Dive Brief:
- Stonyfield Farm has launched Frozen Yogurt Pearls through a collaboration with Cambridge, Massachusetts-based WikiFoods Inc.
- WikiFoods' goal is to produce "edible food & beverage packaging solutions," which make other packaging materials, like plastic or paper, unnecessary. Stonyfield Frozen Yogurt Pearls are packed in "natural, edible skins – like the skin of a grape – that are hand-held, fun, and portion-controlled."
- Though the Frozen Yogurt Pearls are designed to go straight into a shopper's bag without anything else, retailers are not quite ready for that. They will initially be sold in small, biodegradable cellulose bags located in the freezer section.
Dive Insight:
It certainly is innovative, though Stonyfield seems to appreciate the fact that edible packaging with no additional wrapping may be a concept ahead of its time. That's why, for now, it is offering their Frozen Yogurt Pearls packed in bags that still look like what customers expect their food -- other than fresh produce -- to come in.
See the video explaining the concept of edible packaging here: