Brave Bean Coffee, a service-disabled veteran owned business, is excited to announce the launch of its e-commerce site, making its ethically sourced, premium coffee blends available to coffee lovers worldwide. This expansion allows Brave Bean to further its mission of giving back to those who have given so much.

• The First Responder
• Sergeant’s Sip Espresso
• Twilight Tonic

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Jim Pittas, president & CEO, PMMI (The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies), said “Pack Expo Las Vegas (‘PELV’) was the largest since its inception” with more than 32,000 attendees and over 2,300 exhibitors spanning more than one million square feet of exhibit space. PMMI executives said the show had reached maximum capacity despite continued interest from companies wanting to exhibit as the new West Hall was occupied with a different exhibition.

Pack Expo – whether in Las Vegas or Chicago – is the premier trade show in the United States annually to observe the latest packaging and processing solutions in action, with suppliers showcasing diverse innovations for more than 40 vertical markets. According to PMMI, industry growth remains steady at 3.4 percent with the total size of the market in the U.S. reaching $10.2 billion.

Sustainability and automation were the major themes of PELV. A new Sustainability Central area served as an interactive resource to learn about design, materials, manufacturing, recovery, logistics, and data. At the accompanying Sustainability Stage, presenters spoke on a range of packaging sustainability topics, advising attendees how to make their brands more environmentally friendly. The Pack Expo Green Program – which identifies exhibiting companies that provide sustainable solutions via new materials, technology, or strategies such as sustainable processes and machines, renewable and biodegradable packaging, source reduction and lightweighting, recyclable and recycled-content materials, or innovations that reduce carbon footprint – returned to PELV.

At a media briefing on the opening day of Pack Expo Las Vegas, Pierre Pienaar, president of the World Packaging Organisation, which facilitates solutions to global challenges in all areas of packaging, said that the packaging industry is “at a crossroads where the future of packaging is in our hands. “Decisions need to be made that will alter the course and map the path for future generations.” He believes that the reduction of food waste can be achieved through the better use of packaging and awareness.

Pienaar noted that the material types that we use “have and will change the landscape, having a direct impact on sustainability.” He added that the technology that we design and implement, will “map the course of energy reduction that we will follow over the next 10-20 years.” Furthermore, the “innovation of new ideas in packaging will make the difference in creating a successful and sustainable circular economy. We need to empower consumers with the ability to lead their lives in a more environmentally positive way.”

In an exclusive conversation with T&CTJ, Jorge Izquierdo, vice president of market development, PMMI, said that labour and manufacturing challenges have fuelled innovation because many technologies – primarily in automation – have been adapting to close gaps in availability and skills. Additionally, the area of remote access continues to gain strength. “Remote access is not new,” he explained, “it’s been around but companies didn’t take advantage of it because of cyber security concerns. Covid forced them to look. Covid was a catalyser and once companies started using it, they realised they can utilise remote access technologies in multiple areas.”

Izquierdo noted that there are still supply chain challenges, but they are not as bad as in 2021 and 2022. “A lot of orders in 2023 are from 2022 but they were delayed because of supply chain issues that have finally been resolved (such as the delays with electronic components),” he explained, noting that wait times have improved significantly but they will not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024.

“E-commerce exploded during Covid. We’re finding significant demand for packaging and fulfillment machinery at the warehouse level because of companies doing to direct to consumer,” said Izquierdo. “When sending direct to consumer, there is a mix of different products so the box will have different varieties in it and they will need to be packed into smaller boxes. This is happening at the warehouse, not the manufacturing plant so now warehouses need case sealing equipment, labelling equipment, etc. All this requires different types of equipment in warehouse.”

Pack Expo Las Vegas offered 100+ educational sessions organised into five different areas (Innovation Stage, Processing Innovation Stage, The Forum, etc). Topics ranged from robotics, automation, AI, and sustainability, to advances in food and beverage processing, digitalisation, cybersecurity, integration of cobots into manufacturing, to the benefits, ROI, and points of consideration for companies switching to reusables.

One sustainability session, ‘Sustainability — What Does it Mean in Packaging Materials?’, focused on the trends and developments specific to food packaging. The presenter, Gregg Poffenbarger, business unit director, materials at the Multivac Group, noted how methane gas is 80 times worse for the environment than CO2. He then listed several holistic approaches to mitigating waste that included reducing plastic content in favour of paperboard and formable papers as well as smaller packages. “With smaller packages, there is portion control so there is less food waste and less packaging water going into landfills.”

PELV also raised $30,000 for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, an organisation dedicated to helping the nation’s first responders, military heroes, injured veterans, homeless veterans, and their families. For over 20 years, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation has honoured the late FDNY (Fire Department of New York) firefighter Stephen Siller’s legacy by supporting the heroes who continue to risk life and limb in the line of duty.

