Notpla and Innocent pilot edible seaweed packaging for ginger shots

Notpla has provided its edible Ooho technology to smoothie maker Innocent in a two-day pilot. Each Ooho package contained 12 mL of Innocent’s Fiery Ginger shot, enclosed in a thin seaweed-based membrane. 

Notpla’s Ooho is an edible bubble developed using seaweed and other plant-based materials; its flexible membrane is said to have no taste or smell and contains no conventional plastic. 

According to the company, the packaging is designed to be consumed together with its contents. If not eaten, the membrane biodegrades naturally. 

A spokesperson from Notpla tells Packaging Insights: “Using Notpla’s proprietary technology, a thin, flexible barrier forms around the ginger shot and seals it into a single-serve pod. You can eat the whole thing, or bite into it to release the shot. Through tweaking our process, we work to increase the strength of the pod for each content.” 

Compostable solution for liquid 

Notpla has previously used Ooho to package water, sports drinks, sauces, and condiments, particularly in applications where packaging is required for only a short period of time. 

For the Innocent pilot, the teams worked together over several months to test the Fiery Ginger shot within Ooho, looking into how the technology could work to promote a new drink. 

“The biggest challenge is water content. Juices, shots, and other high-water drinks are among the most demanding things to encapsulate. Lower-water products such as energy gels are much more stable. That shapes shelf life too,” says the spokesperson. 

“A drink-style Ooho is designed to be enjoyed fresh. It keeps for around a week chilled, and longer if frozen, which makes it well suited to events, launches and on-the-go moments rather than long-life retail. We’re continuing to develop the membrane to widen what’s possible.” 

Notpla is building collaborations between brands to open up possibilities for packaging in the activation space. Earlier this year, Notpla, together with 14 European partners, secured €4 million (US$4.66 million) in Horizon Europe funding to advance its plastic-free coffee cup range. The project aims to develop fully natural, home compostable disposable cups with no plastic coatings at scale. 

Meanwhile, the company partnered with Dutch quick-service restaurant Kwalitaria to advance its seaweed-based coating, suitable for trays and containers, with logistics provided by packaging distributor Conpax.

“Quick-service restaurants are one of the toughest tests for sustainable packaging. They need high volumes, fast service and packaging that copes with hot, greasy food. Kwalitaria is our first quick-service restaurant partnership, and it shows that seaweed-based packaging now works at the scale of a national chain,” the spokesperson adds.

Last year, Notpla developed a seaweed-based drinks carrier for Allianz Stadium in London, UK, making it the first in the country to adopt a plastic-free and home-compostable drinks carrier.