BETHLEHEM, PA - A new FLEXICON^® Mobile Bag Dumping Station with glove box, bag compactor and flexible screw conveyor transfers material manually dumped from hand-held sacks into elevated process equipment or storage vessels across multiple plant locations dust free. The system isolates bulk material from the operator and plant environment throughout opening, dumping and compaction of bags, and the conveying of material downstream.

The self-contained system’s frame is equipped with locking wheel casters, ensuring stability during heavy load transfers while allowing the unit to be easily rolled into storage or for cleaning when not in use.

Using built-in rubber gloves, operators retrieve bags through a hinged door on the hood’s sidewall, placing them onto a grate for opening and emptying without direct skin contact. Emptied bags are then passed through a second hinged door on the opposite sidewall into the integrated bag compactor, streamlining disposal.

The dust collector maintains negative pressure within the enclosure, and a dual-cartridge filtration system captures dust generated during dumping, bag disposal, and compaction. Filters are easily accessible via a removable interior baffle and feature quick-disconnect fittings for fast replacement.

The high-capacity cylinder on the bag compactor can compress up to 80 bags into a removable bin. Safety interlocks on the compactor’s main door and the flapper door linking it to the dust hood prevent operation unless the door is securely closed.

Material flows from the hopper into the charging adapter of the screw conveyor. A stainless-steel screw with a specialized geometry effectively handles both free- and non-free-flowing bulk materials, including those prone to packing, caking, smearing, seizing, or fluidizing—without causing blend separation.

May 6, 2026 – Toronto, ON – Lactalis Canada, the Canadian dairy leader behind iconic brands like Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, Balderson, Astro, and Lactantia, and part of France-based Lactalis Group, today released its 2025 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report, highlighting continued progress in delivering sustainable, responsible growth while strengthening its connection to Canadians, communities, and the broader dairy sector.

“In 2025, despite ongoing economic uncertainty, Lactalis Canada remained firmly anchored in our purpose: to enrich and nurture the lives of Canadians through sustainable, responsible growth,” said Mark Taylor, President & CEO, Lactalis Canada. “We continued to deliver trusted products, strengthen partnerships across our value chain, and advance our ESG priorities in practical and measurable ways. As we look ahead, we remain focused on building a resilient dairy sector, supporting communities, and advancing ESG priorities in collaboration with our employees, farmers, customers, partners and suppliers.

With more than 140 years of heritage in Canada, Lactalis Canada’s products are now found in 94% of refrigerators nationwide, reflecting the strong trust Canadians place in its brands. In 2025, the company reinforced its commitment to local production through Buy Canadian initiatives, including consumer campaigns and expanded use of the Blue Cow logo to help Canadians make informed purchasing decisions.

The company also demonstrated leadership across the industry by becoming the first supplier to formally sign the Grocery Code of Conduct, supporting greater transparency, accountability, and fairness across the grocery supply chain.

Aligned with Lactalis Group’s global ESG framework, the report focuses on three pillars of impact: People & Communities; Authentic Products & Heritage; and Land & Resources, underpinned by priorities in Climate, Circular Economy & Packaging, and Animal Welfare.

Key 2025 highlights include:

People & Communities

• Recognized on Forbes’ Canada’s Best Employers 2025 list
• Contributed $3.4 million in community investment and supported 125+ organizations nationwide
• Delivered 2,400 employee volunteer hours, a 21% increase year-over-year
• Continued partnerships with Kids Help Phone and The Grocery Foundation to support youth wellbeing and food security, along with partnering with Second Harvest on its Food Rescue App

Authentic Products & Heritage

• Expanded product innovation, including high-protein and lactose-free offerings aligned with evolving consumer needs
• Maintained strong food safety performance, with 100% of distribution centres certified to recognized standards
• Advanced responsible sourcing, achieving 100% cage-free egg sourcing across the portfolio

Land & Resources

• Entered a $10 million decarbonization partnership with SOFIAC to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions at our Victoriaville and Laverlochère Quebec facilities.
• Awarded the Canadian Grocer 2025 Impact Award (sustainability category) for our Oshawa, Ontario distribution centre’s sustainable design
• Advanced circular packaging initiatives across our operations, including – among other projects – the conversion of the Balderson spreadable tub to a fully recyclable design and the replacement of foil on 45 million butter stick packs with a compostable parchment solution.

