Flip through the PACK EXPO news! Visit the PACK EXPO Info Channel to see the ShowDaily flipbooks, which include show news, features and new products. Read the news that was on the show floor at PACK EXPO. Read more...

PACK EXPO Intl: Attendance up from 2004 PACK EXPO International 2006, the most comprehensive packaging tradeshow in the world's largest packaging market, delivered 45,741 buyer attendees, up 553 from the 2004 show. The show saw increases in all attendance levels, including buyers, exhibitors and international attendees. In addition, the number of exhibiting companies and net square footage increased over 2004. Read more...

Baldor to buy Rockwell Automation division Baldor Electric Co. has agreed to purchase the power systems business of Rockwell Automation Inc. for $1.8 billion, in a deal expected to close in early 2007. Baldor, a manufacturer of electric motors, drives and generators, says that it will pay $1.75 billion in cash and about $50 million in stock for the Rockwell unit, which sells its products under the Reliance Electric and Dodge brand names.
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FDA to explore functional food standards As enhanced foods grow more popular, the FDA is examining the standards for functional foods with a public hearing. Functional foods are expected to reach $49 billion by 2010, according to a 2000 study by the then-General Accounting Office.
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Degradable plastic demand to reach 500 million lb in 2010 Starch-based plastic demand will grow nearly 18 percent per annum to 180 million lb in 2010 due to the availability of lower priced and improved resin blends.
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Forget the cake, how about a chocolate beer? With consumer demand turning toward drinks with vodka and rum, the beer industry is getting creative with new beverage ideas. Recent years have seen vitamin- and caffeine-infused beer and Miller announced Wednesday it will introduce a chocolate-flavored beer this holiday season.
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Inventors develop in-mold Radio Frequency Identification device label According to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "The label includes an RFID having opposed first and second surfaces; a first layer of heat-activated adhesive disposed on the first surface of the RFID; a second layer of heat-activated adhesive disposed on the second surface of the RFID; and a surface layer comprising a polymeric film disposed on a surface of the first layer of heat-activated adhesive opposite the first surface of the RFID."
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Coca-Cola, Caribou have new coffee drink Soft drinks company Coca-Cola Co. says it will team up with Caribou Coffee to launch a new line of ready-to-drink iced coffees next summer in the U.S. It is the sixth new product unveiled this year by Coca-Cola North America in the fast-growing coffee, tea and indulgent beverage segments, the company said. Indulgent beverages, a term used in the beverage industry, are nonalcoholic drinks—often a blend of coffee or tea with cola, spices or other flavorings.
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Supermarket brands go upscale The generic packaging and low-end image of food-store brands is changing, as stores seek to boost their private-brand sales. Kroger and Disney have developed private-label products for children, and Publix has gone gourmet and added an environmentally friendly brand.
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