Nowadays, 40 billions litres fruit juice are drunk on the planet, with an average pro-capita of about 6 litres per year. The record of the pro-capita consumption goes to Canada (fairly 50 litres per year) followed by Germany (40 litres) and USA (36 litres) This latter alone represents one-third of the world total consumption.

Orange juice is the top hit of the preferences; the largest worldwide producer is Brazil, exporting 99% of its production, followed by USA where the production is almost thoroughly absorbed by the domestic market.

Packaging for fruit juices and soft drinks represents a remarkable marketing attraction, more than for every other segment of the beverage industry, capable of addressing choices. The pre-conditioned industrial product has affirmed itself during the post-war period, thanks to the wide-spreading of the very first conditioning technologies assuring a good conservation to the product. Currently the most utilized material is PET prevailing in the formats of 1L and 1,5L; single-serve formats are enormously growing-up too.

Whom of us, when shopping into a supermarket, does not stop carefully observing the labels on foodstuffs reporting nutritional facts ? This is a widespread practice, consequence of the growing attention paid to a healthy nourishing.

Today, a new project financed by EU - FLABEL , Food labelling to advance better education for life  - may tell us something more: which effect the labels have on the consumers, with the attempt of better understanding how it affects our choice in the purchase.

FLABEL project will be developed through three years, between  2008 and 2011, involving academic institutions, small and average enterprises, retailers and no-profit organizations.

For major info: www.flabel.org

Flexible packaging represents a reality under a strong growth. Just think about the United States, whereas this is second in the hit list of the most utilized packaging means, according to a recent survey disclosed by the Flexible Packaging Association. 

The reasons of this success are to be searched in the peculiarity of this kind of packaging: its   ease adaptation to a wide variety of filling processes, its low weight, convenient price and eye-catching printability.

Technological innovation involving the flexible packaging widens the possibilities and permits to create intelligent packages reacting to outside stimulations; so, for instance, we can find polypropylene and polyethylene films changing colours when deformed or suffering for sudden temperature variations, so ensuring the integrity of the products reaching the consumers. This technique consists in incorporating fluorescent molecules in the film that, in case of deformation or excessive heating, break out thus producing the easily recognizable colour variation.

35,8 millions of tons. According the data emerged during the 8th World Tomato Congress held in Toronto, Canada, this is the annual forecast about the worldwide consumption of tomato derivates for 2008. 

The consumption, by now extended to the planet, has outlined in the last 10 years a yearly increase of 2,9%. North America and UE countries doubtless represent the peak of the consumption the world over;  main consumer is North America, with 30 Kg. per capita per year. As to ketchup production, California is at the top of the list of the tomato converters 

An interesting remark comes from Africa, which results to be the third world region as far as consumption is concerned. In the specific, sausages and ketchup have undergone a rapid growth (from 420.000 to 900.000 tons). In terms of market shares, the sector represents the 12% approx. of the global movements.

‘Top-down’ Filling

Many tons of ketchup and sausages reach our tables into containers featuring more and more sophisticated shape, fruit of the new frontiers dictated by reasons of marketing to capture the attention of the consumer and to the benefit of a better practicality of use. 

Packaging manufacturers, indeed for answering the smartest market requirements, have studied and realized bottle unscramblers and orienter standing out for their extreme versatility.

For bottles designed to stand on its cap (top-down) Ronchi has realized a machine allowing the 180° rotation of the capped bottle before being conveyed again to the packaging line.

For unstable bottle, Ronchi has realized a special unscrambler version, whereas the bottle falls into a transport puck, thus rendering quite easy the bottle conveyance through the line.  

Thanks to a quick and simple “no tool” format change-over device, it is possible to handle every format. 

Also, these machines are equipped with a puck feeding device releasing them just in presence of the bottle coming out the unscrambling hopper  (“no bottle-no puck” system).

The adoption of brushless motors allows the elimination of eventual conveyors for the recirculation of the empty pucks.

It is also possible to orient the bottle before being inserted into the puck tank to vision system through video-camera, bar code or photo-eyes. (more…)