Through the Line: Packaging and Processing

What is the best way to work through infrastructure challenges when building new or enhancing and existing plant? Before building, installing, or enhancing a food processing plant, it’s important to identify and understand the challenges that lie within meeting regulations. This is an AI-generated episode. Read the full featured article on ProFood World .

What are CPGs prioritizing in E-commerce and D2C packaging in 2026? Editors Anne Marie Mohan and Matt Reynolds sit down to discuss why protection still dominates D2C packaging decisions in 2026, while SIOC/SIPP gains traction. Brands split between channel-specific and omnichannel packs, sell through multiple platforms, and juggle carrier reality with sustainability pressure. Read the full annual o...

When less than 1% of hospital waste is recycled, what are the odds of integrating a recycling system without disrupting workflow? Zuyderland Medical Center in The Netherlands  collaborated with SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, to help transform medical plastic waste into new contact sensitive packaging materials. This is an AI-generated episode. Read the full featured article on He...

What are the best strategies to avoid food recalls and maintain customer trust? The toll of a food safety failure extends far beyond the initial problem. Whether it brings costs associated with food waste, production delays, regulatory consequences, or loss of consumer trust, suffice to say a recall is best avoided. This is an AI-generated episode. Read the full featured article on ProFood World .

How is AI transforming the ways CPGs can explore ideas, refine concepts, and build confidence before production? Virtual prototypes, e-commerce mockups, and rapid A/B tests now let brands gauge demand in days, not months. It's transforming how teams design, validate, and launch new products and packaging. This is an AI-generated episode. Read the full featured article on Packaging World .

What does sustainable processing and packaging look like in plant-based first aid? Editor-in-Chief, Liz Cuneo, sits down with the founder of Green Goo, Jodi Scott. The company stands at the forefront of sustainable healthcare and personal care, proving that natural, effective, and FDA-compliant formulations can coexist. Read the full featured article on Healthcare Packaging .

What does plant resilience look like in a modern environment? In the past, many plants thrived on consistency. Stable schedules, long production runs, minimal product changeovers—all hallmarks of efficiency. But modern manufacturing doesn’t live in that world anymore. The winning plants are the ones that adapt fast, smart, and often quietly behind the scenes. This is an AI-generated episode. Read...

How can a packaging change influence trends in customer appeal and sustainability? McCormick's Old Bay, and newer clean-label players, are bringing spices back to printed tin, pairing shelf impact and vintage charm with potential sustainability upside as EPR pressures grow. This is an AI-generated episode. Read the full featured article on Packaging World .

What are some of the biggest insights from a packaging engineer with three years' experience?  Editor-in-Chief, Liz Cuneo, sits down with Evergen Packaging Engineer Ashim Moona. He shares two aspects of sustainability, the importance of learning the standards, and how “burnout” can actually be a good thing. Read the full featured article on Healthcare Packaging .

How are food manufacturers leveraging real-time KPIs and digital investments to enhance manufacturing metrics and overall operational efficiency? Lightweight system solutions are creating flexibility for plant managers to set relevant KPIs and expand the workforce. Midsize companies see lightweight solutions as a good first step for KPIs that collect safety, quality, delivery, and cost metrics, or...

What were some of the leading trends and highlights of the Pack EXPO East show floor? Listen in as editors Sean Riley, Liz Cuneo, and Matt Reynolds discuss how sustainability, Sunrise 2027, and AI showed up on the show floor. Find more show coverage on Packaging World .

How do you motivate kids to brush their teeth? Editor-in-Chief, Liz Cuneo, sits down with Jordan Diatlo and Zach Gelber to discuss customizable toothbrush brand, Babsy. The toothbrush packaging channels an arts-and-crafts aesthetic, made to look like a creative kit rather than a sterile healthcare product. Read the full featured article on Healthcare Packaging .

What new laws and regulations should food processors be aware of for the new year? With the turn of the calendar to 2026, new laws and regulations are on the horizon.  Stricter U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules under the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act, and FSMA Rule 204 (Food Traceability Rule) are among some of the changes. This is an AI-generated episode. Read the...

