FEATURED ARTICLE

New candy packaging is sweet on the environment

Marking its 20th year, the DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation 2008 include a number of notable achievements in sustainable packaging.

During the 2007 Christmas season, Buchs, Switzerland-based confectioner Chocolat Frey AG, a wholly owned subsidiary of the MIGROS Group, began packaging its chocolate confections in recyclable paperboard cartons that incorporate compostable, biodegradable tray inserts supplied by Plantic Technologies, Ltd.. The packaging is a recipient of a 2007 DuPont Award for Packaging Innovation.

The thermoformed tray inserts are made primarily from water-soluble cornstarch. And according to information provided by Chocolat Frey spokesperson Nadine Bachmann, the energy consumption required to manufacture these compostable trays is 50-percent less than that needed for petroleum-based plastic inserts.

The outer, white, satin-varnished paperboard box with gold blocked relief is litho-printed in six colors and supplied by Limmatdruck AG. Labeling on the back of the box informs consumers that the tray insert is compostable and water-soluble. British food marketing giant Marks & Spencer is Chocolat Frey's private-label distributor in the United Kingdom.

NEWS

2008 packaged goods trends—top 10 countdown...

#10: Probiotics are everywhere. In yogurt, cheese, and now chocolate bars.

#9: Kids getting into organic foods and beverages. Frozen dinners and fruit drinks are just some of the organic products aimed at the youngest set.

#8: Let's get fresh. Fresh & Easy Neighbourhood Markets, by Tesco, offer fresh choices in a convenience-store setting. And some frozen foods are packaged in "stemable" bags and boxes you put in the microwave.

#7: Superfruits are super popular. You may not be able to pronounce the name of some of these "new" superfruits, but acai, goji berries, noni, and yumberry, as well as pomegranates, are now found in all types of food and drinks. Once only available in health food stores, the items can be found everywhere from the convenience store to vending machines.

#6: African ingredients starting to roar. Beauty products have contained shea butter for a long time. Introduce yourself to baobab oil, found in skin creams and cosmetics. The African hot peppers called Peri-Peri can be bought at the same store you find well-known North African foods like cous-cous.

#5: Don't forget to get your ZZZZZZZs! Lack of sleep is linked to stress and now obesity, so it's no wonder that new sleep aids are hitting the market. From Japan comes Nakazawa Adult Milk: cows' milk that comes from cows milked at dawn, and containing high levels of melatonin. GABA8212: the amino acid gamma-aminobutyric acid will soon contribute its stress-relieving properties to Jones Soda.

#4: That ever-so-important crunch. Crispy and crunchy treats are big business—especially in new, good-for-you snacks. And they're easier to find thanks to product and packaging innovation. Generation Max Snickers Clusters and Kellogg's Club Puffed Multi-Grain Snack Crackers provide plenty of crunch time, while McCain's Frozen Popcorn Potatoes and other frozen goods, heat up crispy in the microwave.

#3: Spiced up foods appeal to boomers. As we age, our sense of smell and taste weaken. So older consumers are demanding, hotter, bolder, spicier flavors. Blue cheese sales are on the rise, according to the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. And look for spicy yogurt, popular in Portugal, to hit American markets soon. Adagio Moments, the Portuguese yogurt drink, blends chocolate chips, strawberries, and chili peppers.

#2: Caffeine—it's everywhere! If you need the caffeine high but don't like coffee—no worries. Look for the age-old pick-me-up in sunflower seeds, mints, potato chips, jellybeans, and oatmeal. Still looking? How about hot chocolate with as much caffeine as a cup of jo?

#1: Green packaging, worldwide of course! In Finland, Into Limetti (lime) drink is produced with wind power. Respectful Free Range Eggs come from hens that live on U.K. farms powered by the wind and sun. And from the U.S. comes Wonder Tablitz, a line of household cleaners that use effervescent tablets and special spray bottles to which consumers add their own water.

Then reuse the bottle, natch!