Flexible packaging materials: minor price declines in Q3 of 2025
The markets for flexible packaging materials recorded some minor price decreases across the substrates in the third quarter of 2025.
The polyethylene markets were also under pressure. Kaushik Mitra, Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS, a Dow Jones Company, noted: “Markets were less unstable this quarter, but sentiments were weaker. July/August are traditionally the weakest months of the year due to summer lull and this year the drop in demand was more than usual. The recovery that usually happens in September is not yet visible as end markets are struggling with macroeconomic slowdown and higher imports from China that have dampened local demand. The biggest development in this quarter is on the trade front with the EU and US finally signing the trade deal. But a provision in the deal is raising particular interest: the ostensible EU proposal to give duty waiver to US PE exports into the region. Although the final list with HS code for free trade items is yet to be published, the broad scope of the proposal keeps such possibilities wide open. If the tariff is waived, US PE resins would flood the European market and further weaken the European production base, which is already reeling under sliding competitiveness.
Significant surge in US exports into Europe is already sensitizing the market about anti-dumping scenarios being created, but buyers are welcoming the duty waiver as they feel it will make PE resins more affordable.” Overall, the situation in the flexible packaging markets remains challenging. Energy prices for electricity and gas are still high and volatile, Europe’s industry is becoming increasingly import dependent, and demand growth is slowing as many consumer goods categories underperform.
With a strong focus on innovations from numerous partners, Nordmann will be showcasing a broad portfolio of products and solutions.
A particular highlight is the new partnership with British clean label specialist Ulrick & Short. Since February 2025, Nordmann has been distributing its functional starches in Austria, France, Germany and Switzerland. The synergie (clean label thickeners and viscosifiers), ovaprox™ (plant-based egg replacements), delyte™ (fat reduction solutions) and ezimoist™ (phosphate-free juiciness for meat and fish) product lines enable manufacturers to simplify their declarations while meeting the requirements of modern, plant-based recipes. They are ideal for use in baked goods, soups and sauces, meat and fish, ready meals, desserts, and vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free concepts.
Nordmann also presents a wide range of innovative ingredients for the food industry. The portfolio includes cocoa as a timeless flavor carrier for enjoyment & quality, functional ingredients and blends for optimizing texture & nutritional value, and hydrocolloids such as locust bean gum for stabilizing & refining baked goods, dairy products, and sauces. The portfolio is complemented by dairy cultures for cheese and yogurt varieties and sustainable plant-based protein solutions with high protein content. Silica provides effective protection against clumping for longer shelf life and stable product quality. New flavor compositions cater to the “next-level spicy” trend with hot, sweet, umami, and sour notes. The range also includes baking agents for perfect appearance and consistency of baked goods, prebiotic fiber blends from Jerusalem artichoke, natural fibers for sugar reduction, and sustainable vinegar salts for clean label applications.
Fi Europe: Hall 7.2, Stand G66
New Arla Foods Ingredients concept opens doors to protein bar innovation
The company has launched a new concept demonstrating how protein bar manufacturers can improve nutritional profile without compromising on taste or texture.
Peter Schouw Andersen, Senior Director, Performance Nutrition at Arla Foods Ingredients, said: “We’ve created this concept to respond to the biggest trends in the protein bar market. Taste and texture are still king but health considerations are increasingly important – for younger consumers in particular. Easy Bite meets all these needs, offering a high-protein, low-fat, fiber-rich option that retains its softness without the need for a long ingredients list. We hope it will create exciting new opportunities for protein bar innovation.”
Visitors to SupplySide Global will be able to sample Easy Bite at Booth #6425. Additionally, Arla Foods Ingredients will showcase two other concepts:
- A protein soda that responds to the ‘better-for-you’ soft drinks trend. Featuring specialty whey protein ingredient Lacprodan® BLG-100, it contains 10g of high-quality protein and no sugar.
