Seven produce companies were named the industry’s best packaging innovators today by PMA, which bestowed its first annual Impact Award: Excellence in Produce Packaging.

The winning companies were announced at Fresh Summit, as recognition of “companies who are leading the way with exceptional produce packaging that demonstrates ‘out-of-the-box-thinking’ and makes an impact on consumers”.

The inaugural Impact Award winners, in five categories, were: food safety/traceability: Perfection Fresh Australia Pty Ltd; functionality/technology: Apio and Mann Packing Co; marketing design/messaging: Monterey Mushrooms, Inc; merchandising/transportability: Stemilt Growers, Inc; sustainability: Earthcycle Packaging and The Oppenheimer Group

PMA packaging council chairman Ron McCormick of Wal-Mart Stores, said: “Whether it is to catch a consumer’s eye and stand out on store shelves, to protect a product in transit and extend its shelf life, or to increase efficiencies with packaging that is more responsive to today’s needs - good packaging should not only be innovative, it should make an impact.”