Keeping up with the latest consumer trends, staying on top of safety and freshness concerns and moving your product from concept to plant to market — these are just a few of the challenges protein and food processors face every day. They’re also a few of the challenges that can be met at PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2015 (Las Vegas Convention Center, Sept. 28-30). Owned and produced by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, PACK EXPO is the largest and most comprehensive event of its kind this year, and will host 30,000 attendees and over 2,000 exhibitors in more than 800,000 net square feet of exhibit space.
“In addition to focusing on consumer trends, protein and food processing professionals need to be up to speed on the latest food safety rules, whether they fall under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) or rules from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). PACK EXPO will provide access to suppliers and education that will make compliance easier,” says Jim Pittas, senior vice president, PMMI.
Start at the Beginning
Meat producers can start the trip around the show floor in areas like the Processing Zone (Upper South Hall) a hub for processing equipment and front-of-line solutions that address safety and quality at the efficiency and productivity levels you need. You’ll find:
- State-of-the-art equipment and automation technologies for increased versatility and productivity
- Machinery specialized for hygienic processing
- Technologies that ensure chain of custody and safety
- Advances to increase speed and accuracy and provide modularity
- Materials and containers that preserve freshness, reduce waste and enhance your brand
While you’re in The Processing Zone, stop by the Food Safety Summit Resource Center (Booth S-7632), where you’ll learn about the latest on food safety issues. Organized and brought to PACK EXPO Las Vegas by the Food Safety Summit and co-sponsor GE, the Food Safety Summit Resource Center will be a central location where food safety experts will present educational seminars and be available for informal consultations.
Sometimes, it’s best to contract out your packaging needs. To learn more about contract packaging and how it can improve your operations, visit the Contract Packaging Sourcing Center (Booth C-1257), hosted by the Contract Packaging Association, where you’ll meet experts who can address your packaging needs, show you packaging samples and provide information on leading contract packagers.
The Brand Zone (Lower South Hall), which features materials and containers that shape winning brands, is a central point for attendees looking to improve product freshness or shelf appeal. Within The Brand Zone, the Showcase of Packaging Innovations®, sponsored by The Dow Chemical Company, will display award-winning packages from competitions around the world.
Feed the Mind with Educational Opportunities
There are plenty of opportunities to learn, too. The Center for Trends and Technology (Booth C-4829), organized by Rockwell Automation and its PartnerNetwork™, covers the newest in automation technology and smart manufacturing with displays and educational sessions. The PACK EXPO Innovation Stages (Booths C-1041, C-1045, C-1049) will showcase more than 40 educational sessions, and the Food Safety Summit Resource Center will also present seminars for protein producers:
- Advantages of Using Robotics and Advanced Sensing Technologies to Automatically Detect Leakers and How They Can Improve Line Performance Presented by Craig Souser, JLS Automation (Monday, Sept. 28, 3–3:30 p.m.; Booth C-1049)
- Basic Production Metrics Presented by Ted Andrew, Roka Bioscience (Tuesday, Sept. 29, 10:15–10:45 a.m.; Food Safety Summit Resource Center, Booth S-7632)
- Meat & Poultry Disinfection Using Ozone Presented by Gholamreza Zahedi, Ozone Solutions (Tuesday, Sept. 29, 1–1:30 p.m.; Booth C-1045)