The 16th annual DuPont Awards Competition honored 21 innovations in food processing and packaging August 8 at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Wilmington, DE.

This year, a seven-member judging panel chose from among 65 entries. Those recognized included professionals from all across the supply chain—from technology and processes to equipment and converters to the end-use packagers.

Winning the top honor—The Diamond Award—was the Fall River Wild Rice retort standup pouch converted by CLP Industries Ltd-US and Israel. The package also won a Food Category gold award.

Fall River precooked wild rice, in a non-foil standup retort pouch, comes from the shelf to the microwave to the dinner table in 2 min. The pouch combines silicon oxide-coated PETG with biaxially oriented nylon, PET and polypropylene to provide the barrier for an 18-month shelf life. Reverse-printed in eight colors, the package can be designed to include a window and has tremendous application for many convenience foods. The retort process both cooks and sterilizes the contents of the package, ensuring purity and high quality control.

Other converted products winning Food Category gold awards were Gravure-Printed Film Combining Aqueous Ink with Solventless Laminating from Fuji Tokushu Shigyo-Japan; ASAPPopcorn Microwave Bags from LM Packaging, Graphic Packaging, Valley Packaging Supply, RytWay Industries, and Nordenia USA; and Cryovac® Simple Steps™ Heat and Serve Package from Sealed Air Corp.

Winners of Non-Food Category gold awards were the Duplex® Drug Delivery System flexible-plastic IV container from B. Braun Medical; and the Flex-Tube Squeezable One-Piece Tube from Graham Packaging.

The DuPont Awards were inaugurated in 1986 to recognize innovation in food processing and packaging technology that uses plastic materials. Entries are evaluated on degree of innovation, breadth of application, significance/impact on industry or consumers, marketing innovation of the packaged product, and impact of the packaging on consumer or industry buying decisions.