The interpack 2011 Process and Packaging Show, taking place May 12-18 in Düsseldorf, Germany, will have special relevance this year. With hunger being an ever-present issue in many countries, this event will have a special focus on food. In cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the show’s SAVE FOOD theme will highlight how the individual links in the packaging value chain—including production, transport, logistics and retailing—can contribute to solving the critical problem of worldwide food waste.
Messe Düsseldorf is working on this special theme in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the trade associations that support interpack. In addition to highlighting the current situation, solutions and concepts will be presented showing how packaging can effectively prevent food spoilage at every stage from production to consumption.
Before the start of interpack 2011, the FAO will prepare three studies which will be presented on May 16 and 17 during a top-level congress to be held in the Congress Center East at the fairgrounds. Parallel to this, plans are underway to stage an exhibition in the SAVE FOOD pavilion on the interpack exhibition grounds.
interpack 2011 will also present innovations for the entire value chain. Three key trends of relevance to virtually all players include sustainability, safety and convenience. Sustainability is increasingly becoming a competitive factor. In production, sustainability means taking all possible measures save energy in the form of electricity or minimizing the required material input.
Packagings also provide consumer safety by ensuring the seamless traceability of packaged goods such as pharmaceuticals and food products. In packaging machinery, hygienic design is playing an ever-greater role, focusing on minimizing biological risks during processing and ensuring easy cleaning of the machines themselves.
Global changes in society, with more and more single-person households and higher percentages of women working outside the home, are resulting in changes in lifestyles and habits. Food-on-the-go products, snacks or pre-cooked meals are becoming increasingly popular. In addition, the range of available foods is steadily increasing. This trend towards more convenience has been going on for years and the packaging sector has to adjust to it by providing packages that are easy to handle or smaller pack sizes. For packaging machinery manufacturers, this means rising demand for systems and lines that can process a wide range of packaging styles with quick and easy changes of product, volume and formats.
Entrance passes for interpack are available online at www.interpack.com in advance of the show at reduced rates.
