PulPac licensee, Stora Enso, announces the opening of a groundbreaking Dry Molded Fiber Production Unit in Skene, Sweden. The facility is the largest and most advanced of its kind, marking a significant milestone in sustainable packaging technology. Production is set to begin in Q4 2024 after successful large-scale testing.
Stora Enso’s Skene Production Unit utilises PulPac’s innovative Dry Molded Fiber process to produce high-performance formed fiber products, such as cup lids, designed to replace traditional plastics in food and beverage packaging. Unlike conventional wet forming, the dry process reduces water and energy consumption significantly, thus offering an even more sustainable manufacturing method for fiber-based packaging. Additionally, any excess material is recaptured and reused, ensuring a circular process with minimal waste.
At the heart of this innovation is the advanced technology developed by PulPac, the leading company in the field. Their Dry Molded Fiber technology provides efficient production at high speeds, enabling Stora Enso to meet growing market demand for fully renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable fiber-based packaging solutions.
The products produced with Dry Molded Fiber offer a significantly lower CO2 footprint compared to single-use plastics. The dry forming process offers also flexibility in barrier additives for customised functionality as well as an excellent surface finish with the option to advanced decoration possibilities.
Sustainability is at the core of Stora Enso’s operations. Implementing Dry Molded Fiber is an example how they continue to lead the transition to circular, low-carbon solutions in the packaging industry, making a lasting impact on both the environment and the communities it serves.
The Coca-Cola Company announced that Jennifer Mann will become president of the company’s North America operating unit effective Jan. 1, 2023. Mann succeeds Alfredo Rivera, who will step down Dec. 31. Rivera, who has led a successful restructuring of the North America operating unit, will remain with the company as a senior advisor through March 2023.
Mann, 49, currently serves as corporate senior vice president and president of Global Ventures. Her team is responsible for globally scaling acquisitions and brands, including Costa Coffee and Coca-Cola’s investment in Monster Beverage Corp. A new leader for Global Ventures will be named at a later date.
Rivera, 61, has led the North America operating unit since August 2020.
About Jennifer Mann
Mann joined Coca-Cola in 1997 and went on to hold a number of roles of increasing responsibility. She became president of Global Ventures in 2019.
Prior to her role with Global Ventures, Mann served as chief people officer for the company and as chief of staff for Quincey. From 2012 to 2015, she was vice president and general manager of Coca-Cola Freestyle, where she accelerated the global expansion of Freestyle and led its development across the Coca-Cola system.
Mann’s first role with the company was as a manager in the National Customer Support division of North America. She went on to hold various customer and operational roles, including director, McDonald’s Customer & Consumer Operations; director, Good Answer; and vice president, Foodservice & On-Premise Strategy and Marketing for Coca-Cola Refreshments.
Mann is a member of the board of directors of Coca-Cola Consolidated. Mann holds a degree in accounting from Georgia State University.
Facility expansion is part of a $100M Investment to enhance the delivery of essential health innovations to consumers
DuPont announced the opening of a new state-of-the-art probiotics fermentation unit at its Rochester, New York (USA), facility. Construction of the unit was completed in March as part of an overall $100MM investment to expand probiotics capacity. The facility is now producing high-quality probiotics for the dietary supplement and food and beverage industries, which have the potential to provide health benefits to consumers of all ages.
The state-of-the-art facility incorporates several new production innovations, including:
- The world’s largest fermenter for probiotics production and its downstream processing.
- A built-in, fully automated system of sensors and monitors that helps maintain optimal growing conditions, removing the need to take traditional manual samples.
- Pressurized air technology to mix fermenting solutions, replacing traditional pumps and mixing blades that can damage bacteria.
- New bacteria freezing technology for safe storage of the probiotics that significantly increases efficiency.
DuPont develops and produces a wide range of clinically-documented probiotic strains for products sold globally. In the United States alone, more than 16 million U.S. households are purchasing probiotics, which deliver a variety of functional health benefits – from digestive and immune health to promising advancements in weight management and even cognitive health. Specifically, HOWARU® Shape – which is part of the DuPont™ Danisco® portfolio – most recently won “Ingredient of the Year for Weight Management” at the NutraIngredients Asia Awards.
