"new packaging" news and stories

Those long and lean cereal boxes we've all grown accustomed to might soon be a thing of the past. Advertising Age reports that Kellogg's is testing a new "space-saving" cereal box design that will still give us 12 oz. of crunchy breakfast, but come in a much shorter and fatter box. They think this new design will fit more easily in pantries and on shelves.

What is most interesting, however, is how they're talking about the change, citing improvements to their "footprint," as well as "efficiency and effectiveness." Sounds like using environmental terms in shifty ways to me. What footprint are they speaking of? The space a box takes up in your kitchen? Methinks that hurdle has already been passed. I mean, we've had the same shape for eons.

Tropicana, Corn Flakes ... breakfast will never be the same! What do you think of their new boxy scheme?

[via Serious Eats]

The Holiday Season is approaching rapidly and it seems that many makers of quality spirits will be changing their look this year, some are making permanent changes and others are changing the packaging just for the holidays.

The first I heard about is Beefeater Gin which will be getting a makeover for its packaging by the design firm, Design Bridge. Beefeaters sales dropped dramatically earlier this year and they hope the change will boost their lagging sales. The new look should be hitting the shelves any day now in preparation for the next two months when liquor usually has its biggest sales of the year.

The second is Highlands Scotch, one of the best scotches in the world. Highlands Scotch unveiled their radical redesign of the bottle, packaging, and website on Monday at WhiskyFest New York. The bottle has a tall oval shape to it which is different from 95% of scotch's which have more traditional square or rectangular bottle shapes, and they hope it will offer a showcase for the premium scotch inside.

And last but not least is Absolut with it's Absolut Bling-Bling gift pack, a limited edition, golden plastic covered bottle symbolizing... symbolizing... what exactly? Conspicuous spending? Flash? More is more lifestyles? Um... yeah... that's just what I want, riiiight. Pimped and Blinged up vodka.

Sarah let us know that pizza cones are getting to be quite the rage in Korea, but the concept of non-ice cream food in cones is clearly spreading to other parts of the world. CrispyCone touts its offerings as not only delicious and spill-proof, but also environmentally friendly and healthy, since there are no wrappers to throw away and the dough is filled with fresh veggies and lean meats (except for the cheese-filled quesadilla cone). With a location in Southern California, blogger El Chavo! went out to do a taste test for himself.

Arriving at the store, he noted that there were many filling options to choose from. He selected a Huevos Rancheros cone because CrispyCone proudly touts their breakfast offerings. The fillings are placed inside the cone, uncooked, then the whole thing is cooked in a microwave. Disposable utensils are used for cooking and it was served "in a nice cozy cardboard box holder, inside a paper bag, with a heat protecting band across the cone." So much for environmentally friendly non-packaging. Getting past the presentation, the cone turned out to be pretty inedible. The cone was a bland cracker, the fillings were funky and after three bites, our brave taster had had enough. The verdict was that it was not only "gross", but actually "reprehensible."

CrispyCones will be available in stores, in unfilled and filled-and-frozen versions, sometime next year. They might be better than the in-store versions, but don't count on it.

[via la.foodblogging]

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The love-it-or-hate-it spreadable yeast extract, Marmite, has been unchanged for over a century. The thick brown spread is made from a byproduct of the beer brewing process and is a pantry staple for the Brits who love it. But Marmite is getting a makeover. The product has always been packaged in glass jars but the makers of Marmite have been developing a new, squeezable version over the past five years. Packaged in a plastic squeeze bottle, the reformulated Marmite will be slightly thinner in consistency than the jarred version is, but company representatives insist that the flavor will be the same. The new bottle is scheduled to hit Sainsbury shelves tomorrow. The smallest glass jar size will be phased out.

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McDonald’s debuted its new nutritionally conscious labels today at its franchises in Turin, Italy. The nutritional information of the foods is printed in easy to read bar charts with the fat, calorie, carbohydrate and protein content clearly listed, along with information about how their values compare to the recommended daily amounts. Not only will the release of this new packaging improve the perception of McDonalds as a restaurant option that can be included in the diet of a healthy lifestyle, but the 26 outlets in Turin should benefit. The 2006 Winter Olympics, which begin on February 10th, have attracted huge crowds to Italy, many of whom might be more inclined to visit the fast food restaurant to see the new wrapping first hand.

By the end of the year, McDonalds plans to have the new packaging at all of its outlets worldwide. The packaging will be released across the US beginning in February. You can take a sneak peek of the packaging at Fast Food News.

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