Challenge

The Ferndale team faced major challenges with developing a product inclusion solution, especially for a soft crunch component intended to sit on top of a chocolate bar without compromising the final product. There were issues with some components seeping into the chocolate, threatening the quality and integrity of the bar.

Additionally, scaling from small kitchen-level production to full-scale, high-speed manufacturing added to the complexity. Another hurdle was maintaining a low-sugar formulation that still met expectations for taste, texture, colour, and visual appearance.

Solution

FoodFlo's approach was both collaborative and flexible. To resolve the seeping issue, they created a special coating that stabilised the inclusions and stopped them from leaking into the chocolate. For the low-sugar bar, they incorporated FoodFlo’s soft crunch pieces, described as “the little cherry on top,” delivering optimal colour, appearance, texture, and flavour.

This process featured extensive back-and-forth collaboration with multiple sampling rounds, open feedback discussions, and ongoing improvements. FoodFlo also emphasized clear visual standards, ensuring the Ferndale team could consistently deliver quality from both sensory and visual standpoints.

Outcome

This partnership resulted in a high-quality product that met both visual and sensory standards and performed excellently in the market. FoodFlo’s inclusion components became essential to the final Team Nutrition product range.

The collaboration showcased that a flexible, continuously improving partnership could successfully resolve complex technical and manufacturing challenges, leading to a commercial outcome that satisfied both teams' strictest requirements.