“With our show opening on 9/11, we could not think of a better way to honour the lives lost during that tragedy than to support an organization like Tunnel to Towers that keeps the legacy of those heroes alive by providing support to the first responders, military heroes, and veterans who are with us today,” said Pittas. “We’re grateful to all who donated and showed their support.”

Pack Expo International will take place 3-6 November 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. — Vanessa L Facenda

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CropConex is a value chain management platform bringing the coffee trade ecosystem online, with tools to streamline operations and de-risk trade. The platform empowers buyers, sellers, and exporters to grow together, by making value chains traceable, efficient, and accessible. Starting in Ethiopia, this New York based startup seeks to unlock greater efficiency in global trade, increasing access and prosperity for all. Visit the website to learn more.

The CropConex marketplace launched this summer, presenting coffees from reliable Ethiopian suppliers to the North American market in an e-commerce system designed for international agricultural trade. An open marketplace with validated listings, efficient communication, and secure and compliant transactions can build greater confidence in direct trade participation across different sizes and levels of experience in both buyers and sellers.

The digital system tracks every step in the sales and logistics process, from sampling to ordering to delivery, and reports progress in an easy-to-use portal. This workflow enables open communications between suppliers, buyers, and logistics service providers throughout the entire process, cultivating a deeper level of transparency and traceability in the specialty coffee supply chain.

CropConex’s marketplace currently offers:
• A diverse catalog of Ethiopian coffees.
• Access to greater volume flexibility than traditional channels.
• A commercial airline partnership with groundbreaking air-shipping rates from Ethiopia at under USD $1.30/lb.
• Real-time data updates and feedback as coffee moves through the supply chain.
• On-the-ground team presence and quality controls at origin.

How the platform works for coffee buyers:
• Browse the marketplace and request samples for coffees of interest.
• Provide sample feedback and enter price negotiations directly with suppliers.
• Secure contracts, payment and export logistics within the platform.
• Receive quality checks, shipment status updates and final delivery within weeks.

Brianna Dickey, founder and CEO of CropConex, developed the platform to unlock greater access, equitability and economic potential in the international coffee trade market. The company plans to offer education on existing and future ecosystems of trade. They encourage discourse on the distributed rights to growth and the mutual benefits found in collective progress.

Tackling the complexities in current trading between Ethiopia and the United States, CropConex worked with the Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration offices, the Coffee and Tea Authority, the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, and the Ethiopian Investment Commissioner to finalize the legal incorporation of e-commerce into their business registration codes. On 11 November 2022 CropConex was licensed as the first E-Commerce Platform Operator business in the nation. They are working to expand their operation to other countries in the near future.

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US Coffee Championship Preliminary competitions are community-driven events hosted
entirely by the SCA USA Chapter and US Competitions Committees alongside community volunteers,
allowing community members the chance to host an official competition as an accessible, low stakes
platform to introduce any newcomer to competitions. Select rankings for each competition will
move on to compete in the 2023 Qualifiers, happening this winter.

After an application and review process performed by the SCA USA Chapter and US Competitions
Committee, 13 locations across the US were selected to Host the 2023 Preliminary competitions.
The 2023 US Coffee Championships Preliminary dates and locations are as follows:

•  Aug 19 – 21: Hawaii Coffee Association (Kailua, HI) – Brewers Cup & Roaster
•  Aug 26-28: Presta Coffee Roasters (Tucson, AZ) – Barista, Brewers Cup, & Cup Tasters
•  Sept 2-4: Fluid Cooperative (San Francisco, CA) – Barista
• Sept 9-11: Black & White Coffee (Raleigh, NC) – Barista & Brewers
• Sept 9 – 11: Luce Coffee Roasters (Houston, TX) – Latte Art
•  Sept 16 – 18: Luce Coffee Roasters (Houston, TX) – Roasters
•  Sept 16-18: Sweet Bloom Coffee (Denver, CO) – Barista, Brewers, CIGS, Latte Art
•  Sept 23 – 25: Houston Coffee Collective (Houston, TX) – Cup Tasters
• Sept 30-Oct 2: The Crown (Oakland, CA) – Cup Tasters & Roaster
• Oct 7-9: Blanchard’s Coffee Co (Richmond, VA) – Brewers, Barista, CIGS
• Oct 7-9: Tinker Coffee Co (Indianapolis, IN) – Cup Tasters & Roaster
• Oct 21-23: Spyhouse Coffee Roasters (Minneapolis, MN) – Barista & Brewers
•  Oct 28-30: Uncommon Coffee (Essex, VT) – Barista & Latte Art
• Oct 28-30: Brio Coffeeworks (Burlington, VT) – Cup Tasters

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“The tea industry is ripe for disruption. There are way too many middlemen creating little to no value at all.  They’re depressing the income for the farmers and degrading the quality and freshness of tea for consumers,” said Nishchal Banskota, Founder and CEO of Nepal Tea Collective. “We believe consumers deserve to know exactly where their tea comes from and whether or not it’s single-origin. We think of ourselves as a movement to reinvent the tea supply chain and make it more sustainable.”

