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Voices of Leadership: A Q&A with John Ginascol, Abbott Nutrition

With a global manufacturing network of 14 plants, including three new facilities under construction, Abbott Nutrition is moving closer to the customer and is delivering regional capabilities.

John F. Ginascol
John F. Ginascol

Healthcare Packaging (HCP): Tell us about Abbott Nutrition today in terms of what products you sell, describe the different packaging configurations you use, and your responsibilites with the company?

John Ginascol: For decades, Abbott has been developing and marketing science-based pediatric and adult nutritional products. We deliver thousands of SKUs in a variety of formats, including liquids, powder, bars, and enteral feeding devices. My position at Abbott Nutrition is Vice President of Global Supply. In this role, I ensure that all of our products are manufactured to the highest quality for our consumers.

Most of our products are either in powder or liquid form. To ensure our liquid products are of the highest quality and are shelf-stable for many months, Abbott uses both aseptic and retort package forms—often with modified atmospheric headspace. The aseptic packaging typically includes barrier HDPE bottles and foil seal or screw-cap closures. We also use some Tetra box variations. The retort package forms have barrier polypropylene bottles with composite closures or foil seals. We still use steel cans for some of our liquid offerings.

Abbott’s powder packaging varies by brand and market, and like liquid packaging, offers product protection that enables long shelf life.  Our powder infant product packaging ranges from the innovative HDPE SimplePac® to litho-decorated steel cans. We also have single-serve powder in sachets and easy-to-use stick packs, as well as bag-in-box formats.

HCP: Does Abbott Nutrition do all the packaging/filling/labeling of these products or are they outsourced? What are the special challenges you face with regard to equipment and materials used to package these products?

Ginascol: Abbott Nutrition handles most of its own manufacturing and packaging, though in strategically appropriate circumstances, we employ third parties.

At Abbott, we know that the safety and quality of our products equal trust for our consumers, so we are extremely vigilant about our quality processes. Our quality starts with our people, and continues with our stringent supplier requirements; our plants and equipment, which meet the highest quality standards in the industry; and our processes, which are designed to achieve the highest level of process control and conformance through every step of the manufacturing and distribution process.

HCP: Has the company been working more closely with packaging machinery and material vendors in recent years to help serve your customers? Please expand on the significance of partnering with these suppliers and where you see these efforts moving in the future? How can suppliers better serve your company?

Ginascol: Abbott’s suppliers are integral to the success of everything we do. We regularly partner with strategic technology providers. As our operations continue to expand globally and become more complex, partnerships will play an increasingly critical role.

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