Taunton, MA, July 8, 2026 —Harpak-ULMA today introduced the ULMA VTC 840 WD Washdown Vertical Packaging System, a next-generation vertical form-fill-seal (VFFS) platform engineered to help food manufacturers reduce the hidden costs of hygienic packaging—the utility bills, downtime, and operational complexity that traditional sanitary baggers quietly drive up.

Built for demanding protein, poultry, cheese, frozen food, and other high-sanitation applications, the VTC 840 WD combines full 360° washdown capability with intelligent automation, ergonomic design, and measurable sustainability gains in a single platform. Where conventional sanitary baggers often force trade-offs between cleanability, uptime, usability, and efficiency, the VTC 840 WD was designed from a clean sheet to improve performance across all four.

Rather than optimizing sanitation alone, the VTC 840 WD was engineered as a unified hygienic packaging platform that simultaneously advances cleanability, sustainability, operator usability, and production efficiency. "Processors have been told for years that better sanitation means more downtime and higher utility bills. We rejected that trade-off," said Mike Marchand, Senior Product Manager at Harpak-ULMA Packaging. "The VTC 840 WD was a clean-sheet redesign so plants no longer have to choose between a machine they can clean aggressively and one that runs lean."

At the core of the platform is a full IP66-certified washdown architecture that withstands aggressive high-pressure sanitation from every angle. Redesigned mechanical and pneumatic systems reduce both electrical and compressed-air consumption, while a dramatically simplified film path lowers the number of reel rollers from 30 to just five.

Key innovations include:

Full-machine 360° IP66 washdown capability

Nearly 20% lower electrical consumption

More than 30% lower compressed-air consumption

Simplified film path reducing reel rollers from 30 to 5

Smart recipe-driven automation with assisted machine setup

Automatic adjustment of key machine parameters

Real-time OEE and utility-consumption monitoring

Ergonomic enhancements that simplify operation and accelerate changeovers

The VTC 840 WD also addresses one of today's biggest manufacturing challenges: workforce availability and consistency. Barcode-driven recipe automation, automatic machine adjustments, intelligent film tracking, and zone-specific alarm visualization reduce operator dependency while improving setup repeatability and production consistency.

Following its global debut at Interpack 2026, the VTC 840 WD is now available for order throughout North America. The system will make its North American trade show debut at PACK EXPO International 2026 in Chicago, where attendees can experience live demonstrations at the Harpak-ULMA booth.

For more information, visit https://www.harpak-ulma.com/washdown-capabilities/ or call (508) 884-2500. Experience a live demonstration of packaging technologies at one of Harpak-ULMA's Customer Experience Centers in Boston, Atlanta, or Costa Mesa, Calif. Call (508) 884-2500 to make arrangements.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Jul. 07, 2026 — Oterra has announced the launch of two naturally-sourced liquid versions of its popular Jungle Blue and Arctic Blue natural colors.

The two products, previously available as powders, give food and beverage producers a choice of formats to achieve natural bright blues, and a palette of greens and purples when blended.

“Liquids have many properties that make them a powerful addition to applications in food and beverage,” said Phil Cook, Head of Strategic Marketing. “They disperse immediately to create a uniform color without the need for pre-mixing. They are also easier to handle as they are pumpable and don’t create dust when processing.”

The two liquid blues are a further development of two of Oterra’s most recent innovations in creating blue colors from natural sources: Jungle Blue, extracted from sustainable Colombian Jagua fruit, and Arctic Blue, made using spirulina in a carbon-neutral indoor production facility.

Blue is one of the fastest growing colors in 2025, over 10,000* food and beverage products were launched containing a blue color, up from around 6,000 in 2021.

“Traditionally, much of the blue that we see in food and beverages has come from artificial sources,” added Phil Cook. “The regulatory** and consumer landscape is changing and the demand for naturally derived blues is increasing. To meet this demand, having multiple blues in different formats is important for manufacturers.”

ColorFruit® Blue 901 WS Jungle Blue fills an important gap in naturally sourced blues. Many natural blues struggle with low pH, heat, regulatory limits, or high cost. Jungle Blue offers a stable, reliable alternative that also blends beautifully to create vivid jewel‑tone purples and greens.

FruitMax® Blue 1512 WS Arctic Blue is spirulina from Iceland using an innovative high-tech cultivation process that creates a vivid, natural blue color with an impressively low carbon footprint. Located next to a geothermal power plant that provides 100% clean energy, waste heat and carbon dioxide, bioreactors grow spirulina 24 hours a day.

*Source: Innova new products database

**Check national legislation to ensure compliance

Herndon, Va; July 6, 2026 — PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, has released a new report, The Ripple Effect: CPG Sustainability and the New OEM Spec Sheet. The report reveals how sustainability initiatives are fundamentally changing the relationship between consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The report finds that sustainability is no longer a future consideration — it is actively influencing equipment design, material selection, operational requirements, and supplier expectations throughout the packaging and processing supply chain.

Based on research conducted among CPG companies, co-packers, OEMs, and component suppliers, the study found that 82% of end users are actively engaged in sustainability initiatives, while 64% of OEMs say sustainability directly influences equipment design decisions. Additionally, more than half of end users report that limitations in packaging machinery are preventing them from achieving their sustainability goals.

