I covered FHA fairly extensively on LinkedIn last week, but there was still plenty that we couldn’t get to.

Today, I’m having a bit of fun. Here are the products that made me go, “huh?”

We need to talk about packaging 

We recently did a couple of articles on sustainable packaging, the move towards it, and the challenges associated with the move away from plastic. So when people talk about coffee packaging, this is what I expect to see – bog standard, no surprises, barely requires a glance: 

These compostable capsules are the pleasant surprises, showing that brands are trying to move towards more eco-friendly options.

But then there are the products that just take your breath away… and not always in a positive way. 

Don’t get me wrong, these are all great ideas, and I can see how they can be useful in certain instances, and the products themselves are probably great, but they are just so wasteful. This is exactly what the coffee industry should be trying to move away from after the environmental nightmare that the capsule format turned out to be. 

Hardcore capsules

Vietnamese company Mirabi had a range of coffee capsules that come in different strengths for different days of the week. The strength went from light to dark from Monday to Saturday, and I did wonder 

1) why Sunday was not part of this and 

2) why Monday was the lightest

But honestly, those details are me being a bit nitpicky, and I’m spiritually on-board with the concept. 

What confused me no end was the packaging. They were thick, hard-shell little plastic containers – and so many of them. It was almost like the company was doubling down on plastic use! There’s some reference on the website to the capsule shell being “made of environmentally friendly recycled materials and food-safe plastic No. 5.” I couldn’t figure out if these were meant to be easier to recycle or how they were eco-friendly. They’re so small that they can’t really be reused for much. I really want some answers here.

Just push spray

Singaporean coffee brand Kim’s Duet limited edition little tube of to-go coffee is also a nifty little device. You can get yourself a little shot of coffee when you push down the canister inside the tube, to be added to water or milk. I can see how this may be convenient for when you’re trekking or camping, but when you’re out and about in a city, what is the purpose? It’s not refillable, which would actually make it useful. Or maybe it’s just the buzz – they’ve got me talking about it now.

Pour-over on the go

I really liked the look of this new range called Rescue Brew from Malaysian coffee roasters Khin Onn. This product has ground coffee in a really slim pouch where you can tear off the top, pour hot water in, let it steep for a few minutes, and then pour it out through the little spout. It’s positioned as a product for an emergency. Other than hyperbole and silly jokes on mugs, what is an emergency cup of coffee?

The imagery on the pack screams tropical holiday, so there’s a bit of cognitive dissonance with the name too.

Like what you’re reading?

Post-partum wine

I thought they were having me on!

Taiwan’s Fortune Brewery’s Fu-Moon Rice Wine (the clear bottle with the green label) is positioned as a Chinese traditional remedy to help women recover after pregnancy and even for children to strengthen their bones. This has 20% ABV. 

I checked with them half a dozen times to make sure I hadn’t misunderstood. I hadn’t.

Several East and South East Asian cultures practice “doing the month” after childbirth or a post-partum confinement period that is to help the woman recover and regain her energy. In traditional Chinese medicine, the body is considered “cold” after childbirth and the rice wine is seen as a warming food to counter this and to improve blood circulation. 

Speaking of women’s health, this was quite the advertisement:

It made me curious enough to investigate further and find that the Malaysian company has a coffee alternative made from roasted date pits - the byproduct of their processing. Great little circular economy thing going on here.

Finally, my favorite product… 

I really regret not being able to buy this. 

Couldn’t make it to a trade show you wanted to go to?
We can cover it for you!

About Us: GourmetPro is a global network of elite food and beverage industry talents. We provide fractional hiring solutions, allowing international managing directors to scale and transform their local resources and teams with high flexibility and expertise in more than 30 countries. Explore our services.

Made with ❤️ by GourmetPro - your network of Food & Beverage experts, on demand.

💖 And if you think someone you know might be interested in this edition of Market Shake, feel free to simply forward this email or click the button below. 💖

👉 P.S.: GourmetPro is also on LinkedIn!