Innovation Zone Snapshot – Personalised tin delivers innovation to Christmas chocolate category
Welcome to this week’s ThePackHub Innovation Zone snapshot.
ThePackHub collates 20 new packaging innovations each week and we have picked four recent examples for you to peruse below.
Find out about how to subscribe here.
Book a 15 minute online demo here.
ThePackHub’s Sustainable Packaging Compendium is out now. Find out more and order here. If you would like to download a free sample report, please let us know.
Hold the date
ThePackHub’s next packaging innovation event will be on Thursday 4th October 2018 at Compton Verney, Warwickshire.
ThePackHub’s next packaging innovation event on sustainable packaging will be on Thursday 4th October 2018 at Compton Verney, Warwickshire. #SuspackTPH
Delegate places just £359 + VAT
Find out more and book here.
#1 Personalised tin delivers innovation to Christmas chocolate category
The annual UK chocolate tins battle on supermarket shelves has often lacked any significant innovation resorting to lighter and cheaper pack formats and reductions in pack content to get a competitive price point. The pile it high strategy inevitably ensures volume is achieved but sadly packaging often plays a secondary role. This Christmas sees a new introduction from Nestle for their iconic almost 80 year old Quality Street brand that aims to change things. John Lewis will launch a ‘Build Your Own’ Personalised Quality Street Tin combining customised contents with the bespoke choice of a variation of a choice of 12 sweets. Shoppers can then personalise the lid to include their own street name or other creative choice. The 1.2kg bespoke tins cost £12 with shoppers paying a 71% premium compared to a regular tin of comparable size.
More info in The Innovation Zone.
#2 Side-by-side pack keeps on-the-go snacking varied
It’s fair to say that peanut butter and jelly (or jam to us Brits) is one of the USA’s iconic national delicacies. It may not be for everyone but this calorific sandwich filling has been given an on-the-go lift with the development from a new brand called Split. Their Side-By-Side PB&J Snack Pack claims to offer the complete on-the-go food solution by having both ingredients in separate compartments. The ready-to-eat, easy-to-use proprietary pack is available in 10 pack boxes costing around $25 and can be ordered online at www.splitnutrition.com.
#3 Biodegradable packaging changes colour according to food pH
Spanish researchers at University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) in partnership with the University of the Basque Country have created a biodegradable pack that changes colour according to freshness of the product. The new pack comprises starch and blueberry and has been designed to replace the use of plastic bags to pack food. Blueberry has properties that change colour according to the pH of the food that comes in contact with the packaging. The colour change could help to indicate when the food is unfit for consumption. Food changes pH as it deteriorates, especially meat products. The film starts to change to a blue, yellow or brown colour. The packaging still has the necessary functionality to maintain the quality of the produce. The laboratory team’s work is ongoing. They are seeking partnerships with industry sectors to acquire more funding.
More info in The Innovation Zone.
#4 Fluorescent signal emitted if food bacteria detected
Contaminated produce continues to be significant problem that can lead to illness and even death. It is reported that there are still an estimated 48 million cases of foodborne illnesses in the United States every year, resulting in approximately 3,000 fatalities. A new type of smart food packaging is in development that may help to prevent food-borne illnesses such as E.coli and potentially other dangerous pathogens. Researchers from Hamilton, Ontario McMaster University have developed packaging that is able to monitor bacteria in food and then emit a fluorescent signal to effectively light up the packaging if anything is detected. The findings in American Chemical Society’s peer-reviewed, scientific journal ACS Nano has shown that this new technology uses molecules containing DNA that specifically target E.coli, as well as DNA that makes the molecules shine with a fluorescent light. Currently, the product is only able to detect E.Coli but the researchers are working to create other molecules that would be able to detect different types of pathogens like salmonella.
More info in The Innovation Zone.
Join our new sustainable packaging Facebook group More Plastic Than Fish and be part of the conversation. Join here.
Please visit ThePackHub or call us on +44(0)118 963 9990 to find out more about the range of packaging innovation services we offer. We’ve delivered projects for a number of brand owner, retailer and packaging suppliers.
Until next time. Happy innovating.
2018 got off to a dramatic start with UK retailer 
There are many ways to reduce the amount of packaging used. A Los Angeles, California based toothpaste brand has turned things very much on their head by inventing a new pack format for the category with a solution that significantly reduces the amount of packaging used. A completely new plastic free way of providing toothpaste has been created by Bite Toothpaste Bits, which is positioned as an easier and mess-free alternative to traditional oral care pastes.The hand-pressed toothpaste portions are made using organic plant-based ingredients that are apparently up to the job of cleaning and protecting teeth. The solution claims to be 100% biodegradable. Consumers simple need to pop a single ‘Bite Bit’ in their mouth and bite. They need to wet their toothbrush and start brushing as normal. The bit will foam up just like conventional toothpaste formats. The packaging-free Bite Bits come in a medicinal-like glass jar.
Brand: Carlsberg
