While they have a taste and texture similar to traditional brownies, these are not baked. Nor do they include flour, eggs, oils, preservatives, or artificial colors or flavors. “They’re extremely pure, minimally processed foods,” says Alice Benedetto, president of the Ardsley, NY-based firm.
“We’ve used the NatureFlex film all along,” she explains. “The film has worked really well. We chose it due to the environmental consciousness that goes into the development and manufacturing of it. It’s definitely important to the philosophy of our company. We also wanted the product to show through the film, and the NatureFlex is crystal clear.”
The 1.2-mil NatureFlex 120 NE2 structure used by Raw Indulgence is virtually the same as Tikvah’s: proprietary heat sealant coating/tie/transparent cellulose/tie/proprietary heat sealant coating. The difference is in the outer coatings that deliver a water vapor transmission rate of 2g/100 sq”/24 hours, a higher WVTR barrier than the Tikvah structure. “We want to keep the moisture in the package,” she says.
Since its brownies were reformulated only months ago, Raw Indulgence doesn’t know the extent of product shelf life, though it estimates the range is between six to nine months. They do not require refrigeration.
Raw Indulgence receives the NatureFlex film in rollstock, where it’s used on a flow wrapper after each brownie is automatically packaged onto a paperboard U-board. A pressure-sensitive label from Creative Labels of Vermont is applied to the film. It’s printed with the company’s logo, the brownie variety, and an ingredients statement. At press time, Raw Indulgence was redesigning the label graphics for the brownie wrappers, employing artist James Cabanillas from Fussytype.com.
Benedetto says the brownies are available in health food stores and specialty establishments for $2.49 nationwide, though on a limited basis. “We were formed last year and we really started shipping to more than just a few test stores earlier this year,” she says. “We anticipate significant growth into gourmet stores and delis, and a broadening beyond the traditional health food market. It’s sold as an impulse item, with individually wrapped baked goods, and we’ve seen them hanging from clip strips, next to the milk in the refrigerated case.”
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