Cranswick to host smart packaging challenge

Cranswick, the UK fresh food manufacturer, will host the Brand Challenge at the 2026 AIPIA/AWA Smart Packaging World Congress, taking place in Amsterdam on 20-21 May.

The Brand Challenge is an annual feature of the congress in which a major brand owner presents a real-world packaging challenge for the smart packaging industry to address. Cranswick, which employs more than 16,000 people across 23 UK facilities and reported revenue in excess of 2.7 billion GBP in 2025, supplies fresh pork, poultry, convenience and gourmet products to major grocery retailers as well as the food-to-go and export sectors.

'The interest in smart packaging technologies extends across every form of consumer packaged goods, but nowhere is it of more importance than in the food sector, where producers must balance the needs of food security, sustainability and supply chain resilience alongside customer trust and engagement,' said Corey Reardon, president and CEO of AWA Associates.

'Cranswick, as a major supplier of fresh meat and other perishable products, will probably prioritise food safety, traceability and supply chain resilience,' noted Eef de Ferrante, board member and challenge moderator at AIPIA. 'But they also need to tell the story about product quality and provenance. That is a real exciting aspect of the challenge.'

The congress will run three tracks covering smart packaging issues for retailers and brand owners across food and beverage, household goods, pharmaceuticals, personal care, luxury and technical categories.