Smart packaging has come a long way – snack food bags can detect drunk drivers and beer bottles can play music – but more brands are investing in smart labels to connect brands and technology.

More than two decades ago, PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, welcomed the packaging industry to the Las Vegas desert with a goal to convene end users and suppliers in the odd number years in between PACK EXPO International in Chicago...

In its recently released market research reports “2017 Trends in Food Processing Operations” and “2017 Top to Top Summit Report,” PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing, identified the primary drivers.

In addition to the health problems that tainted food can cause consumers, and the damage to the brands’ and retailers’ reputations, a food recall can cost a food company $10 million or more in direct costs, business interruption and lost sales.

Snacks make up 11 percent of meal occasions in the U.S., according to Nielsen research, and consumers are not just reaching for potato chips and cookies.

The market for flexible packaging has grown steadily over the last decade, and it is not showing signs of slowing down. The use of plastic in packaging overall has grown 8% since 2012, and bags and pouches have grown 3.5%.

While PET bottles represent the largest volume share of pack types in North America, pouches will see the greatest forecast CAGR of 5.7%, adding nearly 2 billion units sold through 2020, according to the 2017 Global Packaging Trends Report.

PACK EXPO East 2017, offering attendees an opportunity to experience processing and packaging innovation, will be here Feb. 27–March 1 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia.

One undeniable reality reaffirmed in 2016 is that interest and investment in processing and packaging equipment continue to grow.

This fall, PACK EXPO International will serve as a hub of innovation, helping packagers and processors tackle challenges in all of these areas across a range of industries.