How do new dietary guidelines break away from recent advice? Packaging World Editor-in-Chief, Matt Reynolds, sits down with legal columnist Eric Greenberg. They discuss how the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines revive older principles and raise scientific questions—reshaping food labeling, formulation, and product innovation across the industry. Read the full featured article on Packaging World .

How does custom med device design impact speed? Listen in to hear how a partnership in prosthetics manufacturing is utilizing digital methods to improve speed to market for medical devices. The episode highlights the collaboration between Paralympian Mike Schultz's company, BioDApt, and Protolabs, a rapid manufacturing service, to quickly produce highly specialized, custom-machined aluminum c...

What were the markers of 2025 and what does 2026 hold in store? Uncertainty was a driving force of 2025. Tariffs and AI gave many companies pause. Listen in to hear what ProFood World Editor-in-Chief, Derrick Teal, predicts will define 2026. This is an AI-generated episode. Read the full featured article on ProFood World .

What happens when a company acts on customer feedback on plastic packaging? La Terra Fina has redesigned its quiche packaging to remove several components while preserving product protection and shelf appeal. The update targeted plastic packaging materials that consumer feedback indicated was excessive. This is an AI-generated episode. Read the full featured article on Packaging World .

How is Graasi building a sustainable future for nutraceuticals? Listen in as HCP contributing editor Joe Darrah sits down with Chris LaCorata, founder and chief executive officer of Graasi, a nutraceutical company with a mission for wellness and responsible manufacturing. LaCorata brings deep expertise in building high-performance teams and sustainable operations. A lifelong advocate for U.S.-base...

How can a dairy facility invest in the future? ProFood World editors Derrick Teal and Casey Flanagan discuss a recent visit to California Dairies recently constructed plant. Teal talks about how the company is strategizing to diversify beyond butter and milk powder and include premium dairy beverages for the more than 250 California farmers who own the cooperative and make up its membership.  Read...

How is Clover Sonoma innovating in a plastic dominated industry? Listen to Packaging World Editor, Anne Marie Mohan, sit down with Mike Benedetti to discuss the company's new cup. It's comprised of 80% renewable FSC-certified paperboard with a thin layer of low-density polyethylene inside and a foil lid, dialing down plastic by 83% and shrinking its carbon footprint by 75%. Read the full...

What is preventing companies from upgrading their legacy scanning systems and why should they embrace the change? Liz Cuneo, Editor-in-Chief of Healthcare Packaging, sits down with Tracy Nasarenko, Vice President of Customer Success for Healthcare. They discuss GS1’s  release — new GS1 US research offering companies a roadmap to supply chain modernization through intelligent data capture. The repo...

How do CPGs feel about adoption of humanoid robots? ProFood World's Derrick Teal and Casey Flanagan discuss how CPGs are viewing humanoid robot technology and what it might take for them to see widespread adoption in packaging and processing. Download the 2025 Status Report on ProFood World .

How do accessible products intersect with accessible packaging?  For Microsoft, accessibility isn't just a packaging feature—it's a "fundamental right." A focus on inclusivity and accessibility has reshaped the company's approach to packaging, driving both innovation and empathy in global product design.   This is an AI-generated episode. Read the full featured article on...

How can overlooking packaging in med device development derail a launch? When healthcare startups set out to disrupt the market, their eyes are fixed on the star of the show: the device. But in this interview with Jenn Goff, Chief Commercial Officer at Packaging Compliance Labs (PCL), we discover that this can be a costly mistake.  Watch the full featured interview on Healthcare Packaging .

How can companies adopt humanoid robots while maintaining worker safety? ProFood World's Derrick Teal and Casey Flanagan discuss the potential for humanoid robots in packaging and processing operations. They cover some of the latest tech advancements and pilots across various industries for humanoid robots, and barriers to widespread adoption, like standards. Look out for part two of this pod...