On the first day, at the KHS Conference led by COO Mr Grabenweger (in his fantastic flashing light suit), two critical advances were revealed. First, the introduction of the Nature Multipack, which requires no banding or shrink wrap film to hold the bottles together, but instead blobs of glue do this job and enable the consumer to remove one bottle at a time without the pack falling apart.
A simple carry handle is kind to hands, the bottom line and the environment thanks to low material use. Plus, KHS showcased substantial progress in Direct Printing to PET bottles, now available at high volumes and at a very high standard – a technological advance that must be creating consternation in the label industry.
Also keen to show off its prowess in Direct Printing, Krones has achieved higher speeds in production of the DecoType printed bottle, which also offers embossing. Other technologies of note were the Viscofill Piston Doser and Contiform AseptBloc enabling blow-moulding and filling of drinks with fruit pieces and cap disinfection all within one machine. Plus, the PreBeam preform sterilisation.
Another stand of note was the combined ITW Warehouse and Hartness stand exhibiting together along with a number of other companies. indicating the growth in integrated automation and offering end-to-end solutions for food and beverage manufacturers, including Vertique case picking.
Thursday was a highlight for me as I was able to present on ‘Opportunities in Beverages’ in the Innovation Flow Lounge to an audience of 120 Drinktec visitors. Mark Lotsch of Wild explained the top 10 trends in beverages and extending the flavour experience with more lasting flavours. With Wild having just bought a flavour company in Brazil, he was able to highlight the move to local taste profiles and functionality.
This presentation was followed by Ollie Graham of Rexam talking about ‘Consumers and Packaging’ – again highlighting the move to digital printing on cans and new finishes to attract the consumer to the pack on-shelf along with expounding a can’s sustainability benefits.
A table discussion led by FoodBev Media chairman Richard Hall focused on what makes a winning brand and how to win in the retail environment. There was then time to interview a number of key players in the industry, including Sara Gamay of Dreampak with its pocket-sized containers of beverages, both water enhancers and now a new hot beverage concentrate line-up. (More about this in a future issue of Beverage Innovation.)
In the evening, FoodBev Media were the hosts of the Beverage Innovation Awards@Drinktec. An impressive 370 entries from all over the world and 26 awards presented to some proud innovators in Products, Packaging, Ingredients, Marketing and Technology.
See photos from the awards here.
Congratulations to all of you who entered. The years of work and inspiration and perseverance involved is a credit to every team.
So, a fantastic Drinktec event in all – beautiful stands – and a great deal of impressive innovation that will have repercussions throughout the industry. Many thanks to all who contributed to this prestigious event. We are already looking forward to 2017!
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