The report also highlights employee-driven innovation through the Next Ventures program, which generated more than 100 ESG-focused ideas in 2025.

To read Lactalis Canada’s 2025 ESG Report, click HERE.

SAN DIEGO, USA & HOERSHOLM, Denmark, May. 6, 2026 — Debut, a pioneer in AI-powered biotech innovation, and Oterra, a leading supplier of natural colors and color solutions for the food and beverage industry, today announced a multi-million-dollar collaboration to develop and scale a natural alternative to artificial red colors for food and beverage applications.

The partnership will scale Debut’s precision fermentation process to create a high-performing natural alternative to Red 40, one of the most widely used red color additives in U.S. food and beverage products.*

Combining Debut’s technology with Oterra’s formulation expertise will make it possible to produce natural color solutions spanning orange, red, and violet, offering a full range of stable shades to food and beverage manufacturers.

Debut and Oterra will collaborate with leading food and beverage companies ahead of commercialization while working toward an FDA approval filing, with the goal of bringing a commercially scaled product to market in approximately three years.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have encouraged food manufacturers to phase out certain FD&C certified food colorings by the end of 2026, accelerating demand for high-performing natural alternatives.

“Our collaboration with Debut brings exciting new technology options to significantly strengthen our natural portfolio with optimized technical performance. It also offers secure supply, independent of weather and harvest without compromising on natural credentials,” said Luc Ganivet, Head of Innovation for Oterra. “Oterra has a 150-year heritage of innovating colors from natural sources including several Red 40 alternatives.”

“We’re excited to fast-track the commercialization of natural red alternatives from precision fermentation with Oterra,” said Joshua Britton, PhD, Founder and CEO of Debut. “Biotech offers clear advantages that align with evolving market demand. Its adoption in the food and beverage industry is particularly compelling, providing a high-performance alternative to FD&C colors and Red 40, which faces increased regulatory scrutiny.”

The advanced precision fermentation techniques will also contribute to reduced land and water use, compared with traditionally cultivated sources for red alternatives.

The Red 40 alternative will work in a broad range of applications and will also be compatible with vegan, kosher, and halal certifications for food and beverage companies.

*Sources: Oterra data and FDA color certification(https://www.fda.gov/industry/color-certification/color-certification-reports)

At interpack 2026, Sidel (Booth B47, Hall 13) will officially unveil a unique edible oil bottle produced using laser technology. Featuring a Power Ring®, the 1L bottle achieves a 20% weight reduction compared with a halogen-blown equivalent delivering comparable overall performance, while maintaining grip in consumers’ hands and vertical strength for logistics.

This bottle illustrates a fundamental change in the design approach made possible by laser heating. PET is intentionally concentrated only where it contributes to mechanical performance, while unnecessary material is removed elsewhere. This precision allows material to be placed where it contributes most to mechanical performance. 

The result is a 1L edible oil bottle weighing just 16.5g, a 4g PET saving when compared with its equivalent in halogen, which would weigh 20.5g to deliver similar performance. By reinforcing critical stress areas and avoiding unnecessary material use, this design shows how lightweighting can be extended when strength is added with purpose and not by default.

In this bottle, the Power Ring design plays a central role in consumer handling. Acting as a targeted reinforcement, it concentrates material exactly where needed to maintain side load performance during opening and pouring. From a logistics perspective, the overall material distribution ensures the bottle remains robust throughout the supply chain with a secured top load performance comparable to a heavier halogen alternative. At the same time, other areas of the container, including zones such as under the neck or on the bottle base, feature optimised stretching and a lower quantity of material.

“This 100% rPET bottle clearly shows how laser precision allows us to rethink packaging design for edible oil”, said Jerome Neveu, Packaging and Mold Product Manager at Sidel. “The Power Ring design is a concrete example of mastering exact PET distribution to optimise edible oil packaging while meeting the functional demands of this market.” 

At , the Power Ring laser‑blown bottle will be displayed alongside its halogen‑blown counterpart, allowing visitors to directly compare the 16.5g laser bottle with the 20.5g halogen version. Interactive displays on the Sidel stand will enable hands‑on comparison of weight and resistance.

Find out more about Sidel’s latest Power Ring laser-blown bottle and how you can access this kind of support for your business on the Sidel website