The report highlights growing demand for equipment capable of handling lightweighted packaging, post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials, smaller pack sizes, elimination of secondary packaging, and handling other sustainable formats. It also underscores the increasing importance of energy efficiency, waste reduction, sustainability reporting, and compliance with evolving regulations such as Extended Producer Responsibility programs.

“The sustainability conversation has moved well beyond packaging materials,” says Jorge Izquierdo, vice president, market development, PMMI. “Today, sustainability is influencing equipment specifications, production processes, reporting requirements, and supplier relationships. Companies that want to successfully navigate these changes need access to the latest technologies, expertise, and industry insights. PACK EXPO International 2026 brings all of those resources together in one place, making it an essential destination for organizations looking to advance their sustainability goals.”

Taking place Oct. 18–21, 2026, at McCormick Place in Chicago, PACK EXPO International 2026 will provide attendees with direct access to thousands of packaging and processing solutions designed to help companies address sustainability challenges and opportunities.

Attendees seeking sustainable solutions will find a wide range of resources throughout the show floor, including:

· Sustainability Central, presented by Packaging World, sponsored by EFP Engineered Foam Packaging, a dedicated destination where attendees can connect with experts, explore emerging trends, and gain practical guidance on sustainability strategies and technologies.

· The Sustainability Solutions Finder, an online planning tool that helps attendees quickly identify exhibitors offering equipment, materials, and services that support sustainability objectives, making it easier to build a customized show-floor experience focused on specific environmental goals.

· The Reusable Packaging Pavilion, sponsored by the Reusable Packaging Association, showcases the latest innovations in reusable transport packaging, reusable containers, tracking technologies, and circular economy solutions designed to reduce waste and improve supply chain efficiency.

· Sustainability-focused education on the show floor, featuring expert-led sessions on regulatory developments, sustainable materials, circular economy initiatives, package design trends, energy efficiency, and best practices for sustainability programs. These sessions and sustainable solutions can be identified by the PACK EXPO Green logo.

· The Showcase of Packaging Innovations®, sponsored by Smurfit Westrock, where attendees can explore examples of groundbreaking package designs and sustainable packaging solutions from around the world, providing inspiration and insight into the latest market trends and consumer-focused innovations.

Beyond these featured destinations, attendees will discover machinery and technologies engineered to run recyclable, compostable, paper-based, mono-material, and PCR packaging formats; reduce material usage through lightweighting initiatives; improve energy efficiency; minimize operational waste; and generate the data needed to support sustainability reporting and compliance efforts.

According to PMMI's research, both OEMs and end users agree that greater collaboration, earlier engagement, and improved communication will be critical to meeting future sustainability goals. PACK EXPO International 2026 provides a unique environment where brand owners, manufacturers, suppliers, and technology providers can come together to address these challenges, evaluate new solutions, and accelerate progress toward a more sustainable future.

PACK EXPO International 2026 will bring together North America’s largest showcase of packaging and processing innovation. Featuring 2,600 exhibitors across 1.3 million net square feet, the event gives 48,000 attendees from 40+ vertical markets direct access to live machinery, emerging technologies, and industry-leading solutions. Held only once every two years, PACK EXPO International is the premier destination to evaluate equipment, discover trends, and make smarter investment decisions – all in one place.

Visit packexpointernational.com to learn more and register.

Givaudan, a global leader in Taste & Wellbeing, today celebrated the grand opening of its new, state-of-the-art production facility in Cikarang, Indonesia. By expanding manufacturing capacity and accelerating innovation, the new facility will strengthen the Company’s ability to meet rising consumer demand for memorable food experiences in one of Southeast Asia’s fastest growing markets.

The new site in Cikarang will initially create approximately 60 jobs with potential for further expansion. Spanning 24,000 square metres on a 50,000 square metre site, the facility will produce savoury, sweet, and snack flavour powders for various applications.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Givaudan’s CEO Christian Stammkoetter said: “We are delighted to open this new facility in Cikarang, the latest example of Givaudan’s long-term commitment to Indonesia. This significant investment is aligned with our 2030 strategy of increasing our presence in strategic high growth markets, enabling us to extend our customer reach, capturing new growth opportunities while strengthening our contribution to the local economy.”

Aligned with Givaudan’s sustainability agenda, the site incorporates advanced technologies such as solar energy systems, rainwater harvesting, green electricity partnerships, and energy-efficient lighting and water management, reducing its environmental footprint while enhancing operational resilience.

“The food and beverage industry in Southeast Asia is a rapidly growing, diverse ecosystem driven by abundant regional flavours and an increasingly technology-enabled landscape. By expanding our capabilities, we aim to support our customers in delivering differentiated food experiences and innovations that consumers love,” said Antoine Khalil, President Taste & Wellbeing.

Givaudan has significantly invested in people and facilities in the country. In addition to the new production site, the Company manufactures liquids, powder blends, spray dry flavours and fragrance liquid compounds in Cimmangis (Province of West Java) and collaborates with food and beverage customers at its creation and innovation centre in Jakarta. The Company currently employs a total of approximately 380 people in Indonesia.

The grand opening ceremony was attended by senior representatives from the Ministry of Manpower, the Ministry of Investment and Downstream Industry, the Swiss Embassy, and Givaudan’s senior leadership team.