Supermarket Perimeter - January 2022 - 68

PACKAGING
THE PANDEMIC
EFFECT
by John Unrein
POST COVID, THE FRESH FOOD
INDUSTRY CAN SEE CLEARLY
that the struggle between time
and distance must be solved, as
well as protecting the supplies
and goods as they move through
the chain, said Jeff Rebh,
president and chief executive
officer of Innoseal Systems Inc.
"" Smaller, more manageable
package sizes are being
investigated. Again, less touch
and an increased demand for a
more hygienic delivery. "
Key examples of solutions
are being examined and
implemented. That means more
grab-and-go sized packaging,
Rebh said, and moving away
from bulk bins and developing
smaller, efficient pre-packaged
goods.
The packaging industry is fast
moving and ever changing in
light of demands from retailers,
government regulations, and
consumers.
" In being a leader in flexible
packaging specific to fresh
produce, we have a sincere
sense of urgency to actionable
improvement of packaging
systems, materials management,
and recycling while maintaining
our most crucial mission-protect
fresh food and contribute to
lifespan extension, " said Keith Fox,
president of Fox Packaging.
During the height of the
COVID-19 pandemic, there was
a tremendous shift in how Fox
Packaging conducted business,
prices were increased across
many facets of its supply
chain and film was not readily
available; all the while, orders
were being stacked and demand
phenomenally increased,
said Craig Fox, executive vice
president of Fox Packaging.
" Sustainability did not take a
back seat; our team prioritized
research of material types
and design optimization, by
using this data and reinforcing
our supplier relationships, we
are improving the efficiency
of our product line, " he said.
" Although our expertise is in the
fresh produce sector, flexible
packaging applications continue
to expand to new product lines
and types; the stand-up pouch
bag is a store-shelf staple that
has transitioned to e-commerce,
as it is a convenient design
for store presentation and
shipping. As consumers have
become increasingly aware
of their touch points of their
produce, packaging has served
as a protective barrier that
keeps produce untouched and
offers peace of mind to buyers.
As automation technology
advances, packaging will
continue to be a design of
preference for both buyers
and consumers. We continue
to develop our products with
environmental mindfulness. "
Supply chain challenges
Paul Frantz, president of
food and delivery, Novolex,
points to several global supply
chain challenges for the
industry. Domestic and global
transportation slowdowns have
hampered the movement of
raw materials across countries.
Once supplies come on shore or
when finished goods are ready
for distribution, domestic labor
shortages throughout the entire
supply chain can still affect plants
and the third-party logistics
sector, made up of truck drivers
that the industry depends on to
deliver products.
" As a converter, Novolex is
only one step of the supply
chain from materials suppliers
through to our customers and
their consumers. To manage,
we remain in close contact with
our suppliers and customers
alike to manage expectations, "
he said.
Companies and their partners
need to factor in additional
lead-time to meet customer
requirements, Frantz says.
The pre-COVID supply chain
was relatively predicable,
and Novolex was able to plan
for raw materials, labor, and
transportation in advance,
providing a high value chain
68 - JANUARY 2022
supermarketperimeter.com
Inline Plastics, John Unrein, Sealed Air.
http://www.supermarketperimeter.com
Supermarket Perimeter - January 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Supermarket Perimeter - January 2022
