Packaging materials

Avara Foods committed an initial £4.7m to getting its Wednesbury facility operational

Digital feature: long read

Me & My Team: Avara Foods Wednesbury

By Phil Davidson

Avara Foods's Wednesbury factory illustrates the company’s parallel priorities of investing in people and transformative technology, both of which are essential in the middle of the skills crisis, operations director Phil Davidson explains.

The dairy sector is focused heavily on measuring Scope 3 on-farm emissions

Digital feature: long read

Dairy processing: cows, costs and carbon

By Lynda Searby

Richard Clothier, managing director of Wyke Farms, might be a big cheese in the dairy industry, but that doesn’t mean he is impervious to the cost pressures facing his third-generation cheese-making business.

The FDF has welcomed further discussion on business waste

Government confirms EPR scheme roll out delayed to 2024

By Rod Addy

The Government has confirmed it will delay the roll-out of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme, which will require producers to bear the full cost of post consumer packaging waste disposal, until 2024.

There isn’t yet a trusted international certification scheme for sustainable soya

Digital feature: long read

Sustainable sourcing: the challenges

By Michelle Perrett

Food and drink processors are making constant progress in tackling the sustainability of the raw materials they use, from energy, gas, packaging, to ingredients such as soy and palm oil.

Jope: 'We see a bright future ahead for both nutrition and ice cream inside Unilever'

Financial roundup

Unilever and Arla UK brace for commodity cost hit

By Rod Addy

Unilever expects its commodity costs to rise by £3bn in 2022, claiming the price of soybean oil doubled in 2021, while Arla has predicted cost inflation will cause 'a slowdown in branded growth'.

One of Framptons's bottling lines

Contract manufacturing profile: Framptons

Hatching a plant-based future

By Rod Addy

Framptons is a contract packer and manufacturer for well-established brands. Its flexibility and adaptability have ensured its longevity and it has expanded its capacity in plant-based ‘milk’ production thanks to trailblazing investment in a SIG Combidome...

Bottle caps fell foul of '100% recycled' claims

Drinks firms in trouble for '100% recycled' packaging claims

By Rod Addy

Soft drinks firms Pepsi Lipton International and Roxane UK have fallen foul of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which banned adverts that attracted complaints for making 'misleading' eco-friendly packaging claims.

41% of shoppers reported adopting reusable grocery packaging to cut their environmental impact

IGD report backs industry's green packaging aims

By Rod Addy

The Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) has launched consumer research to encourage the food and consumer goods industry to halve the environmental impact of all packaging by 2030.

The UK Plastics Pact arose out of a time of great public concern about plastics pollution

Plastic packaging: strong progress announced by WRAP

By Michelle Perrett

Problematic single-use plastic items were reduced by 46% while the amount of plastic packaging in supermarkets fell by 10% from 2018-2020, the UK Plastics Pact’s third annual report reveals .

Bunzl has agreed 13 acquisitions so far this year

Chilled and frozen food gel pack firm Hydropac acquired

By Rod Addy

Bunzl plc, the specialist international distribution and services group, has announced the acquisitions of chilled and frozen food gel pack firm Hydropac and industrial clothing specialist Workwear Express.

AMP: metal cans are the most recycled drinks packaging in the world

Ardagh Metal Packaging to build $200m NI can plant

By Rod Addy

Ardagh Metal Packaging (AMP) has announced plans to build a $200m drinks can plant near Belfast in Northern Ireland, creating many full-time jobs for engineers, technicians and other roles.

The U-label scheme uses QR codes on wine or spirits bottles to convey information

Why voluntary nutrition labels for alcoholic drinks won’t work

By Richard Horwell

A voluntary e-label scheme has been developed by European wine and spirits trade bodies Comité Européen des Entreprises Vins and Spirits Europe enabling wine and spirit producers to communicate nutritional, calorie and allergen information via QR codes...

Coveris has launched RecyclaPEel modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) sandwich skillets

The Complete Package

The Complete Package: recyclable packs take high profile

By Rod Addy

Recyclable packaging innovations took a high profile this month, with Coveris announcing a string of developments, while transport issues look set to drive up testliner costs and steel costs have rocketed over 12 months.

