Sustainably-Packaged German Snacks
Posted - July 30, 2008
Herr Foods Furthers Sustainably with Pump Retrofit
Germany’s Herr Foods has taken its sustainability to the next level by retrofitting a key part of its packaging line. The company plant’s 15 TNA machines, used to roll, film and seal its foods, are being retrofitted with P6010 vacuum pumps from PIAB.
The new system reduces noise, generates no heat and provides suction at extremely low pressures. Its compact size places it closer to the suction point, consuming less compressed air.
For 60 years, Herr has introduced innovative snack foods and packaging. The firm now offers 340 products, including potato chips, pretzels, popcorn, and onion rings.
“The most important environmental issue challenging Herr’s and other snack food manufacturers is with packaging materials,” states David Sexton, a firm electrical engineer for automation. The company leads in “modern and progressive manufacturing and packaging,” he says.
“The company started using automated cooking techniques as far back as 1952, and in the next decade began to revolutionize its packaging design and materials.”
Before the retrofit, the firm’s line was equipped with noisy mechanical pumps. This generated too much heat and required frequent maintenance.
“Reducing the noise and heat levels was very important to us,” remarked Sexton. “Not only did we want to improve the working environment in our facility, we wanted to reduce our maintenance and repair costs.”
Herr has a history of ecological awareness and conservation. For instance, it reuses water via irrigation and sludge as fertilizer. At Herr’s Angus Farm, sub-standard products get a second life as cattle feed.
The company has designed its manufacturing to be as environmental and efficient as possible. Steam-recovery saves fuel; exhaust filters prevent residues from being emitted; a heat exchanger uses manufacturing-generated hot water to heat the factory.
By creating fruitful and forward-thinking partnerships, this manufacturer and producer of tasty treats is sure to bring insight to the industry.
Organic Cosmetics Standards
Posted - July 15, 2008
Varied Requirements, Little Regulation Bring US Lawsuit
Organic-branded cosmetics and personal care products are coming under legal question in the US. A lawsuit was recently launched by soap and cosmetics firm Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps.
The firm filed a claim that says the many organic labels and messages on personal care products that do not meet the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program (NOP) standard are overly confusing to consumers.
Dr. Bronner’s makes various products that meet those strict standards. Its own packaging shows the green USDA organic seal.
Mislabelling through generic, non-NOP “organic” claims is “creating all kinds of organic noise,” said company President David Bronner. What “organic” means is unclear to consumers, he said: “In the personal care aisle, chances are it does not correspond at all to your basic expectation of what an organic label should be.”
Bronner’s filed the suit in California under a state law that considers what a “reasonable consumer” would expect a product claim to mean.
Petrochemical ingredients can slip into personal care because companies claim products are “organic” without certification. Little regulation exists. These firms place the word “organic” as large as they like on packaging. Certified firms must follow their standard’s packaging guidelines.
For now, the NOP is a reference point for companies wanting to do organic cosmetics “right”. Bronner’s and US natal-care products firm Earth Mama Angel Baby are two companies currently producing personal care products to that standard.
“There’s a huge controversy about the standards by which organic personal care products should be certified,” said Earth Mama founder Melinda Olson.
The NOP standard is meant for food, and thus bars some common personal care ingredients and processes that most manufacturers agree are safe.
“Asking personal care products to be certified to the NOP standard is like putting them against the wrong yardstick,” said Olson. Still, she said, Earth Mama will be following the NOP standard until a better one is developed.
Such development has been going on for years under NSF International. Bronner and Olson have both participated in the NSF process. Many insiders expect it to lead to a NOP personal care standard.
“It’s more or less done. The standard should be out the door later in the year,” Bronner said.
However, the OASIS standard recently announced by several firms (see story in OWN Summer 2008 print edition) raised alarm bells for Bronner. “OASIS is basically a breakaway from the NSF effort,” he said. Fearing this could create “organic” standards that allow ingredients and processes that Bronner feels should be barred, his firm eventually sued companies it felt were relevant.
Even firms named in the Bronner lawsuit are launching NOP products, suggesting demand for this category is growing. US Nature’s Gate launched a NOP Rainwater Lotions line late this Spring, with the 95% organic ingredient levels NOP requires.
“The line was developed for our customers who are increasingly seeking personal care products that mirror their commitment to organic agriculture and sustainable living,” said the firm’s Laura Setzfand.
The company “strongly supports the need for standards governing the use of the terms organic and natural,” she added. “We are currently evaluating the proposed standards.”
