Douglas J. Peckenpaugh is Group Publisher of Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, Dairy Foods, The National Provisioner, and Packaging Strategies for BNP Media. He has nearly three decades of publishing experience following the food industry from farm to fork, covering agriculture, ingredient processing, retail grocery branding, foodservice menu development, and food product R&D and manufacturing. He serves in leadership roles at his local suburban Chicago food pantry and church. Doug studied Professional and Creative Writing at Purdue University.
Jenni Spinner is the chief editor of Snack Food and Wholesale with more than 25 years of experience in business-to-business communications. She has written extensively about food production, safety and packaging; pharmaceutical drug development; concrete and masonry construction; and more. She holds a Bachelor’s in Communications from the University of Illinois. Jenni can be reached at spinnerj@bnpmedia.com.
Today’s form/fill/seal (FFS) systems accommodate a wide range of packaging options at high speeds, and provide packaging formats that bring convenience to shoppers. In effect, they have evolved to enable manufacturers to respond to market changes in package size and format.
New robotics technology is helping to improve primary and secondary packaging applications in snack food and wholesale bakery operations. Areas of innovation include end-of-arm tooling (EOAT), robot learning, sanitation and space optimization. Given the efficiency improvements robotics can bring to manufacturing—and the growing level of flexibility the technology now offers—its use is expanding.
Sanitation, automation, efficiency, speed, ease of cleaning, the ability to handle larger capacities, and the ability to produce clean label-foods are among the top priorities for snack food and baked goods makers seeking to purchase dividers, depositors and rounders.
Packaging equipment manufacturers are upgrading bagging and closing equipment to improve operational efficiency and hygienic design, while also adding touches of smart technology and sustainability.
Advances in labeling are happening at a rapid pace. Technological leaps in marking/coding technology, printers, and labeling software have improved printing speed, accuracy and flexibility to accommodate a wide range of labels in today’s snack and bakery market.
Snack food and bakery companies looking to purchase belts and conveyors are asking for larger capacity, quieter machinery, improved safety, greater energy efficiency the ability to reduce manpower—and, thus, costs. They’re also looking for easier and more-predictable cleaning and maintenance.
Shipping contamination-free food products to the public has always been business-critical, but today’s social-media landscape leaves virtually no room for error. A wider variety of products, along with a wide variety of packaging options, have increased the need for more flexible inspection and detection equipment. The good news: Manufacturers are answering the call with X-ray, metal detection, checkweighing and vision systems that help processors ensure food safety.
PACK EXPO recently took place at McCormick Place, Chicago, from October 14-17. IFT is presented by PMMI.
Check out the newest developments in belts and conveyors, including equipment from Dynamic Conveyor, Goodway Technologies, Powder Solutions, VAC-U-MAX, and more.
Related: Sanitation, efficiency important factors when replacing belts and conveyors
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