analysts to present the latest trends
and developments on the international
market. About 130 participants took part
in the two day congress.
More than 170 participants registered
for the 12th PETnology Europe 2009
conference, which also took place for the
first time in Cologne. The congress
offered an overview of the latest devel-
opments, innovations and sector information in the drinks and PET packaging
industry.
A highlight of Anuga FoodTec 2009
was the Robotik-Pack-Line, which was
presented thanks to a collaboration by 30
companies. This modular production
and packaging line produces, monitors,
sorts, packages, weighs and palletises a
challenging type of food product that is
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
41
Events
Events
22 - 23 April
Easy Fairs® Verpackung Schweiz
Zurich, Switzerland
28 - 29 April
Easy Fairs® Packaging Innovations
Warsaw, Poland
7 May
Deutscher Verpackungskongress 2009
Steigenberger Hotel
Berlin, Germany
11 - 15 May
Hispack and BTA 2009
Barcelona, Spain
14 - 15 May
dvi - Packaging Design
Berlin, Germany
19 - 22 May
Embax Print,
Brno, Czech Republic
14 - 17 September
Pakfood,
Poznan International Fair,
Poznan, Poland
14 - 19 September
Drinktec
Munich, Germany
16 - 19 September
Packtech
Belgrade, Serbia
22 - 25 September
Budatranspack,
Budapest
Hungary
28 - 29 May
CEE Pet Conference
Vienna, Austria
29 Sept - 1 Oct
Fachpack
Nuremburg
Germany
2 - 4 June
Electronic Trading Forum
Warsaw, Poland
6 - 7 October
easyFairs® EMPACK St Petersburg
Russia
2 - 5 June
Balkan Pak
Plovdiv International Fair Grounds
Bulgaria
7 - 8 October
easyFairs® EMPACK
Brussels, Belgium
3 - 4 June
Pack and Gift
Paris, France
3 - 6 June
Modernpak,
Zagreb, Croatia
42
8 - 11 September
Inpodmash - Upakovka
Acco International Exhibition Centre,
Kiev,
Ukraine
20 - 23 October
Luxe Pack,
Grimaldi Forum,
Monaco.
1 - 4 November
All Pack
Romexpo, Bucharest,
Romania.
17 - 19 June
dvi - Verpackungsentwicklung
und optimierung
Nuremburg,
Germany
4 - 7 November
Expo Print & Pack
Exhibition Centre, Sofia,
Bulgaria.
23 - 27 June
Rosupak,
Moscow,
Russia
10 - 11 November
4th European Bioplastics Conference,
Ritz Carlton Hotel,
Berlin, Germany
CEE Packaging, www.ceepackaging.com Tel.: +48 22 2195466, +48 502 159080
made of a number of components - the
hamburger. A particular emphasis in this
process is placed on hygiene, monitoring,
safety and regular cleaning of the conveyor belts. 'The Robotik-Pack-Line
clearly shows the benefits of fully integrated process coordination. The digital
factory is the future trend in the food
sector. Anuga FoodTec will be the leading trade fair in Europe for food industry
technology and continue to become even
more important for the global food
industry in the coming years,' said Dr.
Klemens van Betteray, Vice President of
CSB-Systems AG.
'Look ahead' was the title of a special
sustainable packaging event set up in
association with Berlin-based packaging
agency Berndt and Partner Packaging
Creality, one of the leading specialists in
packaging design and development.
Another special show was devoted to
Auto-ID/RFID solutions in the food
industry.
A special challenge was awaiting the
approx. 600 experts for sensory food testing who were put through a veritable
marathon on 10th and 11th March
2009, at Europe's biggest food and
drinks test, the DLG EuroFoodTest.
The products tested included hundreds
of wines of various vintages, 660 fruit
drinks, 1,400 cheese products and about
3,000 sausage and ham products. 'The
quality of a food product is essentially
determined by the quality of the raw
ingredients and by the production technology used to make it. Under the event
title 'Taste meets Technology' it was
made impressively clear that, given the
increasing demands being made in terms
of food quality, technologists, product
developers and quality assurance specialists must work together in order to satisfy consumers' expectations,' concluded
Dr. Reinhard Grandke.
Anuga FoodTec is jointly organised by
Koelnmesse GmbH and the German
Agricultural Society (DLG). It takes
place every three years, corresponding to
the innovation cycle in the sector. The
next Anuga FoodTec will take place
from 27th to 30th March 2012.
All photographs in this article by
Koelnmesse.
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