Tetra Pak, Krones, Alfa Laval, and SPX FLOW have formed Food Manufacturing Technologies Europe (FMTE) – a coalition intended to lower the sector’s environmental impact, amplify its voice in policymaking, and bolster its resilience and competitiveness.
Apparently, the five largest food manufacturing technology and equipment manufacturers in the EU/EFTA held 15% of the global market in 2023, and the sector itself is expected to reach €118.4 billion by 2030.
Even so, it faces continent-wide and global challenges when it comes to long-term competitiveness, scaling its innovations while minimizing its environmental impact downstream in the supply chain, managing supply chain disruptions, and adjusting to evolutions in regulatory frameworks.
In response, FMTE’s founders aspire to represent a unified voice for businesses across the food manufacturing and equipment sector as they navigate the ongoing evolution of food systems. Together, they aim to facilitate more competitive, resilient, and sustainability-minded food systems across Europe.
The coalition is planned to serve as a ‘hub of expertise’ that provides insights, data, and policy intelligence – thus informing future decisions and raising the sector’s profile. It is set to represent companies of all sizes, from SMEs to global leaders, and companies across the industry are invited to join.
By scaling innovations that lessen the industry’s environmental impact, such as digital solutions to minimize waste and improvements in energy and water efficiency, FMTE plans to advance the transformation of food systems in line with the EU’s climate objectives.
Furthermore, it intends to provide evidence, insights, and best practices to ensure that an EU policy framework supports the sector’s innovation and competitiveness.
Strengthening industry collaboration is also hoped to encourage competitiveness, bolster resilience, and harmonize best practices in line with EU priorities.
The founders envision joint efforts between industry leaders, researchers, and EU policymakers to address ongoing challenges and drive future developments in the industry.
“We united to create a platform that gives us a stronger collective voice in shaping Europe’s future food manufacturing technologies landscape,” said the FMTE Board, comprised of business leaders from the four founding companies, in a joint statement.
“In these crucial times for the industry, where delivering tangible impact is more important than ever, we aim to drive innovation in food manufacturing technologies, promote sustainability, and ensure a more influential role in Europe’s competitive food industry.”
In other coalition news, a group of stakeholders led by TOMRA have urged the European Commission to take steps to support circularity measures in the draft Clean Industrial State Aid Framework – arguing that, without the appropriate financial mechanisms in place to scale up circular infrastructure, the EU cannot enhance its competitiveness or become the ‘world leader on circular economy’ by 2030.
GoUnpackaged’s Refill Coalition has also published the results of refillable packaging trials conducted by Aldi and Ocado. Reportedly, in-store refill rates reached up to 57%, 86% of vessels were returned without deposit incentives, and refillable packaging reportedly exceeded the environmental performance of single-use in only two cycles.
If you liked this story, you might also enjoy:
The ultimate guide to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation in 2025
How are the top brands progressing on packaging sustainability?
Everything you need to know about global packaging sustainability regulation in 2025
The key to increasing the use of reusable packaging in supermarkets
No comments yet