Kraft aims to stop chocolate melting
NEW Cadbury owners Kraft reckon they may have come up with an answer to an age-old problem – how to stop chocolate melting.
The US group, which took over the Birmingham chocolate maker in February in an £11.7 billion hostile deal, is aiming to develop hi-tech “thin film” packaging for its bars to “minimise melting” when the mercury rises.
US consultancy group NineSigma has issued a design tender on Kraft’s behalf and wants “proof of concept” designs within the next nine months.
The NineSigma tender says: “Kraft Foods seeks novel materials or approaches to packaging that can protect single serve chocolate bars from medium-term exposure to warm ambient conditions.
“These products frequently experience multiple cycles of exposure to controlled and uncontrolled climates.
“Products may be shipped in controlled and uncontrolled conditions, sold by the retailer in an air-conditioned setting and consumed some time later after having been carried on the person or in a handbag.
“Although current technology can provide a solution to the problem, the resultant packaging is both cost-prohibitive and excessively bulky.”
NineSigma said it wanted to hear from design experts that would use “novel insulating materials, phase change materials and thin film approaches that can store energy and repurpose it”.
A spokesman for Kraft said: “We’re complementing our traditional research and development and actively looking for external partners. We’ve worked with outside partners to develop easy re-seal closures for Milka moulded bars. And our unique Snack and Seal resaleable packaging for Oreo and Chips Ahoy! was developed with the help of an outside supplier.” The new packaging could also prevent the white “bloom” discolouring that afflicts chocolate if it is stored in direct sunlight.
Kraft is at the centre of global chocolate research and development and earlier this year unveiled plans to make Bournville the heart of its worldwide R&D, with a global ‘Centre of Excellence.’
Source: Kraft Foods
All content and features on this website are copyrighted with all rights reserved. The full details can be found in our privacy statement