“We’ve taken the further step of becoming a public benefit corporation (PBC) to really challenge the status quo and make a sustainable business with a core mission to do good for the tea farmers,” continued Banskota.“Becoming a PBC in fact mandates us to our public benefit purpose with legislative reporting requirements which enforce an enhanced level of accountability and transparency. We really want to challenge ourselves to do what is right for the farmers and the industry.”

Nepal Tea Collective currently offers a selection of organic black, green, oolong and white teas, as well as gift boxes and bundles. All teas are packed at origin in biodegradable bamboo pouches, which are locally handmade.

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Baskin-Robbins’ new Tiger Milk Bubble Tea pays homage to the Taiwanese milk tea that has taken the world by storm, characterised by bubbly layers of flavour and eye-catching streaks of brown sugar syrup that resemble tiger stripes when paired against the kaleidoscope of cool black tea and milk.

Baskin-Robbins’ take on Tiger Milk Bubble Tea begins with the iconic brown sugar syrup “tiger stripes,” drizzled down the sides of the cup, before adding in black tea swirled with cool and creamy whole milk and a decadent layer of brown sugar popping bubbles, bursting with flavour in each bite. And because it wouldn’t be Baskin-Robbins without a little ice cream, it’s all topped off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

“For more than 75 years, Baskin-Robbins has prided itself on bringing new and innovative products to the market. Tiger Milk Bubble Tea is no exception,” said Jerid Grandinetti, vp of marketing and culinary at Canton, Massachusetts-based Baskin-Robbins. “Our team of flavour experts found that consumers were craving new flavours and textures from around the world, which led us to create our take on this delicious beverage inspired by Asian milk teas.”

New Tiger Milk Bubble Tea is available for a limited time only this spring and summer at Baskin-Robbins locations across the United States.

For more information on this month’s new sip and other scoops at Baskin-Robbins, visit: BaskinRobbins.com.

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“We created this punch as a versatile base for all of your holiday festivities,” says head teamaker Ravi Kroesen. “It’s delicious hot or iced, but it’s also a perfect jumping off point to create simple but impressive cocktails.”

Merry Maker’s Punch is delightful on its own, or as a zingy mixer for anything from an alcohol-free spritz to a spirited Old Fashioned. This festive botanical-based elixir offers all the merry makings of a season to celebrate. It’s flavour is built around hibiscus, ginger, cassia, sarsaparilla, and clove, with additional floral botanicals such as rose petals and elderflower.

Festive serving suggestions (full recipes are printed on package)

Merry Maker’s Zero-Proof Spritz: Top one part brewed punch concentrate with grapefruit soda in a glass over ice, and garnish with an orange twist. Enjoy as a mocktail, or add your favourite spirit.

Winter Mimosa: Stir 3 parts Prosecco into 1 part punch concentrate, add a dash of simple syrup if desired.

Mulled Merry Maker’s Punch: Add equal parts punch concentrate and apple cider. Serve chilled, OR, bring to a simmer on the stovetop with cinnamon sticks and cranberries. Sweeten to taste and add Bourbon if desired. Garnish with orange wheels, fresh cranberries and rosemary.

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The 1966 Coffee IPA is handcrafted with Peet’s Ethiopian Super Natural Coffee, which is incorporated in several ways, one of them being by ‘dry-hopping’ with whole coffee beans.

The IPA pours a pale gold with tight white bubbles and has aromas of blueberries and citrus notes from Columbus, Citra, Amarillo and Centennial hops, combined with accents of rich coffee and balanced with malt structure and bitterness.

Shaun O’Sullivan, co-founder and brewmaster at 21^st Amendment, said: “Rather than the traditional dark beer with coffee, we wanted to have fun with the melding of hops and coffee, paying attention to the coffee varietal and manipulating the roast level to nudge the subtle flavors from the bean for an incredibly unique IPA.

“Working closely with Peet’s Roastmaster, Doug Welsh, we settled in on Peet’s Ethiopian Super Natural with its lemon, bergamot, and blueberry characteristics perfectly complementing the hop flavors.”

“Don’t expect dark roast,” said Doug Welsh, roastmaster at Peet’s Coffee. “We iterated every roast style imaginable, with a target profile of maltiness – matching the beer – a kaleidoscope of floral aromatics and the piquant acidity and glacé citron of exceptional Ethiopia. Hops, meet your coffee cousin.”

Part of 21^st Amendment’s “Insurrection Series”, the IPA celebrates the hive of activity in the SAn Francisco Bay Area in 1966, the heart of the experimental music scene and psychedelic rock poster art, as well as being where Alfred Peet first opened his coffee bar at the corner of Walnut and Vine in Berkeley.

The limited edition IPA is being released nationally across 28 states (from 1 February 2020) and comes in 12oz cans of six-packs and draft.

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