SHERIDAN, WYOMING -- July 07, 2026 -- interpack China has confirmed a first-time partnership with the Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP) as it builds out the SAVE FOOD China program for its sixth edition this November. The tie-up brings an established packaging education authority from Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia into direct collaboration with the Shanghai-based exhibition. Organizers announced the news alongside strong early pre-registration numbers and confirmed attendance from major food and packaging manufacturers. The moves position the November event as a broader meeting point for food-loss reduction efforts across the Asia-Pacific packaging supply chain.
Six SAVE FOOD Awards Recognize Packaging That Cuts Food Waste
The global SAVE FOOD Initiative, founded by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Programme, Messe Düsseldorf and interpack, named its 2026 award winners at interpack in Germany earlier this year. Six companies took home honors across two categories. Grupo Lantero of Spain won gold in the SAVE FOOD Design Award for a mono-material, resealable PET packaging solution built to replace multi-layer alternatives. Greiner Packaging International of Austria and Innoscentia AB of Sweden took silver and bronze in the same category, the latter for a sensor that flags spoilage through visible color change before food is discarded.
A parallel Sustainability Design Award went to ALFA Machine Kourtoglou of Greece for a polypropylene-based form-fill-seal technology that keeps cups, lids and labels fully recyclable. IRPLAST/TOPPAN Packaging, a joint entry from Italy and the Czech Republic, won silver for a solvent-free retort pouch rated for high-temperature sterilization. AeroFlexx Packaging of the United States claimed bronze for a lightweight liquid-food package that combines flexible and rigid formats with a built-in dispensing valve.
AIP Partnership Brings Australasian Expertise to Shanghai Show
interpack China will work with AIP for the first time this year to advance sustainable packaging practices across the Asia-Pacific region. AIP has led SAVE FOOD design criteria and research development within End Food Waste Australia. The organization is widely regarded as the leading packaging education body across Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia. Its involvement is meant to bring additional international design case studies into the China event and open channels for exhibitors from the Australasian region to join the show's international pavilion.
November Forum Puts Government and Industry Voices Together
The Save Food (China) Forum takes place on the afternoon of November 16, alongside the awarding ceremony for the SAVE FOOD Design Award and Sustainability Design Award China. Government officials, research institutions, food processors and supply chain representatives are expected to attend. Discussion topics include fresh food preservation packaging, supply chain loss reduction and lightweight circular packaging. The session marks the sixth edition of SAVE FOOD China, a program that first launched in 2017 under swop, the Shanghai World of Packaging, before that exhibition rebranded as interpack China.
Pre-Registration Numbers Point to Strong Buyer Turnout
Visitor pre-registration opened in May and has drawn steady growth from procurement delegations and end-user manufacturers, according to the organizers. A long list of domestic and international companies has confirmed plans to attend, including Nestlé, Mondelēz, Unilever, Mars Wrigley, Nissin, COFCO, BASF, Dow Chemical, DuPont, Amcor and LG. These buyers are expected to evaluate processing and packaging machinery alongside advanced materials and intelligent packaging systems. Registered visitors gain fast-track entry and access to exhibition updates ahead of the show.
Packaging Sector Faces Pressure to Cut Transit Losses
Food security and sustainability pressures continue to push packaging suppliers toward materials and formats that limit spoilage during long-distance distribution. As fresh produce, ready meals and agricultural goods move across wider distribution networks, physical damage and spoilage during transit remain persistent cost drivers for shippers. Packaging sits at the final point between production and consumption, making it a practical lever for cutting waste across the chain. That pressure is part of what continues to drive attendance and award submissions at SAVE FOOD-linked events.
Shanghai Venue to Host Full-Chain Packaging Exhibitors
interpack China 2026 runs from November 16 to 18 at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre. Organizers expect more than 47,000 professional visitors and around 970 exhibiting companies spanning artificial intelligence, automated and digital packaging, sustainable and lightweight packaging, processing and packaging machinery, materials, components and printed labels. The show covers more than 70,000 square meters of exhibition space. Companies interested in exhibiting or attending can find registration details on the event's official site.