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Auspack 2017 drew the highest number of visitors ever to the Sydney Showground at well over 6000, according to organisers.

Anne-Marie Mina, marketing manager with Exhibition and Trade Fairs (ETF), the organiser of Auspack, said this year's show featured a number of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality elements.

"The customer service robot, Amy, also created interactive and engaging visitor experiences, making for a memorable show,” she said.

APPMA chairman Mark Dingley said the PIDA awards and Processing Day, held as part of Packaging & Processing Week, were strong inclusions.

“Processing Day gave attendees the opportunity to hear about the latest advanced technologies and developments in the meat processing industry," Dingley said. 

"Feedback showed attendees found the information valuable, as they also did with the popular National Technical Forums."

New technology on show included Digital Ink Technologies' solution, which helps growers, wholesalers and supermarkets identify fruit-pick dates and hence fruit freshness.

Recopak showcased a fully automatic case-over-product packer; and FP Propak demonstrated a new filler that extends shelf life.

And Le Mac Group showed one of its newest products: optional gift-wrap sleeving for wine bottles.

Food & Drink Business

Mars Australia & New Zealand has appointed Karim Lokhandwala as its new chief customer officer of Petcare, commencing 1 June. The news comes as applications open for the company’s Next Generation Pet Food Program with Big Idea Ventures – now in its third year.

Simson's Pantry received the Best NPD Award for its High Protein Souvlaki, which delivers 10g of protein per serve while still maintaining the texture, flexibility and versatility consumers expect. By combining functional nutrition with everyday usability, the company has successfully introduced a new point of differentiation within the Australian flatbread category.

Freshwater Bev Tech has received this year's Gamechanger Award for its patent-pending unpasteurised production process, developed specifically to preserve bio-active compounds in the company's functional beverage brand, SUMMi Soda.