Ceepackaging

INDEX in Geneva, the world’s leading nonwovens exhibition, is traditionally the first of two two global-scale trade shows of central importance to Optima.

Development in the beverage industry over the past decade or two has been remarkable. Single-serve portions which started out as a trend have become an established convenience in the daily routines of more and more people who demand maximum convenience and superior quality. The ever-expanding variety of hot and cold beverages and the increasing number of market players add to a very dynamic sector.

The Coca-Cola Company and illycaffè SpA announced the companies have finalized their global joint venture and will be introducing three premium ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee products in several European countries. Through the joint venture, Ilko Coffee International, consumers in 10 European countries will be able to purchase three premium ready-to-drink coffee products.

Silgan White Cap seals the first energy drink with CoffeeBerryTM, an extract from the fruit of the coffee tree

NOVA Chemicals today introduced the Altra cup line to the premium beverage market. Altra cups deliver a number of benefits to coffee-shop owners and their customers through unsurpassed insulation, increased safe handling and stunning graphic capabilities.

Under good cyclical conditions, the Optima Group from Schwäbisch Hall could close the 2007 business year with a substantial growth. The consolidated sales of the company increased 15% to 170 m. Euros when compared to the previous year. The Optima Group currently has 1,180 employees, 180 staff members, and 1,000 in Germany (state: end of December 2007). The Optima Group manufactures innovative filling and packaging machines for the Pharma, Consumer and Nonwovens sectors. Combined manufacturing and packaging machines for Medicare products as well as MES software and optical checking systems complement the product range.

Optima Group Consumer offers leading packaging solutions for the growing Russian market. Especially new developments, such as the converting and packaging machine for the innovative Cyclero® softcan or the leading dosing and packaging technology of Optima for portion packs, e.g. for coffee, are but a few examples. The Optima dosing technology convinces by maximum filling accuracy, gentle product handling and reliability.

Kraft Foods is celebrating the Christmas season with the launch of its popular Carte Noire coffee brand in an original contemporary metal container. Developed in cooperation with CROWN Speciality Packaging, a business unit of Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCK) (Crown), the package is part of an exclusive holiday promotion available starting in early December in French and Ukrainian supermarkets.

Especially for the product gentle and aroma protecting packaging of ground coffee into stand-up block bottom bags, the combination of the Auger Doser HASTAMAT SD 100i and the vertical Form-, Fill- and Seal Machine R 250 has been developed. For both aggregates a common control with graphical user interface as well as 10� coloured Touch Screen is used.

A flexible high barrier material manufactured by RPC Cobelplast has enabled the launch of Café Switch, a new brand of concentrated coffee drinks from Douwe Egberts.

In May, Arla Foods in Sweden launched six “On-the-Go” products in Tetra Top Carton Bottle; Pucko Ischocko (milkdrink with chocolate flavour), Smoothie Jordgubb (strawberry smoothie), Smoothie Hallon (raspberry smoothie), Latte Kaffe Vanilj, Latte Kaffe and Latte Cappuccino (coffee drinks).

Maspex Wadowice, Poland, chose a special promotion for their juice and nectar brand “Kubus”: more than 40 different Twist-Off closure designs are printed with all relevant characters of “Shrek” - just in time for the launch of the new movie.

DSM Engineering Plastics has introduced Akulon XP, a high productivity grade of PA6 for film applications. Akulon XP offers a broader processing window leading to more flexibility and more uniform thickness distribution in cast film, more melt strength and better parison stability leading to optimized LDPE/LLDPE ratio in multi-layer films without sacrificing the mechanical properties, more shear thinning than with standard PA6 enabling thus higher coating velocities possible and still absolutely gel free.

International Paper and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters have been awarded a 2007 Sustainability Award from the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA), the world's largest coffee trade association. The Sustainability Awards are given annually to those in the specialty coffee industry that have created innovative projects to expand and promote sustainability.

Plastic coffee lids for take-out hot drinks, which turn bright red, are now available to all coffee lovers across Europe after Smart Lid Systems sign international license agreement, following global industry recognition.