Italian gourmet chocolate manufacturer Venchi has secured €3.2 million in financing for its intelligent packaging project, media reports suggest.
The financing, obtained from the Piedmont Region and Ministry of Economic Development, covers half of the €6.8 million required for the project.
The packaging, dubbed 'Shelf-life' absorbs elements that cause decay in products such as oxygen and moisture, thereby playing an 'active' role in the preservation of food.
The chocolates will be wrapped in a layer of coloured paper that will keep mould and humidity away.
Eco-Friendly Packaging
The new eco-friendly packaging has been implemented on products in the research laboratories of Venchi in Castelletto Stura in the Province of Cuneo.
A part of the project also includes the production of chocolates with local hazelnuts and olive oil, to eliminate the use of palm oil and other ingredients.
Venchi is expecting to close 2019 with a turnover of around €100 million, a double-digit growth compared to 2018.
The company expects to generate 33% of this turnover from exports, of which China is projected to have a 10% share.
Expansion Plans
The company has announced plans to launch four new chocolate stores in Berlin, Shanghai, and Tokyo by the end of December.
In the beginning of next year, it also aims to open five new stores in China, two in Japan, and three in Italy.
Venchi’s portfolio comprises 350 chocolate recipes and 90 ice-cream flavours.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