- ‘Refreshed in Seconds’, a concept that demonstrates the benefits of Lacprodan® ISO.RefreshShake – the latest addition to Arla Foods Ingredients’ portfolio of high-quality whey protein isolates for clear shakes. It delivers 20g of protein per 300 ml/10 oz serving, and offers quick foam breakdown as well as refreshing taste.
Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing breaks ground on new production facility near Cincinnati, Ohio
Investment of CHF 187 million highlights Givaudan’s continued commitment to strengthening its operational presence in the United States
The new site, which will complement the Company’s existing facilities, represents an initial investment of CHF 187 million ($215M USD) and will span 24,000 square metres within a total reserved land area of more than 100,000 square metres to accommodate future growth. “This new facility represents our largest investment in the US in many years, demonstrating the importance of the market to Givaudan and to the food and beverage industry. It is a tangible example of Givaudan’s 2030 strategy in action, strengthening our market and operational presence, extending customer reach, and advancing sustainable, innovative solutions that consumers love,” said Gilles Andrier, Chief Executive Officer. The site is positioned for substantial growth and expansion over time, as Givaudan continues to invest in technologies and processes designed to maximise production while helping to reduce environmental impact.
Over time, the new facility will create over 300 jobs across diverse skill sets, highlighting Givaudan’s commitment to fostering local talent and the sustainable growth of the economy. "By expanding our operational capabilities, we’re positioning ourselves for future innovation as we continue to deliver tailored solutions within North America,” said Antoine Khalil, President Taste & Wellbeing. “Driven by the dedication of our employees, the new facility will strengthen our ability to help grow customer brands by delivering distinctive, memorable food experiences that resonate with consumers.” In line with Givaudan’s purpose, the Company has also announced community and environmental initiatives related to the new facility. Plans include support to community programmes, such as educational initiatives alongside local partners. Additionally, the site will be run without the use of natural gas to further reduce Givaudan’s overall GHG emissions. The project will introduce sustainable technologies, such as carbon bed filtration. Construction on the site is underway, with completion expected in 18 months and partial operations scheduled to begin as early as 2027.
Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing currently has 17 locations across the United States and Canada.
GNT presents Exberry® color innovation at Gulfood with interactive and on-trend concepts
GNT will showcase its plant-based EXBERRY® colors with shade-shifting drinks, a build-your-own rocky road station, and bold new concepts.
At Gulfood, GNT (Hall 6, B6-48) will present a range of Exberry® concepts and experiences to demonstrate their potential. These will include an interactive color-changing beverage and the opportunity to create rocky road bars with different colors, flavors, and textures. Attendees will be able to add Exberry®-colored inclusions to the confectionery bars to build their own multisensory products. The full Exberry® rainbow will also be on show through colorful concepts including ice cream, wafer cones, noodles, mayonnaise, and snacks. GNT’s experts will be available throughout the event to discuss individual project requirements, including technical and regulatory queries.
Santhosh Thankappan, Sales Director at GNT Middle East, said: “Modern consumers love exciting food and drink with eye-catching shades and natural ingredients. At Gulfood, we’re showing how our plant-based colors can be used to help deliver fun, multisensory, and interactive experiences without compromising on the label. Join us at the show and discover the possibilities with Exberry® for yourself.”
A new sustainable configuration for Altopack's best-selling machine is presented: no compressed air, reduced consumption, and real-time monitoring of the environmental footprint.
The hallmark of the new configuration is the gripping device developed with a young startup from Emilia, based on Electro-Adhesive Layer technology. This revolutionary system allows carton picking without the use of suction cups or compressed air, eliminating the need for compressors and significantly reducing energy consumption. The result is a cleaner, quieter, and easier-to-manage system that represents a paradigm shift for secondary packaging. Altopack has been the first company to industrialize this technology on a large scale in the field of secondary packaging.
Like all solutions within the EcoFriendly Line, Rolà also comes equipped with the EcoFriendly® Display, a sleek glass panel with a touch interface and LED indicators that measures the machine’s environmental footprint in real time. In addition to communicating with the factory’s digital systems, the display has been designed to immediately showcase the company’s sustainable choice: it is visible to operators, buyers, and visitors, and stands as a tangible example of how environmental awareness can also be fostered through industrial technology.
