The Institute of Packaging Professionals has announced that beginning in 2017 its AmeriStar Awards program will include a new category: the Packaging that Saves Food Awards for North America.

IoPP will offer the new awards as a sponsoring member of the World Packaging Organisation’s Packaging that Saves Food initiative. The Packaging that Saves Foods Awards will recognize companies that are developing innovative and sustainable packaging that minimizes food losses and waste, extends shelf life and improves the supply of food.

One-third of all food is either wasted or lost – an amount that would be enough to meet global food needs, according to WPO.

“Save food is a topic related to the whole supply chain,” says Dr. Johannes Bergmair, WPO’s vice president of sustainability and food safety. “And there are many ways and technologies to work on this like logistics, farm-to-fork transcontinental routings, transit refrigeration, storage conditions, shelf-life extension, product handling and more. Packaging is just one of them, and it is the key element that WPO will focus on.”

The AmeriStar Packaging that Saves Foods Awards will accept entries in three categories: agriculture, food service and retail (primary packaging). In addition, the Student AmeriStar Awards program will honor one entry that best meets the general judging criteria. The 2017 AmeriStar competition will be open for entries soon.

“The AmeriStar program provides a fitting opportunity to not only bring attention to the very important matter of food waste, but also to honor the innovative packaging work that companies are doing to ensure that more of the food we produce actually makes it from field to fork,” says Jim George, IoPP’s director of education. “In North America, IoPP is honored to taking a leading role in the effort to reduce food waste and bring attention to the ways packaging can be a positive game-changer in this highly worthwhile initiative.”

For more information on the 2017 AmeriStar Awards program, click here. 

Institute of Packaging Professionals
(630) 544-5050; www.iopp.org