About

I am Anton Steeman

AntonAs a packaging engineer with some 40 years experience in the field, I write for several professional American and European printed media regarding food conservation and packaging technology.

I write also for some websites about innovations and trends in food processing and packaging.

As a strong believer that ‘green’ technology has to dominate our efforts to improve the world’s conditions and to solve the problems which are leading us to a disaster, my articles have a ‘touch of greenness” with an accent on sustainability and recyclability. Otherwise it is marked as a Blooper.

Albeit writing about technology is quite a satisfying pastime, every now and then one’s pen has a need for writing about social-political, cultural and humoristic items. Living in the north of Brazil, facing an estuary of the Amazon river, I write about Latin America and Brazil in general and the life in the delta of the Amazon in particular. Serious and sincere issues with a wink to the sometimes lofty Brazilian society, including its curiosities and a touch of its beauties.

This concretised in a blog: “Brazil In Hot Pants”

Like to talk to me, use the comment section of each article or send me an email: amsteeman(at)xs4all(dot)nl

37 responses to “About”

  2. Anton,
    I like your writing style, and have enjoyed reading some of your findings from around the world (yes, I see that you are a packaging engineer – though it comes across as someone that really relishes innovative packaging sans fussy-ness).
    Question: where do I look for affordable, green “take-out” packaging for restaurants? I have a list of the usual suspects, but the costs range about 50% higher.

    Cheers!

    • Ruth, green always is more expensive. I can’t answer your question, as you have to tell me more. Which country are you in. What type of take-out food. Hot, cold. eyc, etc.

    • Hello Ruth and Anton,

      Please take a look at http://www.pakitinc.com We have a very unique and patented process to produce thermformeed fibre with less energy, labour and raw materials than typical thermoformed fibre. We are about to commence production in the the US by first quarter of 2012 and with solid domestic production economies we will be very close to a rising plastics cost and beat direct import from Asia of other countries agricultural recyclables. There is also a difference between short term prices and long term costs.

      Pakit manufacturers will be able to provide a transparent chain of custody of the raw materials to end product and each package will be created with a focus on EPR. We will create and produce packaging locally with local renewable resources or our own agricultural recyclables that will again be recycled in that same community. Closed loop, accountable and transparent.

  3. need info on your cap call 949 6447191 I need to buy 10 million caps that will hold 5 to 7 grams

    • Peter, I am not a wholesaler. I am a packaging consultant and as so I can give you advice. But that’s not for free. If you want more info, contact me at: amsteeman(at)xs4all.nl

  4. If I need to enquire for any questions related to packaging, can I get a personal reply?
    I have been reading your informative articles on Packaging Digest, and enjoy the same.

  5. Anton,

    I am looking for a way to package medicines that is versatile and disposable. Essentially I need a disposable pill box that wil provide 2 doses per day with each dose package being 1x1x2 inches. Is there anything you can think of?

    Erin

    • Erin, I remember there is some company supplying a pill box with reminder device. I have to delve in my archives. I will come back to you if I have found it.

    • I don’t know what you are talking about. Where did you see red wine alu bottles. Antway read the article and click the link and you have the contact.

  7. Anton
    i read your article about the changes caused by green trends. About the cork, used in large sacales on wine bottles, in my opnion, these change can hapen and create two diferent kind of consumer, one of them is a great appreciate o the wine, with a huge knowledge like somelier, they will requiring the cork to close the bottle, and another is big lovers of wine, but they doesn’t have a deeper knowledge, they like to drink with her friends and relatives.
    But about Brazil, I hope you have had the experience to live or visit there, for a long period. That place is too bigger and complex that we know, and there are great overseas companies intereste to take off the biodiversity without legal authorization by the govermenty, so, is easier to talk without knowingly
    with my best regards

  8. Pingback: PackAge » PAKUOTĖS INDUSTRIJOS ŽODYNAS·

  9. Greetings

    I liked your articles and writing style very much. I was hoping if you could take some time to explain what are the common problems that arise in F/F/S machines and how to overcome them.
    We are a small scale packaging unit for Doy Pouches with Food Material. Our machines regularly develop a similar set of problems like Pouch picking and reasons are always different.
    Can their be a common causality to these problems like temperature etc.

    Thanks and Regards

    • Sorry, I have not possibility to answer your question. I don`t know enough, as you don`t state the brand of your machine, the brand of the film and its specs you use, speed etc.
      One of the most common problems occurs in relation to humidity in the storage of the film. The best is you contact your film supplier as well as your machine supplier all in one meeting and discuss it in detail. Together they must be able to solve your problem. But as I say most problems go back to storage of the film.

