Through the Line: Packaging and Processing

How can strict temperature control be maintained over sea routes,  while ensuring full compliance and product integrity? Teva Pharmaceuticals, in partnership with Kuehne + Nagel and Cold Chain Technologies (CCT), successfully validated the global transportation of temperature-sensitive medicines by sea.  This is an AI generated episode. Read the full featured article on Healthcare Packaging .

What do CPGs need to know as consumers become more skeptical of ultra-processed foods? During the Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network's ‘Ultra-Processed Foods’ panel in Chicago on Oct. 22, food industry experts offered insight into the perception and handling of definitions, implications, and regulations of ultra-processed foods. They noted the importance of science-driven research impact...

How can polypropylene, one of the most widely used plastics in consumer packaging, be diverted from landfills or incinerators? Packaging World Senior Editor, Anne Marie Mohan, sits down with Professor Edward Kosior, CEO and founder of Nextek. They discuss how the Nextloopp initiative is uniting stakeholders across the packaging supply chain to enable the closed-loop recycling of food-grade PP. Rea...

What are three components to consider for sustainable healthcare packaging? The growing trend of sustainable pharmaceutical packaging relies on commitment, circularity, and cost. Companies like Opella and AbbVie are implementing strategies for eco-friendly solutions, moving from aspirational goals to grounded, measurable commitments, and focusing on circularity and waste reduction.  This is an AI...

What do food and beverage operations need to know to choose power transmission wisely and run efficiently? Choosing the right motor, belt, or gearbox isn’t just a matter of specs. It’s about fit, function, and future-readiness. This ProFood World podcast details a 10 step checklist for power transmission product selection. This is an AI generated episode. Read the full featured article on ProFood...

How has online shopping changed the needs of packaging? Computer peripherals and software company, Logitech, has nearly completed a transition from plastic clamshells to paper-based packaging for its hallmark computer mice. The switch comes after online shopping and environmental concerns grew in its customer base, meaning customers have less of a desire to see the product while in the packaging....

How can automation impact a co-man's production capability? Yundu Machinery Technology Co., Ltd, a contract manufacturer dedicated to the health and wellness sector, turned to an automatic capsule filling machine to ramp up its production. The most dramatic change was the speed. After the equipment installation, production capacity at Yundu increased from 20,000 capsules/hour to 72,000 capsul...

Do you truly maximize the lines you already have? In most processing facilities, there’s a gap between what the line is doing and what it could be doing. That gap may be caused by inefficiencies in changeovers, unplanned micro-stoppages, inconsistent material flow, operator variability, or lack of real-time visibility. This is an AI generated episode. Read the full featured article on ProFood Worl...

Why does aluminum reign supreme for recyclable packaging materials? Kopu Water is helping hotels and resorts make a sustainable shift by offering a bottled water program that replaces glass packaging with lightweight, recyclable aluminum bottles and pairs it with a built-in recycling system. This is an AI generated episode. Read the full featured article on Packaging World .

Despite the potential benefits, why does the reported adoption rate of AI for supply chain tracking and tracing in the U.S. life sciences industry remain low? AI tools are being implemented in the life sciences supply chain, enhancing tracking and tracing capabilities to improve visibility, streamline operations, and support compliance with regulations like the DSCSA. But, only 25% of life science...

How can MRP software improve traceability? Fresh Fizz Sodas finds full traceability and accurate cost tracking with MRP software. The MRPeasy system records vital events related to ingredient lots and product batching as well as associated costs. This helps the soda producer know the cost of a product batch or unit, explore the details of various cost components, such as materials or labor, and ma...

How does Amazon meld a better customer experience with sustainability? Paul Jenkins, managing director of U.K. packaging innovation consultancy ThePackHub, sits down with Pat Lindner, VP of mechatronics and sustainable packaging at Amazon, to discuss how consumer needs and sustainable solutions often overlap, and the sustainability wins the company has achieved in meeting these priorities. Watch t...

