Oct 09, 2025
The Food Business Guide to SKU Rationalization: Managing Your Packaging Inventory
At a Glance SKU rationalization helps food businesses cut warehouse chaos, free up cash flow, and streamline operations by eliminating underperforming packaging. The hidden costs add up: Stagnant inventory drains space, ties up money, and creates costly errors in daily operations. A proven framework is effective: Annual audits, ABC analysis, closet analogy assessments, and cross-functional […]
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Oct 07, 2025
Why Did the Price of PET Suddenly Increase in September 2025?
At a Glance Tariff on PET: A new U.S. tariff on imported PET and rPET resin took effect September 8, 2025, driving up plastic container costs. Industry impact: Some suppliers are notifying customers of higher prices right as the holiday season ramps up. Sustainability setback: Tariffs on rPET may discourage recycling by making recycled content […]
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Oct 01, 2025
A Rookie’s 7 Takeaways from IBIE 2025
At a Glance 2025 IBIE takeaways focus on viability, not flash: Leaders are tackling labor shortages, sustainability demands, consumer shifts, and thin margins. Sustainability pays off: Progress over perfection, with tools like shelf-life extension and waste heat recovery turning costs into real returns. Packaging and innovation are profit drivers: Smart packaging, AI forecasting, and predictive […]
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Sep 29, 2025
Why Packaging Deserves a Seat at the Product Launch Table
At a Glance Treating new product packaging as an afterthought leads to costly issues like product damage, poor shelf appeal, and missed sales. Packaging affects the full customer experience — from protection and usability to how the product is perceived on shelf. Involving packaging partners early results in better design, longer shelf life, and stronger […]
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Sep 24, 2025
What Message is Your Packaging Sending in the First 3 Seconds?
At a Glance Packaging drives consumer decisions in just three seconds, making it the critical first impression that can make or break a product. Poor packaging choices — cracks, weak seals, dull clarity, or mismatched branding — undermine quality and push shoppers toward competitors. Packaging impacts far more than sales: it affects shelf life, waste, […]
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Sep 22, 2025
Stuck Together: The Hidden Cost of De-Nesting Failures
At a Glance Poor de-nesting design causes chaos: Stuck containers lead to spills, wasted product, and workers cleaning instead of checking quality. De-nest lugs fix the issue: Smart lug patterns (A-B-C) prevent containers from locking but need upkeep. Teamwork matters: Manufacturers design solutions; processors maintain and communicate to keep lines running. The payoff: Smooth automation, […]
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Sep 17, 2025
Purchasing Directly from a Manufacturer vs. Through Distribution
At a Glance Direct purchasing from a manufacturer and buying through distribution models each have unique strengths — direct buying offers lower per-unit costs for large, consistent orders, while distributors provide flexibility, storage space, smaller order quantities, “just-in-time” delivery, safety stock, and broader product variety. Total cost matters more than unit price; storage, labor, and […]
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Sep 15, 2025
Are Recyclables Declining in Value? What Food Business Professionals Need to Know
At a Glance Recyclables declining in value is real. Cardboard, plastics, and metals are worth far less than a year ago. Multiple factors drive the drop. Lower demand, oversupply, and high energy costs all play a role. Food businesses feel the squeeze. Lower value from cardboard and plastics means higher waste costs. Smart operators adapt. […]
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Sep 10, 2025
What Packaging Material Can Go from Freezer to Oven Without Breaking?
At a Glance CPET packaging handles -40°F to 420°F and is perfect for freezer-to-oven meals. Made with special thermoforming tools and processing, it keeps its shape and blocks oxygen, water, and grease. Recycling is a challenge, but new CPET Light and TPET offer clearer, greener options. Use CPET for extreme temps; choose alternatives for moderate […]
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Sep 08, 2025
Is All Plastic Food-Safe? What You Need to Know
At a Glance Resin identification codes (the triangles made of chasing arrows) show the plastic type, not whether it’s certified for food contact; even common codes like PET (1) or PP (5) can be unsafe if made from non-compliant materials. Food-safe plastic isn’t guaranteed by appearance or resin codes — true safety requires FDA-approved materials, […]
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