As non-profit organisation OPRL (On-Pack Recycling Label) consolidates its new ‘binary’, rules-based system for indicating materials’ recyclability, some of the challenges with this more rigid type of approach are starting to emerge.
Technology for producing mushroom-derived biodegradable packaging is being commercialised in the UK under licence from March, with a view to creating an alternative to expanded polystyrene (EPS) cushioning.
With plastic packaging now coming in for widespread consumer criticism, this year’s Packaging Innovations show sets the stage for industry to debate, discuss and find solutions that are eco-friendly and address concerns over carbon footprint.
Brand owners and retailers pressured into finding alternatives to plastics packaging may simply replace current problems with different future ones, potentially resulting in much higher carbon footprints, while having no impact on whole-system sustainability,...
The Food Standards Agency’s (FSA’s) new guidance on allergen labelling changes for prepacked for direct sale food does not resolve some of the practical issues of complying with the new legislation, an expert in allergen law has claimed.
Cow & Gate and big four retailer Tesco have launched a voluntary recall of 15 varieties of baby food over concerns that some of the jars might have been tampered with.
Sustainability-conscious water brand Belu has justified moving its bottles from 50% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) to 100% rPET, while avoiding options such as aluminium.
Numerous commercial trials of a packaging additive said to “enhance biodegradability” in landfill and the ocean, while not interfering with recycling, and which can be added to standard fossil-derived plastics, are under way.
Coca-Cola European Partners has rejected criticism of Christmas advertising promoting the green credentials of its packaging for not being 'single use'.
Industry demand for biaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film will keep growing over the next few years – despite pressure on plastics and few domestic recycling options for PP film, a new report has claimed.
Proposals to label food with the amount of exercise needed to burn off consumed calories is not the silver bullet to solving the UK’s obesity crisis, according to an industry expert.
UK machinery manufacturer GIC is now able to integrate quick pulse heat (QPH) sealing into its bagging equipment, improving production and materials efficiency.
Regulatory and consumer pressure is likely to mean brand owners and retailers remaining committed to using recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) in their bottles, despite being more expensive than virgin polymer.
From the latest machinery launches by Ishida to developments in polymer labels, we look at some of the highlights at this year’s PPMA Total Show in this photo gallery.
Ulma Packaging backs sustainable packaging initiatives across the food industry. In an exclusive interview from the heart of the PPMA Total show at Birmingham’s NEC earlier this month, Ulma’s UK sales director Ed Williams told Food Manufacture about the...
A future role for lower-cost, item-level tags in areas as diverse as materials recognition for reverse vending, odour detection for in-pack freshness indicators and wider consumer engagement, is being predicted by radio frequency identification (RFID)...
A new edible, scannable code has been developed for food applications, reducing the need for packaging and allowing consumers to track products from farm to fork.
Human health could be at risk from microplastics – small pieces of plastic less than 5mm in length – according to researchers at the University Medical Centre Utrecht.
While opinions are divided on the reason for the recent surge in food recalls, businesses are advised to have a clear system to mitigate the impact of such incidents.
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has launched new regulatory guidance for the labelling of prepacked foods that contain gluten and claims relating to the absence or reduced presence of gluten.
Pret A Manger is to roll out a full list of ingredients for all the fresh food it sells in stores, following the deaths of two customers that suffered allergic reactions from eating its sandwiches.
Marks & Spencer (M&S) is to review how to make the contents of its products clearer for vegans and vegetarians after it was revealed that some of its fruit juices contained beef-derived collagen.
Food Standards Scotland (FSS) has launched a new food allergy alert service, offering consumers on-the-go updates on missing or incorrect allergen information on food labels.
Representatives of the UK meat industry have expressed disappointment that key Government scientific advisors have given evidence promoting a plant-based diet.
Scotland-based Nevis Bakery has been fined £6,000 for food safety breaches, after a boy in Northern Ireland nearly died from an allergic reaction after consuming one of its products.
Food manufacturers have been warned that they could fall foul of Trading Standards rules after a study revealed three-quarters of products with five-a-day claims fell short of the recommended 80g portion size.
Laws defining the ingredients that can legally be used in food production are lagging behind innovations made by the industry, according to a panel of experts.
Shoppers are confused by the proliferation of animal welfare terms used on product labels, with only a few striking a chord with them, delegates at a recent Winterbotham Darby conference heard.
Drinks giant The Coca-Cola Company (CCC) has revealed it produces 3m tonnes of plastic packaging a year, the first time the company has ever disclosed this information.