  10. Hi Anton –
    My name is Shaun Weston and I’m editor of FoodBev.com. I enjoy your blog and would like to republish your entries for the benefit of our readers, again in the form of a personal blog. Would you be interested?

    I can only offer you hits, links and publicity rather than money I’m afraid. Let me know if you’re interested by contacting me directly at the email address listed.

    I’m used to being told ‘no’ as well as ‘yes’, so please do reply to let me know.
    shaun

  11. Just catching up to my March emails from IoPP. Relative to your comments on the Abre-Facil Screw Cap: In its absence, do what I do – use a pipe wrench. If you read my pal, Chris Ritz’s comment more closely, he explains the relationship of headspace to torque. This is a professional answer to your query and not Momma’s best advices. If you need help on equine research, give me a holler.

  12. Dear,

    We supply something for many conpanies with high quality and competitive price. Hope to cooperate with you

    all kinds of willow baskets

    thanks and regards

  13. How do you dispose of print & laminated waste from conversion; Viz:- Flexible films; BOPP, CPP, PET and Alu foil

  14. Just wondering about more of your background, is there a bio i can look at?

    Thanks, Bob

  15. I want to manufacture Paper Pouches and my end application for this particular paper is to manufacture small Paper pouches in different sizes for tobacco ( beetal-nuts) industry in India. I need is the only thing the paper should of good stuff, water resistant & can keep aromas of the product. And also of light GSM.

    If you can suggest us better paper for our application than please know us.

    Hoping for a fovourable & fast response.

    • Make contact with a local paper converter and discuss your problem. You are restricted to the paper quality available in your area.

  16. Hello, My name is Rick Schleigh, President of Atlantic Sales Group, LLC. I am seeking to represent all natural and organic food lines HBC and Household Cleaning products with re-sealable pouch technology.

    Atlantic Sales Group, LLC is a division of my service company Choice Retail Services, LLC. ASG is a full-service sales agency, providing outsourced sales, merchandising and promotional services to manufacturers in the consumer packaged goods industry. We have the best-rep network to canvas the country for retail headquarters calls in chain drug, major grocery, specialty stores and a large number of wholesale distributors.

    We currently call on CVS, Duane Reade, Walgreen, Rite Aid, Kerr Drug, Wakenfern/Shop Rite, A&P/Pathmark, Ahold/Giant Landover & Carlisle, Stop & Shop, Food Lion, Lowes Foods, Target and Dollar General and expanding into TJ Maxx and Marshall’s this year.
    We are presently representing Food Products, Beverages and Health & Beauty Care products. We offer our clients direct store sales, headquarter contact and retail merchandising services.

    Please let me know if you have a company looking for representation here in the US.

  17. Hi, we are trying to import Panela (raw cane) from Colombia and we would like to know with is the best packaging for bags 250 grs and 500 grs. and also sachets of 8 grs.
    What do you think would be the best green packaging?

    Thank you!

  18. Dear Anton,

    I just wonder what do you think about the bag in box as an alternative packaging method.
    I am running a water “packaging” company in Sweden and we totally moved away from PET working instead with the bag in box concept and thus having a far better logistic possibility and an extreme low environmental impact.

    • Julian, the bag-in-box is an interesting packaging format, but be aware that in Europe it isn’t used for food which is stoired in the fridge. I am not sure whether it is a las, but the paperboiard of a bag-in-box of say wine or milk, is not recommended as the paperboard when getting wet in the frdige picks up microorganism, treatening the foodstuff.

      • Thank you Anton!

        We are using this packaging method since 2005 and we had never a problem with it. The boxes are made of a special cardboard which is treated against effects of humidity as we are planning exporting to various countries by sea. We had some tests done and I have to say that the bag which is made by Scholle insure a perfect quality of the product. I was more thinking about the fact that while PET cannot be actually recycled, the only two components remaining after the usage of product are cardboard and recyclable plastic.

        Wishing you a great summer, I invite you to hit the Translate button on our website at http://www.globalwater.biz and find out what news are having in sight…

        Julian Rosengren

  19. Dear Anton,

    Sure it ca be recycled and maybe my expression was a bit wrong but I was more thinking in terms of destroyed or alike which can not be applied to PET. Sure can be recycled but it stays there for the coming years even if in another form.

  21. I have found Anton’s insights to be very “superficial”. His rudematary comments on QR codes misses the points about “engaged consumer experiences.” His comment that “green is always more expensive” couldn’t be farther from the truth.

  22. Anton – I was wondering if you could help me come up with a list of publications from Brazil or South America as a whole that focus on packaging/supply chains/etc. I’ve been trying to come up of a list of publications but I am having a hard time searching them in the US. I would really appreciate some help! Thank you!

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