Solidifying its position as the premier event in North America for food and beverage processing, ProFood Tech (April 4-6; McCormick Place, Chicago) will host Delkor Systems Inc.’s (delkorsystems.com) exclusive insider’s perspective from two of Walmart’s former Directors of Packaging.

This look behind the curtain of the largest company in the world takes place in the Delkor booth (#2415) on Wednesday, April 5th from 11:00–11:30 a.m. and 3:00–3:30 p.m.

During their discussion “Walmart’s Labeling and Retail Ready Packaging (RRP) Guidelines Demystified,” Chet Rutledge, former senior director, private brands packaging, and Ron Sasine, former director, private brands packaging, aim to keep producers ahead of the curve as retail giants continue to raise packaging expectations. The panel will also address major Walmart efforts to standardize case coding and labeling to maximize efficiency through distribution and store stocking.

In Sept. 2016, Walmart selected the Delkor Cabrio Case as its preferred shipper style in its Approved RRP Guide for pouches, bags, cartons and flat packs. First introduced at Walmart for pouches of shredded cheese, today 75% of all shredded cheese pouches sold at Walmart stores in the U.S. are shipped to market in a Delkor Cabrio Case.

“As attendees will see at ProFood Tech, the Delkor Cabrio Case is having a major impact on retail ready packaging,” says Dale Anderson, president and CEO of Delkor. “Because of the success of Cabrio in the cheese category, Walmart significantly expanded the use of Cabrio to include numerous product categories, such as snacks & nuts, frozen vegetables, sauces, candy, non-food products and more to come in 2017.”

Powered by three of the world’s trade show leaders – PACK EXPO, Anuga and the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) – ProFood Tech will welcome more than 6,000 key decision makers to convene with 400-plus of the world’s top suppliers over 150,000 net square feet of exhibit floor.

The education offerings expand beyond the show floor as the ProFood Tech Conference Program, produced by IDFA, will offer a wide range of educational experiences covering issues such as: regulations and food safety, consumer trends and marketing, food processing advances and technology, business and leadership development and health and lifestyle. The conference will kick-off with a keynote address by five-time National Football League (NFL) MVP Peyton Manning on Tuesday, April 4th at 8 a.m.

In addition, ProFood Tech Learning Hub will feature free 30-minute educational sessions at the Innovation Stage and the all-new Regulatory Matters stage. The Innovation Stage offers attendees the opportunity to learn from industry experts on topics ranging from hygienic operations and improving sustainability, to advanced spray technologies and using robotic automation.

ProFood Tech’s Regulatory Matters stage features presentations by industry experts on topics such as communicating during a food safety crisis, deconstructing Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules, combustible dust mitigation in food manufacturing, and constructing a FSMA food safety plan. A roundtable discussion will follow each session, giving attendees the opportunity to share ideas and best practices on these critical topics with peers.

The ProFood Tech Learning Hub will also serve as host to both the Manufacturing Innovation Awards (Tuesday, April 4 at 3:00 p.m.), and the Sustainability Excellence in Manufacturing Awards (Wednesday, April 5 at 3:00 p.m.).

For more information or to register online, visit profoodtech.com.