National
Tetra Pak wins award for indomitable packaging
Recently, the Tetra WedgeÔ Aseptic package family won US awards for first-of-its-kind packages. Tetra Pak received the DuPont award for packaging innovation for two packages in the Tetra Wedge™ Aseptic family: the Tetra WedgeÔ Aseptic Microwavable, the world's first microwavable aseptic carton package, and the Tetra WedgeÔ Aseptic Clear, the world's first transparent aseptic pouch. The two packages are currently in the market-development stage.
The awards, sponsored by DuPont Packaging and Industrial Polymers in co-operation with Campden and Chorleywood Food Research Association, Gloucestershire, England and the Food Products Association, Washington, DC, honour innovation in food processing and packaging.
Entries were evaluated on the basis of the degree of innovation, breadth of application, significance/impact on industry or consumers, marketing innovation of the packaged product and impact of the packaging on consumer or industry-buying decisions. Accepting the award at a ceremony in Philadelphia, Jeff Kellar, VP, strategic business development, Tetra Pak, said, "Consumers are looking for portable products that fit into their fast-paced and increasingly health-conscious lifestyles and packaging systems from Tetra Pak help companies to provide consumers with the grab-and-go convenience, superior freshness and quality flavour they are looking for."
Indra Nooyi is PepsiCo's new boss
Food and beverage major PepsiCo Inc. announced the promotion of its President and CFO Indra Nooyi to the CEO rank. She would become the company's fifth CEO in the month of October. The elevation of Ms Nooyi, who has been involved in the company's strategy and planning for several years, was much anticipated and the announcement was greeted by investors as well.
The appointment is also an acknowledgement of her role in re-structuring the company as she oversaw the sale of PepsiCo's restaurant business to create the YUM! Brands Inc., which owns the KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurant chains and also led the Pepsi Bottling Group Inc.'s initial public offering and its subsequent ascent to the position of world's second-largest bottler. She was also involved in the company's acquisition of Tropicana and Quaker Oats.
Chinese industry unveils new food, drinks conglomerate
Bright Food (Group) Co, China's largest food and drinks conglomerate created by a Government-driven consolidation of Shanghai's food and beverage industry, was inaugurated in Shanghai yesterday. Bright Food is so far the only giant that has been created in the food and beverage industry and similar consolidations in the industry in other parts of the country are not happening soon, according to analysts.
State-owned food and beverage manufacturing and retail groups Shanghai Tobacco, Sugar & Wine (Group) Co, Shanghai Agriculture Industry Commerce (Group) Co, Bright Dairy & Food Co and Shanghai Meilin Zhengguanghe Group, some of which were re-named, were incorporated into the new conglomerate. Total assets for the new entity, Bright Food, are estimated at 45.8 billion yuan (US$
5.63 billion), while annual sales revenue
is expected to be 40.6 billion yuan (US$
5.08 billion).
The consolidations were initiated as part of a Chinese nationwide policy to re-structure State-owned companies to help make them internationally competitive. The new conglomerate will include many well-known Chinese brands such as Bright milk, White Rabbit confectionery, Guanshengyuan snacks, Shangshi meat products and Shikumen liquor.
Kraft Foods promotes THEM's stick pack technology
Kraft Foods endorses its Crystal Light(R) On the Go brand to the world by spreading the news that something really big is happening to water. A company called Technical Help in Engineering and Marketing (THEM) has come up with single-serve flexible stick packaging.
According to Ken Botterbrodt, Senior Vice President of THEM, "On the Go enables active lifestyle consumers to not only give their bottled water a little flavour kick - it also enables them to put some of the important minerals back into their favorite brands of bottled water." It's easy for consumers who simply snap open a single-serve Slim Stick (R), pour the contents into their water bottle, shake it up and enjoy. In addition to Kraft Foods, other big names using THEM's stick pack technology include 4-C, Unilever and Nestlé. Stick packaging can accommodate powder, liquid, paste, cream gglomerations, lotions and gels.
THEM is unique in the packaging world in that it excels in small-volume flexible stick packaging, a critical element of any new project initiative.