Packaging made easy: the lightline series from Schubert
Quick delivery and installation for an easy start – the wish for a pragmatic production start-up is a reality with lightline machines.
Performance is in no way compromised: the lightline cartoner, which Schubert is exhibiting in Nuremberg as a packer for energy bars, can pack up to 60 boxes – or 480 products – per minute. The longer a machine packs continuously, the smoother production can run. A lightline cartoner can run for a full 60 minutes thanks to the 4,000 blanks that fit into the vertical magazine.
What’s great about the magazine is that it can be refilled during operation thanks to an integrated blank buffer – ensuring uninterrupted packaging. The A3 erector contributes to the space-saving design. As a single-lane variant, it avoids the multi-lane designs of comparable systems, requires fewer glue nozzles and can operate with smaller erection and sealing tools. It also performs its tasks with a high degree of autonomy: it pulls each blank out of the blank buffer individually and transfers it to a pusher, which transports it past the gluing station to the folding box. The sealing tool is easy to handle and therefore just as practical as the cartoner. Schubert has significantly reduced the number of individual parts, so that the unit weighs about 50% less – a huge advantage when you’re changing formats often.
www.schubert.group/de/verpackungsloesung/schubert-lightline/
Coperion: celebrating 280 years of material handling leadership
The company celebrates a remarkable series of anniversaries this year that highlight its long-standing commitment to innovation, expertise, and customer success.
For 125 years, Coperion’s material handling business in Weingarten, Germany, has been a recognized leader in the bulk material handling markets. Like many companies at the turn of the last century, Coperion’s predecessor Waeschle initially ventured into the food industry, specializing in pneumatic conveying of grain and flour. It was only with the rise of plastics in the 1950s that new opportunities emerged, expanding the company’s horizons.
Today Coperion’s portfolio extends beyond its historical roots to include extensive process know-how and expertise in handling over 20,000 bulk materials and various methods for their efficient conveying, homogenizing, separating, heating and cooling methods. Plant engineering and design for large petrochemical installations as well as turnkey systems for the compounding industry are at the core of the company. Another key aspect of the company’s offerings is the design and manufacture of essential components such as rotary valves, diverter valves, and slide-gate valves, tailored for various industries. Complementing these products are Coperion’s process knowledge, engineering excellence, and project management capabilities, which allow the company’s experts to develop and deliver state-of-the-art bulk material handling systems for clients worldwide.
TPL now offers an extensive range of ultra-high barrier BOPP films, developed to meet the high demands of the long shelf-life food sector.
Thanks to the excellent barrier properties of UHB BOPP films and especially in combination with heat-resistant BOPP films, TPL’s BOPP solutions make it possible to design recycle-ready mono-polypropylene (PP) packaging. This marks a significant step forward in helping manufacturers comply with the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). TPLs entire Ultra-High Barrier (UHB) BOPP film range is also engineered for compatibility with both adhesive and extrusion lamination.
One of the standout products in TPL’s new portfolio is the 28µ white metallized BOPP film WHF-K445, which delivers ultra-high barrier performance against light, moisture, gas, and aroma — making it a compelling solution also for demanding packaging applications. With exceptionally low permeation rates (OTR and WVTR of 0.1), WHF-K445 is ideal for dry and high-fat food packaging. In addition it offers exceptional seal strength, flex-crack resistance, and puncture resistance. Its cavitated design and dual functionality as both a sealant and barrier layer allow for simplified packaging structures, helping to reduce process complexity and significantly lower overall package weight.
TPL's BOPP films help companies to achieve their sustainability goals and fulfil the requirements of the EU packaging regulation (PPWR), which came into force in February. With BOPP specialty grades such as ultra-high barrier, heat-resistant or low-density matt films, mono-material packaging can be designed, which increases recyclability. In addition to the wide range of products, TPL also offers application development services and technical advice on material selection, taking into account legal changes.
Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing breaks ground on new production facility near Cincinnati, Ohio