TNA Processing & Packaging solutions

“Medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro are changing not just how much people eat, but how they think about food. These drugs work by slowing digestion and reducing what’s sometimes called “food noise” — that constant background urge to snack. As a result, people are eating less often, but when they do reach for a snack, it has to count. 

“That’s creating a new kind of demand. There’s demand for smaller portions, yes, but with higher sensory quality and clearer nutritional value. Consumers are looking for products that justify the decision to snack, such as high-protein, clean-label, and flavour-rich options that feel satisfying without excess.

“For manufacturers, that translates into two challenges. First, it creates a need for more sophisticated product design that prioritises the right texture, seasoning, and portion delivery. Second, there’s the matter of achieving the operational ability to make these smaller, premium packs profitably. Integrated systems help on both fronts: they support precise seasoning control and portion accuracy, while keeping waste and labour low even as pack sizes shrink.

“So while the consumer side is changing, the opportunity for manufacturers is to lean into flexibility and precision. These new medications are redefining what healthy snacking means. It now doesn’t mean less frequent snacking, it means more mindful snacking.”

“Integration doesn’t lock you in; it future-proofs your investment. If we look to our systems as an example, they are modular by design, meaning you can start with one product type or pack format and expand later without rebuilding the line.

“For example, a customer may begin with dry seasoning and later add wet or dual-mode capability in the same drum. The same control system and interface handle both — no new software or operators required.

“On the packaging side, the same robag platform can move from 11g single-serve packs to larger formats just by swapping formers and updating parameters. The line remains connected, efficient, and scalable. That’s what we mean by being future-ready: your system grows with your product portfolio, not against it.”

“A good starting point is to ask how many manual interventions it takes to run a new product. If your operators are constantly adjusting parameters, moving conveyors, or manually coordinating between systems, that’s a sign your line isn’t integrated enough.

“True adaptability is about communication between machines. In an integrated system, when you select a recipe on the bagger, the seasoning and distribution systems automatically recalibrate to adjust feed rate, vibration amplitude, and drum rotation in real time. That ensures precision seasoning and perfect scale feed at any speed.

“If your current set-up can’t achieve that level of synchronisation or you still see giveaway, downtime, or waste when changing SKUs, that’s when an integrated approach delivers a measurable return on investment.”

The first thing producers can do is look at where they’re losing time — not just in production, but in changeovers, cleaning, and material handling. You don’t necessarily need more machines or floor space to handle more SKUs. Often, you need smarter systems that use what you already have more effectively.

Modern integrated lines can handle multiple flavours, formats, and pack sizes without physically expanding the footprint. With technologies like our Switcheroo and Lifteroo functions, for example, you can dynamically redirect product flow on the same line. This allows two flavour streams to run in parallel, or a new SKU can start while another is still finishing.

Combined with automated cleaning functions and harmonised controls, it means any bag and any product can be efficiently managed at any time, so you can respond to seasonal launches or retailer demands instantly without adding new lines or operators.