Ruangsorn: 'Gap in the market for smoothies that contain vitamin D and iron'

High protein smoothies make Ecotrophelia finalist list

By Gwen Ridler

High protein smoothies packed with berries in eco-friendly packaging derived from edamame beans secured University of Surrey's two person team Edam & Eve a finalist place in Ecotrophelia UK. Team lead Ruangfah (Minnie) Ruangsorn explains more...

FoodMan Talks: Ecotrophelia UK finalist on cereal bar idea

FoodMan Talks: Ecotrophelia UK finalist on cereal bar idea

By Gwen Ridler

An innovative cereal bar concept netted student team ReGen, from London Metropolitan University a finalist place in Ecotrophelia UK 2021's contest. Team lead Nyani Lebrasse tells us more in the latest FoodMan Talks.

Coca-Cola GB is rolling out 100% rPET on all its on-the-go bottles from September

The Complete Package

The Complete Package: June packaging trends

By Rod Addy

Coca-Cola GB's roll out of fully recycled rPET across on-the-go bottles, a water bottle that reminds consumers to keep drinking and Graphic Packaging's new dual-ovenable tray all feature among the latest packaging trends.

Pressure to crack down on plastics waste and improve recycling is increasing

Complete Package

Complete Package: two-week packaging trend snapshot

By Rod Addy

Valpak outlines options and urges engagement as Extended Producer Responsibility consultation nears end, while Menzies maps out the state of play on the Plastics Packaging Tax in our latest packaging trends overview.

Raithatha: 'Methods are being developed to understand subconscious associations between sensory features and a brand'

Ask The Expert, in collaboration with the Institute of Food Science & Technology

Ask The Expert: sensory analysis of food packaging

By Carol Raithatha

In this Ask The Expert, Carol Raithatha, who runs a UK-based food and drink research consultancy specialising in sensory evaluation, offers insights on the latest developments in that field.

Food and drink packaging trends in April

The Complete Package

The Complete Package: April packaging trends

By Rod Addy

One fish processor boosts output by upgrading packaging machinery, an automatic food pack stacker has been launched for end-of-line operations and aluminium drinks can recycling rates rise - plus the latest packaging data.

The EPR consultation looks at how packaging producers will pay the full cost of managing packaging once it becomes waste

Alarm as packaging consultation predicts £2.7bn EPR cost

By Rod Addy

The predicted £2.7bn costs of extended producer responsibility (EPR) for post-consumer packaging waste would undermine industry investment to make packaging more eco-friendly, according to one trade body responding to the Government's EPR consultation.

From 21 September half the plastic in CCEP's core portfolio comes from recycled sources

Coca-Cola eyes Costa Coffee, Topo Chico, energy NPD

By Rod Addy

Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) is gearing up for further growth and launches focused on ready-to-drink Costa Coffee products, Topo Chico Hard Seltzer and energy drinks among other areas in 2021.

Van de Bovenkamp: 'We we are really trying to focus on things like fava beans and pea protein'

Tyson Foods Europe outlines Raised & Rooted plan

By Rod Addy

Tyson Foods Europe has outlined more details about the roll out of its plant-based, vegetarian Raised & Rooted brand, including target customers and consumers and how it fits its sustainability strategy.

Petre comments on the four pillars of Weetabix's sustainability programme

Weetabix outlines sustainability efforts

By Gwen Ridler

Closed loop recycling, the impact of COVID-19 and the future of sustainability at Weetabix were key topics in our exclusive podcast interview with the manufacturer’s head of supply chain.

Meadow Foods’ new plant-based yogurt pots will be made from 100% recycled PET

Meadow Foods commits to slashing plastic waste

By Rod Addy

Dairy ingredients supplier Meadow Foods is stepping up its eco-friendly packaging work, launching a new sustainability pledge in partnership with voluntary global assurance initiative Responsible Plastic Management (RPM) Program.