Regina, Saskatchewan, October 21, 2026 – Farm Credit Canada (FCC) is investing $1.5 million through its FCC AgriSpirit Fund to support 83 rural community projects across Canada that improve the spaces, services, and infrastructure people rely on every day.

“Strong rural communities are built by people who recognize a local need and take action,” said Justine Hendricks, FCC president and CEO. “Through the FCC AgriSpirit Fund, we’re proud to support local projects that strengthen the places where people live, work and gather. These investments reflect FCC’s commitment to the long-term vitality of rural Canada and to the communities that help our agriculture and food industry thrive.”

Funding ranging from $10,000 to $25,000 supports projects focused on food security, agricultural and community infrastructure, accessibility, energy efficiency, recreation and emergency services. Together, these investments help rural communities meet local needs and build capacity for the future.

Since 2004, FCC's AgriSpirit Fund has supported 1,861 projects and invested $25.5 million in community improvement projects in cities, towns and Indigenous communities with fewer than 50,000 residents across Canada.

Registered charities, non-profit groups, municipalities and First Nations, Métis or Inuit governments/communities interested in funding can visit www.fccagrispiritfund.ca for eligibility requirements and view past projects.

Chicago; Oct. 20, 2026 — Three standout innovations have earned top honors in the 2026 Technology Excellence Awards at PACK EXPO International, presented by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. Selected by show attendees, the winning technologies represent advancements in food and beverage packaging, general packaging and processing, and sustainability.

The awards recognize innovative technologies making their PACK EXPO International debut, highlighting solutions that address industry challenges, improve operational capabilities, and push the boundaries of what's possible in packaging and processing.

Following a competitive field of nine finalists across three categories, thousands of PACK EXPO International attendees selected the winners through online and mobile app voting, recognizing the innovations they believe will make the greatest impact on the industry.

"PACK EXPO International is where the industry comes to discover what's next, and these award winners represent that spirit of innovation," says Laura Thompson, vice president, trade shows, PMMI. "What makes these awards especially meaningful is that the winners are chosen by the professionals who work with these technologies every day. Their votes recognize solutions with the potential to make a real difference in packaging and processing operations."

2026 Technology Excellence Award Winners

Food/Beverage

Technology: TAKELAC™ WPB 341: Advanced Water-Based Barrier Coating Technology

Company Name: Mitsui Chemicals America

Booth Number: W-15107

This water-based barrier coating protects against oxygen and moisture while supporting recyclable mono-material structures, transparent retort pouches, and paper-based packaging, helping extend shelf life while enabling more sustainable formats.

General Packaging & Processing

Technology: OneLock™ All in One Closure

Company Name: Colorcon

Booth Number: W-23070

Designed for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical packaging, OneLock™ combines moisture protection, child resistance, senior-friendly access, and tamper evidence in a single closure. Eliminating separate desiccant insertion and induction sealing reduces components, simplifies packaging operations, and minimizes potential failure points.

Sustainability

Technology: DecoFusion(TM) 100% PCR Tube

Company Name: Amcor Rigid Packaging Solutions

Booth Number: S-3500

DecoFusion combines near-seamless, photorealistic decoration with a lightweight polyethylene tube design. The base tube can incorporate up to 100% post-consumer recycled material while reducing package weight by up to 27%, helping brands advance sustainability without sacrificing appearance, performance, or the consumer experience.

Recognizing Innovation That Moves the Industry Forward

The Technology Excellence Awards celebrate the ingenuity of packaging and processing suppliers and provide attendees with a firsthand look at emerging technologies with the potential to transform manufacturing operations.

This year's competition featured nine finalists representing advancements in packaging materials, equipment, digital technologies, and sustainable solutions. Attendees had the opportunity to explore the innovations, connect directly with the companies behind them, and vote for their favorites.

"The caliber of innovation showcased in this year's competition reflects how rapidly our industry is evolving," says Thompson. "Congratulations to our winners and all nine finalists for bringing forward technologies that are helping manufacturers work smarter, operate more efficiently, and prepare for the future."

The winning technologies, along with thousands of additional solutions, are on display at PACK EXPO International 2026, taking place Oct. 18–21 at McCormick Place in Chicago. The event brings together 2,700 exhibitors and tens of thousands of attendees from more than 40 vertical industries to explore packaging and processing technologies, machinery in action, materials, education, and networking opportunities.

