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K i t ch e n w a r e N e w s & H o u s e w a r e s R e v i e w S h o w D a i l y Tu e s d a y, M a r ch 8 , 2 0 1 6 7 2 PATENT-PENDING PACKAGING PROTECTS COFFEE FLAVOR For the first time in the history of coffee, there's packaging that will preserve the cold-brewed beverage without refrigera- tion. Coffee concentrate packaged in a bag-on-valve system is shelf-stable for three years or more and comes out of the can with the same taste and aroma it had when it was freshly brewed, according to BOV Solutions Founder and Chief Executive Officer Paul Hertensen. "The packaging is specifically designed for today's cold coffee drinks," he said. "It looks like an aerosol can, but it's not aerosol. This is a pure, natural coffee product with nothing added. There are no preservatives. No refrigeration is required." BOV Solutions has partnered with the world's largest coffee-brewing com- pany, which is making the coffee concen- trates that are packaged inside the BOV Solutions' bag-on-valve cans. The coffee concentrate itself is enclosed inside a bag so that it's in an oxygen-free environment and is never touched by propellants. Then the can is pressurized outside the bag, and that pressure provides the force that propels the coffee concentrate out of the can when the valve is opened. The can is made from 100 percent fully recy- clable aluminum, so there's no landfill impact, and shelf-stability tests have shown no change in the coffee after three years without refrigeration. "The flavor is still there; the aromas, still there. It's exactly the way it was when it was put into the can," Hertensen said. Flavor stays the same because the sealed bag protects the coffee from the oxidation that changes the flavor of cof- fee as it sits in an open container. "Our coffee tastes the same from the first cup to the last cup with no changes whatso- ever," Hertensen said. All the consumer has to do to pre- pare the beverage is to dispense a quarter of an ounce of the coffee concentrate into hot or cold water. "You absolutely need no equipment whatsoever. All you need is hot water or cold water or milk, what- ever you use to make your coffee drink," Hertensen said. The coffee concentrate can also be used as a flavoring ingredient for foods like ice creams or baked goods. "It has no bitterness," Hertensen added. "All the bitterness has been removed." The same technology can also be used to package tea concentrates. At- home preparation for those also requires just the dispensing of a quarter of an ounce of the concentrate into a glass of ice water or a cup of hot water. "Tea is also a cold-brewed process," Hertensen said. "We get the pure flavor of the tea." The technology has patents pending around the world, Hertensen says. "What we actually patented was the ability to put a coffee or tea concentrate into a bag on valve. We also patented putting the bag-on-valve into a dispensing system." "This is the most exciting product I've ever had my fingers on by far," he added. "People are dying for us to get it onto the market." BOV Solutions' profits from sales of the coffee and tea packaging will be donated to a new veteran's organization that's providing an outdoor recreation- al retreat area for disabled veterans and first responders. "It's a good cause. There are organizations helping these veterans get mobile, but there's no place they can go to enjoy outdoor sports that has equipment modified for them," Hertensen said. "It'll be totally free of charge to the veterans. This is drastically needed for those who serve and protect us and have been disabled doing so. It's a marvelous thing because it will help them feel whole again." The recreational facility will also be available to firefighters, police offi- cers and other first responders who have become disabled through the per- formance of their duty as public ser- vants, Hertensen said. "It's a great organization." FOOD STORAGE FOR A HEALTHIER PLANET Concern for the environment is motivat- ing consumers to choose reusable con- tainers over traditional plastic bags. Companies like U-Konserve are accom- modating the trend with a wide range of earth-friendly washable containers and other waste-free solutions. U-Konserve is an Arizona company focused on selling leak-proof lunch kits, containers, reusable food wraps, recycled lunch totes, glass bottles and accessories made with a focus on preserving the environment. The company, originally called Kids Konserve, was founded in 2008, when Lynn Julian and Co-Founder Chance Claxton noticed the difference between their respective childrens' school lunch programs. One school had a strict packaging waste policy, while the other did not. Kids Konserve began with products designed to reduce lunch waste for kids. The first kit consisted of metal tins and BPA-free plastic food wraps. "At the time, BPA was getting a lot of press, people weren't wanting to use plastics," says Julian. Along with these first products came an initiative called the Waste Free Challenge, to encourage school waste reduction. When schools take part in the Challenge, U-Konserve offers a discount on their products to the parents of schoolchildren. "It's not a huge revenue generator; its purpose is to educate," says Julian. "Then we will pro- vide support to them." As Kids Konserve grew, Julian and Claxton began hearing that more and more teens and adults were beginning to use their products, designed for children, and were looking for a greater variety of options. To accommodate the greater interest, the company soon expanded its line into home storage containers and changed its name to U-Konserve. "It was a very natural outgrowth of what we were doing," says Julian. "People liked our storage, but they were saying, 'We want larger sizes, so we can put leftovers in it.'" One big shift was to make containers from glass as well as metal. "One of the main reason for the glass [is that] customers wanted microwavable," says Julian. Glass bake- ware and storageware is now offered, with colorful silicone sleeves. The sili- cone sleeve is designed to protect the glass from bumps and drops, and make handling easier when the containers are hot. Even as U-Konserve has expanded into other types of food storage, the beginning of the school year is still the products' strongest season, though the addition of home containers and other products has rounded out the portfolio and delivers more consistent sales throughout the year. "We have put a lot of time and energy into our lines, rather than spending money on a ton of differ- ent products," says Julian. "You're not going to be seeing anything crazy new, but you will be seeing new sizes and colors." A recent accomplishment has been getting U-Konserve B Corporation certi- fied. The B Corporation certification, given to businesses that meet standards of social and environmental accountabil- ity, is difficult to attain and represents U- Konserve's efforts to solve environmen- tal problems through the business. Since U-Konserve's journey began, the founders have seen more companies following suit with alternatives to wasteful disposable packaging. Julian welcomes new environmentally-con- scious businesses, seeing a successful future for the environmentally friendly market. "Based on all of our research, I really see it increasing," says Julian. "[It] makes us very glad that people have jumped on the bandwagon, that the trend is moving towards reusable food storage."