Niche Cocoa Industry Ltd. 2020

The challenge

Niche Cocoa, produces high-quality, semi-finished cocoa products for export, such as cocoa liquor, butter, cake and powder. In 2017, it started the production of chocolate milk for the local and international markets. Niche Cocoa’s challenges were diverse: to reach consumers with conveniently packaged products at prices they can afford, to attract end-users via packaging design, and to be ready to produce shelf-stable, fortified chocolate milk in PET for Ghanaian school children daily under the country’s recently launched Ghana School Feeding Programme.

The solution

Niche Cocoa relied on Sidel’s long-standing expertise in aseptic PET bottling as well as its capabilities in packaging design to manage the greenfield project. It opted for a low-speed (16,000 bottles per hour) aseptic PET complete solution, which integrates Tetra Pak Processing Systems technologies and the Sidel Aseptic Combi Predis™ with dry preform and cap sterilisation systems, two units of Gebo OptiDry®, a sleeve labeller, a VersaFilm® Access shrink-wrapping system, and finally a stretch wrapper. Also included in Niche’s scope was Sidel’s EIT® (Efficiency Improvement Tool), a market-leading data acquisition and plant intelligence system supporting beverage companies in decreasing unplanned downtime, reducing waste and costs, and increasing factory output.

The outcome

Niche has always been an innovation-driven company with a regional focus, so opting for Sidel technology was an investment that reconfirmed its values. Sidel’s aseptic dry preform sterilisation technology offers food safety and simplicity at the utmost. For its RTD chocolate milk, Niche opted for a sleek, transparent, 250ml PET bottle: both the bottle’s structure and weight (15g) were optimised for an ideal drinking experience. It was designed with a lightweight 32mm bottle neck and a StarLITE base, offering the potential for reduced blowing pressure. The container does not require an aluminium foil due to the neck and cap tightness, and complete food safety is assured by the aseptic dry preform and cap sterilisation solution.

"“We decided to partner with Sidel on this project because of our shared passion for uncompromising food and beverage quality. What sets Niche Cocoa apart in the market is our clear focus on top-quality products, combined with the flexibility to fit consumers’ needs while valuing organic, regional cocoa processing.”"

Edmund A. Poku

Niche Cocoa Managing Director

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