Puffworks Partnership

 

CHALLENGE

There is compelling medical science that the early adoption of nut butters, including peanuts, by infants and young toddlers could prevent nut allergic sensitivities. Puffworks wanted to create a product young children would love to eat and was delivered in a shape that presented no choking hazards.

APPROACH

Puffworks contacted Guru Food Design to develop a very light-density corn puff that would dissolve in the mouth in just a few seconds. 

After that was accomplished Guru Food Design continued on to find a suitable co-manufacturing partner that could product the puffs in a pilot run and also scale-up with the business. 

The third step was to determine the correct equipment to evenly coat the puffs with nut butters and flavors. 

The fourth step involved prototype work to create award-winning flavors within very tight cost of goods (COGs) targets. 

SOLUTION

Guru Food Design created the requested corn puff. We also researched and created the full supply chain (raw ingredients and packaging) and successfully commercialized the product. The unique challenges of nut butters was also addressed to avoid any product oxidation and/or rancidity issues with the product. Thorough shelf-life studies were also recommended and completed for the first 12 months.

Puffworks is now one of the most successful early allergen introduction snacks on the market today.  The project also included an improved child/adult line of peanut butter puffs and new flavor additions.

SERVICES PROVIDED:

  • Project planning which included supply chain, research and development, pilot scale-up, and commercialization of the product.

  • Product Development and food science expertise utilized to determine formula percentages and specific ingredient specifications to procure that aligned with the client’s cost targets.

  • Development of production methods and process validations including manufacturing control plans for tight adherence to quality parameters.

  • Production process design and purchasing of production equipment.

  • Written raw material and finished good specifications, organic and gluten free certifications, and development of Quality Assurance (QA) plan.

Tomek Kalamaya