Leipzig-based chocolate start-up nucao is shaking up the chocolate market. Founded in 2016, the company is currently leading the way when it comes to sustainable chocolate. nucao is the first chocolate manufacturer in the market to embrace primary packaging made from paper and has been using it for its chocolate products “nucao fruits” and “nucao nuts” since the end of 2022. The flexible packaging paper Koehler NexPlus® Advanced from Koehler Paper has an excellent oxygen, mineral oil, and grease barrier, which is necessary for applications where there is direct contact with chocolate and nuts. Making this switch enables nucao to meet a key consumer demand for greater sustainability and to lead the way in the chocolate market with how it chooses to package its products.
In early 2021, Koehler Paper launched new secondary packaging on the market with Koehler NexPlus® Seal, which has since been used by numerous brand owners. The latest innovation from Koehler, NexPlus® Advanced, is an evolution of the Koehler Paper’s barrier concept, with the aim of replacing plastic as a packaging material where appropriate.
The Koehler NexPlus® Advanced packaging used for nucao “Fruits & Nuts” means it is 100% made from paper and can be placed in the paper recycling after use. Mathias Schwarz, Sustainable Packaging Engineer at nucao, describes the qualification process that Koehler NexPlus® Advanced went through for use at nucao as follows: “We opted for Koehler NexPlus® Advanced 75 gsm after extensive tests. In addition to product protection, which was assessed using storage tests with a subsequent sensory analysis, the fact that the paper could be recycled in the paper recycling was an important factor. Another important point for us was its rating of 19 out of a possible 20 points from the environment service provider Interseroh.”