How are companies adapting their processes to ensure the safety and efficacy of their products, while meeting the rising demand of refrigerated biologics? With biologics comprising over 40% of drugs in development, the need for precise temperature control is paramount. These drugs typically require refrigeration at temperatures between two to eight degrees Celsius (or even lower) and falling outsi...

What factors go into creating a production line that produces food reliably, safely, and consistently to impact the bottom line? The process must be engineered backward from the final product attributes, incorporating considerations for ingredients, food safety, equipment selection, and business infrastructure to ensure reliable and consistent manufacturing. This is an AI generated episode. Read t...

How can sustainability and convenience intersect? Laundry and dish pod trailblazer Dropps doesn't need to get up on a soap box about sustainable packaging. Its new omnichannel carton range, rolled out in June 2024, sends that message on its own, both via e-comm channels and in the retail detergent aisle. This is an AI generated episode. Read the full featured article on Packaging World .

What are the best practices for medical device companies following the EPA's announcement of new concentration limits for medical device sterilization cycles? Editor-in-chief Elisabeth Cuneo sits down with Wendy Mach, Packaging and Sterilization Expert at Canyon Labs, to discuss action plans and new innovations in the medical device space. Watch   the full featured interview on Healthcare Pac...

What is the key factor in maximizing uptime? The key factor in maximizing uptime is data. Informed data helps to produce goods more productively across the value chain. By collecting additional data from the factory floor and combining that with other enterprise operational data, a smart factory can achieve information transparency and make better decisions. This is an AI generated episode. Read t...

How can your packaging counter outdated perceptions about a product, like stigma around non-alcoholic beer? Summit Brewing’s Nialas non-alcoholic craft beer line uses an adventure-themed packaging design to connect with active consumers and convey the flavor-forward character of the beers. This is an AI generated episode. Read the full featured article on Packaging World .

Why is collaboration between marketing, human factors, and packaging teams essential for successful product development? Editor in Chief, Elisabeth Cuneo, sits down with Chris Chudek, who has 10 years' experience in pharmaceutical packaging development, specifically with combination products. They talk about the importance of collaboration between marketing, human factors, and packaging teams...

What does faster automation mean for operations teams? As machines take over the most repetitive and labor-intensive tasks, employees are empowered to take on responsibilities that require critical thinking, adaptability, and collaboration. In this future-forward environment, line workers become system stewards. Maintenance techs evolve into automation specialists. This is an AI generated episode....

How can a company eliminate applying plastic price look-up (PLU) stickers to individual fruits? Laser etching directly onto suitably thick-skinned fruits like mangos and avocados lets Westfalia Fruit eschew plastic price look-up tags with date codes, while standing out on the shelf. Possibilities for unique designs, even 2D codes, abound. This is an AI generated episode. Read the full featured art...

What challenges are popping up as the healthcare industry continues to move away from ethylene oxide? Regardless of sterilization type, securing vendors has become increasingly more difficult over the past 5-10 years In some cases, X-ray is the more preferred process over EO as well as gamma, which requires the difficult-to-source Cobalt-60 radioactive isotope. This is an AI generated episode. Rea...

What steps should you take to ensure that the optimum system for a capital project is purchased? Before attempting to source quotes to address project needs, ensure that all the relevant stakeholders are accounted for in the equipment need specification. Then split the requirements from the criteria for evaluation to make a list of absolute pass/fail requirements. This is an AI generated episode....

Would recycled content in packaging influence your purchasing decisions? Kory Nook, VP, packaging R&I, at Danone, shared the company's experience managing consumer expectations with PCR at Packaging World' s 2025 Packaging Recycling Summit. He explains that partial progress like 50% recycled content often doesn’t register with consumers.  Read the full featured article on Packaging W...

What standards for transport and storage conditions need to be upheld to maintain sterile packaging conditions?  A properly designed and validated sterilization packaging system ensures the effectiveness of the sterilization process and maintains sterile barrier integrity until it’s opened. Key risk factors to consider are temperature, humidity, physical environment, protective measures, and time/...