Attendees can visit the winning exhibitors' booths to experience the award-winning innovations firsthand before the show concludes on Wednesday, Oct. 21.

For more information about the Technology Excellence Awards and to view the finalist videos, visit packexpointernational.com/tea.

TORONTO, Oct. 20, 2026 /CNW/ -- Commercial Bakeries Corp. ("Commercial Bakeries"), a producer of packaged cookies and crackers serving the private label, contract manufacturing, and industrial channels, is pleased to announce that it has acquired Partners, a Tasteful Choice Company ("Partners"), a manufacturer of premium and better-for-you crackers and other baked goods, also serving the private label, contract manufacturing, and industrial channels across North America.

Partners marks the third add-on for Commercial Bakeries since Graham Partners acquired the business in September 2023 and follows the previous acquisitions of Imagine Baking (May 2024) and Hollandia Bakeries (April 2025). This new partnership enables the combined business to offer an expanded capability set to its customers and advances the company's efforts to build a differentiated platform in the growing specialty, seasonal, and better-for-you cookie and cracker markets.

Partners was founded in 1992 by Marian Harris and is run today by her daughter, Cara Figgins (President), and son, Greg Maestretti (VP of Operations). It operates out of a modern baking facility in Des Moines, WA, where it houses multiple cracker manufacturing lines and automated packaging capabilities.

Cara Figgins, President of Partners, stated: "We are excited to announce our strategic partnership with Commercial Bakeries. This combination brings additional capabilities that we can now offer to our existing customer base, as well as a nationwide footprint." Greg Maestretti, Vice President of Operations, further commented: "The hardworking team at Partners is enthusiastic about this new chapter and looks forward to working collaboratively with the broader Commercial Bakeries organization to drive additional volume through our facility."

"We are delighted to welcome Cara, Greg, and the entire Partners team into our expanded bakery network," said Shawn Warren, CEO of Commercial Bakeries. "We are committed to building upon the legacy and success developed by Cara, Greg, and their mother Marian Harris, and we are confident that together we will accelerate further towards our vision of 'Baking Up Better' every day and in every way."

Follow Commercial Bakeries on LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest news.

(UPM, Helsinki, October 20, 2026 at 14:00 EEST) – UPM, Ingredion, a global ingredient solutions company, and Paramelt, a global producer of functional coatings have joined forces to investigate how plant-based starch barrier technologies can support the development of recyclable paper-based food packaging. Starch-based technologies offer new opportunities for paper packaging innovation, especially for grease barriers.

The joint development work brings together complementary technologies from across the value chain to better understand how paper-based packaging structures can be designed for demanding food applications. The structures are based on UPM Solide™ Lucent 78 gsm and UPM Asendo™ 65 gsm papers.

"Expanding the range of paper-based packaging options available to converters and brand owners requires innovation across the value chain. This collaboration with Ingredion and Paramelt demonstrates how complementary technologies can help broaden the possibilities of paper-based packaging for food applications in the Americas and globally," says Sarah Dembroski, Sales Director, Packaging Papers Americas, UPM Specialty Materials.

Ingredion's contribution focuses on starch-based barrier technology, which shows promising potential for enhancing grease resistance in paper packaging applications.

“By combining Ingredion's plant-based starch barrier coatings with UPM's Specialty Materials substrates and Paramelt's heat-seal coatings, we have demonstrated a paper-based packaging solution that supports the transition to more sustainable food packaging. This collaboration highlights how complementary technologies can help accelerate the adoption of renewable, fiber-based packaging solutions," says Anand Sundararaman, Project Leader, Sustainable Packaging Coating Applications, Ingredion

The collaboration also leverages Paramelt's expertise in bio-based heat-seal and barrier coatings, helping evaluate how different technologies can work together in paper-based packaging structures.

"At Paramelt, we believe the future of packaging lies in combining renewable materials with high-performance functionality. By bringing our expertise in bio-based heat-seal and barrier coatings together with UPM's advanced paper substrates and Ingredion's starch-based technologies, we have created a compelling solution that helps brand owners meet both performance and sustainability objectives," said Neill Dutton, Research & Innovation Director, Paramelt.

The collaboration has resulted in a co-created paper-based packaging structure, based on UPM Solide™ Lucent 78 gsm, that has passed Part 1 recyclability testing at Western Michigan University. Samples developed through the collaboration will be on display at the UPM Specialty Materials PACK EXPO Booth W-46118, October 18-21, in Chicago.