U.S.A. keep on being the first destination of the automatic packaging machines produced in Italy. This has been released by the category association UCIMA, in a recently published survey referred to 2008.
The Italian industry, leader in the manufacture of automatic machines together with Germany, exports the 90% approx. of its production (data referred to the impact of the foreign sales over the total turnover). Significant is the export growth recorded towards the new markets such as Turkey and Poland.
For major information : www.ucima.it

U.S. export figures of packaging machines show a continuous growth : this is stated in a recent survey carried out by the category association PPMI (www.pmmi.org).
As a matter of fact, 2008 has recorded a sensible increase in the export, with a 9,5% growth: this outcome is led by the emerging countries such as China, India and Latin America (Mexico, Brazil and Venezuela)

Secondary packaging is now under the magnifying lens.

The US association PMMI (www.pmmi.org) has conducted a research by interviewing packaging operators from consumer packaged goods (CPG) firms in the food, beverage, dairy, electronics and personal care markets; materials suppliers; and contract packagers.

The result of this research titled ‘Secondary Packaging Market Research Study’ outlines how sustainability represents the top-of-mind for the 70% of the interviewed.  Or better, the survey states that sustainability  often represents a way to reach a target more than a goal itself.

Among tendency outlines by the interviewed, a progressive growth in the use of alternative materials jumps out, such as corn-based bio-plastic polylactic acid (PLA); Hexacomb, a honeycomb product made from container board and starch; thin-seal polypropylene; reductions in flute construction and micro flutes; and folding boxes in new ways to reduce corrugated fibreboard.

Needless to say, these new solutions impact on all the chain of machines (fillers, unscramblers and cappers) utilized in the primary packaging.

While shopping into the supermarket, to whom did never happen to bump into an empty shelf, instead of finding the preferred shampoo or the house detergent fragranced with the beloved pine-tree?
Well, according to GS1 Germany, 37% of people react at the lack of a product by buying another one of a different brand, 21% change supermarket, 9% give up the purchase.
Just 17% get back again. If, to these figures, we add that 70% of the customers who choose a product in replacement are then satisfied with it, it is easy to come to the conclusion that the presence of the product on the shelf encourages the affection of the consumer to the brand.
In the latest years, the variety of solutions of “Shelf Ready Packaging” (SRP) that means ” Retail Ready Packaging”, tends to project easy-to-handle packages, with reduced dimensions and clear traceability allowing an efficacious management of the space on the shelves.

Growth of pet food industry does not encounters any crisis. During the past five years it has undergone a 5% average growth per year and the most recent surveys of the international institutes are recording just a slight slow-down in the recent months. It is estimated that in the most advanced European countries and in the USA, the 85% of pet holders usually feed their animals with ready-to-eat food.
Pet food industry is trying to diversify their products in terms of preparation and segmentation between largely wide-spread products and premium products, by utilizing the most advanced technological solutions both in terms of machinery and materials.