FPA Announces 2021 Flexible Packaging Achievement Award Winners

The Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) announced the winners of its 65th Annual Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards Competition. 

The winning entries were recognized during a virtual awards ceremony that was live-streamed on March 10.

This year, 75 package entries were submitted for the competition, with a total of 201 entries (some packages were entered into multiple categories). Twenty packages were honored with 27 Achievement Awards.

“I think the first thing that stood out was the number of entries. We’ve certainly had a unique and challenging year, but to have this many entries, as many, if not more, than we’ve had the past couple of years certainly was unexpected,” said David Luttenberger, Global Packaging director, Mintel Group Ltd, one of the judges. 

“We saw some packaging that was what I would call the total package for new ideas and innovations,” added Keith Vorst, Ph.D., director, Polymer and Food Protection Consortium, Iowa State University. “It’s not just one component but companies are looking at all the package components now, and that’s exciting.” 

Highest Achievement Award

Crunch Pak’s Toy Story Lunch Kitz

Awards: Highest Achievement Award

Gold Award – Technical Innovation

Manufacturer: American Packaging Corporation

End-User/Customer: Crunch Pak

Plant: Story City, IA

Key Supplier: American Packaging Corporation

Description: Lunch Kitz is a 4 oz. snack tray having individual compartments containing fresh sliced apples, an artisan cracker, string cheese, and Italian salami. The foods are fresh and healthy, including the salami which is without nitrates, nitrites, or artificial ingredients.

Gold Achievement Award

Amcor’s Dual Chamber Pouch

Award: Gold Award – Technical Innovation

Manufacturer: Amcor Flexibles

End-User/Customer: Boston Scientific

Plant: Mundelein, IL

Description: The Amcor Dual Chamber Pouch is a specialty multi-layer pouch with a breathable membrane. The product consists of a peelable device chamber and a non-peelable desiccant chamber, and the desiccant is kept separate from the device with asymmetric coextruded vented nylon film. This solution is ideal for moisture-sensitive products such as drug-coated products which may be adversely affected by reacting with various gasses found within the atmosphere of the package and is suitable for EtO sterilization.

Arbor Teas Organic Tea

Award: Gold Award – Sustainability

Manufacturers: Polykar, Eagle Flexible Packaging, and Futamura USA, Inc.

End-User/Customer: Arbor Teas

Plant: Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada

Designer/Design Firm: Arbor Teas

Key Suppliers: Polykar, Eagle Flexible Packaging, and Futamura USA, Inc.

Description: Compostable films are united to create an environmentally friendly tea packaging solution. The labels of the packaging are composed of hemp-based or sugarcane-based paper. The sealant layer is PKBIO200C from Polykar. This film is derived from resin which is partially bio-based from corn feedstock. It has high clarity and a low seal initiation temperature. The print web of the multi-layer structure is NatureFlex from Futamura, a compostable cellulose film based on wood pulp from sustainably-managed sources. These materials also reduce the weight of the packaging when compared to paperboard tubes or kraft bags. The material in Arbor Teas’ packages requires a less optimized environment for biodegradation, representing a major advance in low-impact packaging.

Chameleon for Tyvek

Award: Gold Award – Expanding the Use of Flexible Packaging

Manufacturer: PAXXUS, Inc.

Plant: Addison, IL

Description: Chameleon for Tyvek allows the user to readily evaluate the quality of a seal when used with uncoated Tyvek. Before opening, the seal shows as a darker color when viewed through the film side. Once the package has been peeled open, a vivid colored seal indicator presents on the Tyvek with a contrasting white seal indicator on the film. The easy ability for users to identify any seal flaws addresses the new EU Medical Device Regulation requirements that the “integrity of the packaging is clearly evident to the final user” while providing a consistent, smooth, fiber-free peel.

Hunter’s Gourmet – Quinoa Chips

Awards: Gold Award – Packaging Excellence

Gold Award – Printing

Gold Award – Shelf Impact

Manufacturer: Emirates Printing Press, L.L.C. 

End-User/Customer: Hunter Foods – UAE

Plant: Dubai, UAE

Description: The first thing that consumers remember about a brand is its color. The print on matte OPP with a white background and multiple colors gives the package a very rich look, and the shelf appearance influences the consumers to buy the product. The structure of the package is 20µ matte OPP + 12µ metalized PET + 60µ LDPE-TR and maintains the required barrier for the chips.

Industrial Compostable Coffee Pod Lidding & Mother Bag

Award: Gold Award – Sustainability

Manufacturer: TC Transcontinental Packaging

End-User/Customer: Maxwell House Coffee Canada

Plant: Brooklyn, NY

Description: Both the pod lidding and mother bag are certified by the BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute), meaning that it is certified to breakdown in industrial composting. They are made from a high percentage of plant-based materials providing a sustainable solution for the single-serve coffee industry to mitigate landfill waste. The entire solution has a circular design with renewable inputs into the materials and a no separation pod design to ensure easy consumer disposal into the organics collection to be processed as industrial compost. The compostable lidding film has a good sealing performance as it seals onto the unique industrial compostable soft pod design and brown ring. The mother bag protects the pods and provides a barrier, all to help mitigate contamination in the end stream.

Infused Face Mask

Award: Gold Award – Shelf Impact

Manufacturers: Karlville and The Packaging Lab

End-User/Customer: Nufabrx

Plant: Brooklyn Park, MN

Designer/Design Firm: The Packaging Lab

Key Supplier: The Packaging Lab

Description: Not all masks are created equal. The copper-infused face mask is impregnated with Shea Butter moisturizer as doctors, first responders, and millions of people are dealing with redness, irritation, or “maskne” caused by masks. For the packaging, the pouch is digitally printed, thermally laminated, and pouched all within 24 hours. To give a moisture barrier the brand owner chose a BOPP. The structure is matte BOPP (1.1 mil)/EVA/ink /EVOH/PE (3.5 mil).

Nutra Dates 3D Pouch

Award: Gold Award – Printing

Manufacturer: Emirates Printing Press, L.L.C.

End-User/Customer: Al Foah Dates

Plant: Dubai, UAE

Description: The Nutra Dates 3D Pouch compliments the contrast between the matte look with a patterned golden metallic design. The date image is designed to create a superior impact on the shelf and comes with a reclosable zipper to maintain product freshness and laser scoring for consumer convenience.

Ruffles Lime and Jalapeño Anthony Davis Bags

Awards: Gold Award – Packaging Excellence

Gold Award – Printing

Gold Award – Shelf Impact

Manufacturer: Printpack

End-User/Customer: Frito-Lay

Plant: Villa Rica, GA

Description: Ruffles’ new Lime and Jalapeño chip flavor is a collaboration between Ruffles and basketball star Anthony Davis. Three package designs reference Anthony Davis’ No. 3 jersey. Each package features one of two images of Davis placed on one of three different backgrounds of bold waves. The wavy lines of the package represent both Ruffles’ iconic texture and Davis’ trademarked unibrow. These limited-edition bags marks the first time in Frito-Lay history that a chip package features a celebrity likeness.