Through the Line: Packaging and Processing

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How can your packaging counter outdated perceptions about a product, like stigma around non-alcoholic beer?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/...

How can a company successfully improve throughput, while saving money, and giving back to the community? Campbell's Goldfish created a new line that adds an extra 50% of production capability to the facility, which means it can produce more than 5 million Goldfish per hour, or 1,500 Goldfish every second.  This is an AI generated episode. Read the full featured article on ProFood World .

How can regenerative forestry, renewable materials, and collaborative design bolster a circular economy? Kouvolan Lakritsi, a family-run confectionery known for its traditionally cooked licorice, has partnered with Metsä Board to unveil a new recyclable and reclosable paper cup—a packaging innovation that embodies regenerative forestry, circular economy thinking, and co-creation at scale. This is...

Why is GS1 US increasing its focus on barcode scalability? The Barcode Assessment revealed that while most manufacturers are now labeling medical devices with barcodes containing the mandated Unique Device Identifier (UDI), healthcare providers aren’t consistently scanning those barcodes at the point of care. This is an AI generated episode. Read the full featured article on Healthcare Packaging .

As automation becomes increasingly central to production efficiency, quality assurance, and operational flexibility, how can operators navigate the shift from manual, repetitive tasks to technology-enabled roles? Automation isn’t replacing people; it’s freeing them. But for companies to realize the full benefits of this evolution, they must commit to one essential principle: continuous training an...

How can humanoid robots address the needs of businesses in logistics and manufacturing? This episode is a conversation between Associate Editor Casey Flanagan and Melonee Wise, former chief product officer at Agility. Wise participated in this report while in her former role but left the company in late summer 2025. They discuss the company's Digit Humanoid Robot and new features for connecti...

Despite progress in accurate data exchange, what are the remaining challenges that the Healthcare Distribution Alliance (HDA) is working to solve for its distributor members? Based on an HDA survey, distributor members reported receiving accurate data for over 93% of purchase order lines from manufacturers. However, challenges remain with incomplete data, delayed data delivery, and difficult troub...

How can you find balance between product development teams and manufacturers?  Casey Flanagan, Associate Editor with ProFood World, sits down with Rod Hogan, Senior Vice President - Innovations at Sargento to discuss how working with manufacturing from the earliest stages of development meets consumer expectations, retailer needs, and the company’s own business goals. Read the full featured articl...

How can a sustainable packaging shift also simplify the process of buying, stocking, and shipping a product? Brandon Barr, VP/GM at Duracell, shared the company's journey of switching from a 60-year-old plastic blister-pack to a fully paper-based package at Packaging World' s 2025 Packaging Recycling Summit.  Read the full featured article on Packaging World .

What trends in pharmaceuticals did Healthcare Packaging editors see at PACK EXPO 2024? Healthcare Packaging Editor-in-chief Elisabeth Cuneo sits down with Associate Editor Casey Flanagan to discuss sterilization, auto injectors, and sustainability as some of the leading trends from last year's show floor. Download the complete Innovations Report on Healthcare Packaging .

What are the best practices for passing down knowledge from retiring experts? Companies must not only implement systems and programs that facilitate knowledge transfer but also create an environment where all employees feel valued and supported. Some strategies for this transfer are mentorship programs, digital documentation, and modern training technologies. This is an AI generated episode. Read...

What trends in coding and marking did Packaging World editors see at PACK EXPO 2024? Packaging World Editor-in-chief Matt Reynolds sits down with Senior Editor Anne Marie Mohan to discuss variable data at faster speeds to address the need for 2D barcodes and QR, and white/color printing on corrugated as some of the leading trends from last year's show floor. Download the complete Innovations...

Is a circular economy the most direct path to sustainability in health care? Healthcare Packaging Editor-in-Chief, Elisabeth Cuneo sits down with Dorethe Nielsen, head of the Corporate Environment Strategy unit at Novo Nordisk. They discuss how Novo  aims to achieve zero environmental impact through reducing material use, designing with reuse in mind, and transforming waste into new products. Read...

What packaging precautions should brands take to keep its retailers happy? Best Choice Meats has upgraded its packaging line with overwrapping and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) systems, according to equipment supplier Ossid. The equipment investment aims to maintain customers satisfaction by reducing leakage.   This is an AI generated episode. Read the full featured article on ProFood World...

What should brands expect with the FDA's proposed Front-of-Pack Nutrition Labels? Packaging World Editor-in-chief Matt Reynolds sits down with Eric Greenberg, an attorney assisting clients with FDA regulatory compliance for food and food related companies. They discuss what updated labeling requirements may look like. Watch the full featured interview or read Greenburg's column on Packag...

What trends in medical devices did Healthcare Packaging editors see at PACK EXPO 2024? Healthcare Packaging Editor-in-chief Elisabeth Cuneo sits down with Associate Editor Casey Flanagan to discuss sustainability, ease of use, and product integrity as some of the leading trends from last year's show floor. Download the complete Innovations Report on Healthcare Packaging .

How can high pressure processing serve as a tool for extending shelf life? This pasteurization method disrupts microbes through intense pressure, offering an alternative to traditional heat treatments for food safety and quality. The process leverages isostatic pressure to inactivate microbes by denaturing proteins and disrupting cell membranes, preserving the food's chemical composition and...