On the occasion of interpack, Frozen Food Europe’s editor, Dan Orehov, had an exclusive interview with the director of the largest trade fair dedicated to packaging equipment and related processing in the world, Bernd Jablonowski.
What are the key trends you have noticed concerning technological innovations in food packaging? Could you also comment on the Packaging Innovation Park?
There are three thematic areas that played a vital role for the industry at interpack: resource efficiency, quality & safety and diversity & flexibility. These areas are particularly relevant to the food industry which is clearly the biggest client industry for packaging.
As consumers are increasingly basing their buying decisions for against a brand on environmental aspects, the responsible use of resources is turning more and more into a vital competitive advantage. For the same reason there is also a growing focus on production where it is important, for instance, to reduce the use of energy, water and materials.
Other issues that continue to be relevant are safety and hygiene. It is essential not to compromise on the consumer’s health. Every single component of a machine or system must be designed in such a way that it does not catch product residue, dirt or micro-organisms, while at the same time being easy to clean. Working in conjunction with suitable packaging, this makes it possible to minimise any microbiological risks.
Another competitive edge on the market is the ability to innovate and to respond quickly to changing consumer trends – especially in food. The amount of variety keeps increasing, while product lifecycles are getting shorter and shorter. This means that packaging technology and its processes need to become more and more flexible and more readily adaptable, while the relevant materials must become increasingly versatile and permit more creative use.
The Packaging Innovation Park, which ran under the motto “save Food”, showed numerous creative ideas which can help to ensure that less food is disposed of without being used. In this way packaging becomes a sustainability tool. The various technologies that play a role can differ substantially. In developing countries there is a much greater need for basic solutions, as the main priority is on adequate packaging that will extend the shelf life of food and ensure its suitability for transportation and storage. In western industrialised nations the solution might be to use smaller batch sizes and smart packaging.
What is your view on food waste and on the importance of preventing and combating food losses?
The issue of food loss and waste is among the most pressing ones in our time. Year on year 1.3 billion tonnes of food are lost – a third of the entire production. When we look at different countries, this issue produces the third highest level of carbon emissions after China and the United States. It particularly affects certain groups of food, such as fruit where up to 45 per cent of the harvest is lost each year. These figures alone show that action is required. When we consider that the sum total of lost and wasted food would be enough to feed all 840 million malnourished people in the whole world, we can see the magnitude of the issue – particularly as the world’s population is set to rise to nine billion by 2050.
What were the main active countries at the trade show this year, in terms of both visitors and exhibitors?
Where exhibitors are concerned, the most widely represented country after Germany was Italy. It was followed by Turkey, France, the Netherlands, the United States and China. On the visitors’ side the main nations were the Netherlands, Italy, the United States, the UK, France, Belgium, India, Switzerland and Spain. In all, however, interpack was attended by well over 120 countries.
Which categories of equipment for food packaging have significantly expanded their presence in terms of exhibition space this year, compared to previous shows?
This is an area where there were no great changes. However, the majority of exhibitors said their most relevant target group was the food industry. Many companies are of course serving several target groups with their products, so that any shifts cannot always be pinned down very clearly.
Could you comment on the presence of packaging equipment and solutions targeting the frozen food segment and its evolution at interpack?
Unfortunately, this can’t always be traced very accurately because the same principle applies here. If a product – for instance a tubular bag packaging machine – is suitable for frozen food, it is often just as suitable for other types of food and indeed for totally different products. However, thanks to the unique diversity of products at interpack, solutions in this segment are definitely covered by a large number of exhibitors. Another trend in the food industry over the last few years has been convenience food, and the number of exhibitors with such products and services has therefore risen substantially in the past.
How would you characterise the evolution of interpack, from the first tradeshow until 2014?
interpack is a show with a long tradition. It was first held in Düsseldorf in 1958 – still in the city centre, on the old exhibition premises which now no longer exist. Only 255 companies took part as exhibitors at the time. In subsequent years interpack continued to grow year on year, while also acquiring a leading international role. I think the key to this success has always been its policy of keeping pace with the market wherever possible. Its closeness to the market and our focus on following up specific trends has continued to be the great strength of interpack to the present day.
What major challenges did you face this year and how did you overcome them?
As before, exhibitors showed enormous interest in interpack 2014, and we were therefore booked up by the official registration deadline well over a year before the show. Such a big event with 19 halls means that everyone has to perform at their very best, from Exhibitor Services to Logistics. One particular challenge this year was undoubtedly the 2nd Save Food Convention which was extremely hard work to plan and organise. But when we realised at interpack how well everything was running, we knew that all the effort had been worth it.
What does the event entail in terms of manpower and organisation?
Preparations for the subsequent interpack start as soon as the previous event has finished. This is when the so-called Core Team gets going, which currently consists of 12 people. It’s a three-year preparation phase, and the closer we get to the actual show, the more departments are involved. These are, for instance, Stand Construction, Logistics, Security, etc. At interpack itself we then need to add numerous temporary workers, such as traffic stewards and hostesses. That’s when several hundred people are at work at the same time.
Looking at the responses from professionals at this year’s interpack, how do you believe technological innovations in food packaging will evolve in the coming years?
The trends I mentioned earlier – especially towards greater sustainability – will continue to occupy our minds for quite a while. I have no doubt that interpack 2017 will feature numerous further innovations that will help us take a significant step forward again.