Packaging

From United Fresh 2013; Handling and Distributing booths

SAN DIEGOO — Staff Writers Mike Hornick and Vicky Boyd gathered these handling & distributing related news items at the United Fresh 2013 expo floor May 14-16.

GARLOCK PRINTING & CONVERTING: Cris Baca (right), sales account manager, and Max O’Malley, sales and service manager, from Garlock Printing & Converting, Gardner, Mass., display a recyclable pouch that can be imprinted with high-color graphics. “It contains a certain percentage of high-density (polyethylene) resin, which makes it a No. 2,” Baca says.

More marketers opt for gusseted bag

YAKIMA, Wash. — The stand-up gusseted bag is a powerful new packaging trend for Northwest cherries, cherry marketers believe.

Researchers invent afforable plastic circuit

Researchers have invented an affordable plastic circuit that they say could revolutionize the fresh food industry by allowing for freshness monitoring within packaging.

Gourmet Trading upsizes blueberry clamshells

Gourmet Trading is upsizing its blueberry clamshells.

United Fresh unveils Recall Ready program

SAN DIEGO — A new service from the United Fresh Produce Association aims to help produce suppliers prepare for food recalls and deal with the fallout if one does occur.

The fee-based Recall Ready Program was announced May 16 by Ron Midyett, chief executive officer of Apio and incoming chairman of United Fresh. The program will be available June 1.

A decade for Sormac

May 1 marked the 10th anniversary of Venlo, Netherlands-based Sormac BV, which specializes in packaging equipment for the fresh produce industry with a focus on the fresh-cut sector.

Burger King supplier speeds line to meet apple demand

Officials at Appeeling Fruit Inc. knew they were going to pick up the pace in their packing facility when they installed a band sealer — they just didn’t know how much they needed the new machine when they bought it.

Thin is in, for new label technology

Building in temperature monitoring capabilities in labels as thin as a human hair will become a commercial reality by late 2014, a Norway-based company claims.

Stick-on “smart” labels that can record how temperature-sensitive products like fresh produce have been handled throughout the supply chain will be available to industry in 2014, according to Jennifer Ernst, director of global sales and business development activities for Thin Film Electronics ASA. That could provide important food safety safeguards, she said.

Berry packers aim for variety of sizes

Variety seems to be emerging as a trend in berry pack sizes, though larger sizes are also popular.

U.S., European packaging companies merge

Five packaging companies are combining forces to become the sixth-largest packaging company in the world.