Food Engineering logo
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • MEDIA
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
  • RESOURCES
  • EMAGAZINE
  • SIGN UP!
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Latest Headlines
  • Manufacturing News
  • People & Industry News
  • Plant Openings
  • Recalls
  • Regulatory Watch
  • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
  • New Plant Products
  • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
  • Alternative Protein
  • Automation
  • Cannabis
  • Cleaning | Sanitation
  • Fabulous Food Plants
  • Food Safety
  • Maintenance Strategies
  • OEE
  • Packaging
  • Sustainability
  • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • Plant Construction Survey
  • Plant of the Year
  • Sustainable Plant of the Year
  • State of Food Manufacturing
  • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Webinars
  • White Papers
  • EVENTS
  • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
  • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
  • eNewsletter
  • Custom Content & Marketing Services
  • FE Store
  • Government Links
  • Industry Associations
  • Market Research
  • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
  • eMagazine
  • Archive Issue
  • Advertise
Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • eNewsletter
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Packaging

Snack apps

July 1, 2010
For the beleaguered snack-and-soda vending business, help is on the way in the form of iPhone-inspired interactive machines.

Rotating ads and electronic images of product packages are displayed on a 46-in. LCD touch-screen panel in Kraft Foods’ Diji-Touch vending machine. By touching an image, users can access nutrition information and a 360° enlarged view of the package.


S pecialized packages for alternative distribution are established parts of the Kraft Foods repertoire, and the company’s Vending & Office Coffee Service (OCS) division is living up to that tradition by breaking new ground with equipment that taps into changing consumer tastes and expectations.

At the recent National Automated Merchandising Association show, Kraft introduced the Tassimo Professional designed specifically for coffee service, one of the bright spots in the beleaguered vending business. A commercial version of a single-serve coffee maker, Tassimo Pro is “the home machine on steroids,” says Charley Orwig, Tassimo Pro business manager. The machine’s bar-code reader identifies what type of T-disc is being placed in the machine; customization options let users “mix and match to come up with about 70 different [coffee] recipes,” he says.

As with K-cups, T-discs mean more packaging waste, a sensitive issue Kraft is addressing by “greening up” single serve, Orwig says. Two Rainforest Alliance-certified coffee SKUs are part of the line. The T-disc pods are manufactured in a Pennsylvania facility certified as “zero landfill,” with waste either recycled or used to produce energy. And Kraft has created a program to collect and “repurpose” used pods.

The biggest buzz at the show involved a machine Kraft commissioned: the Diji-Touch, an iPhone-inspired vending machine. Kraft worked with Crane Merchandising Systems and Samsung Electronics to design and build the interactive machine, which features a 46-in. LCD touch-screen panel to display the snacks inside. (A comparable display was developed by Samsung for a Coke machine that debuted at the Beijing Games in 2008, though considerable functionality has been added since.)

While Diji-Touch’s panel emulates a smart-phone experience, the technology’s real power is in marketing and merchandising. A wireless Ethernet connection is included, explains Canyon DeVille, engineering director at St. Louis-based Crane, allowing remote control of video ads and the rotation of product images on the panel. “The placement of products affect sales,” he points out, and placing best sellers at eye level should increase sales. The wireless connection also facilitates credit card sales. “When you take plastic, people tend to spend more, and the price is not as sensitive,” notes Michael Kasavana, a Michigan State University professor.

Sales-reporting software alerts the vending operator to replenishment needs, allowing dynamic scheduling of route drivers. This is a real plus since wringing inefficiencies from the supply chain is an industry focus, particularly in mainstay soft-drink and snack dispensing, where healthy-eating trends and a declining industrial workforce are eroding sales. Average profitability for vending operators is estimated at 1.9 percent, and higher gas prices are reducing margins further.

Enhancing the interactive experience may help increase sales, and hopes are high for Diji-Touch. Besides activating a revolving, 360° view of the product, users can access calorie and nutritional information, ensuring compliance with new requirements in the healthcare reform act. 

For more information:
Canyon DeVille, Crane Merchandising Systems, 314-623-8043, cdeville@cranems.com
Charley Orwig, Kraft Foods Inc., 847-646-2422

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    With a CAGR of 12.07%, Bonafide Research estimates this...
    People & Industry News
  • skilled MEP worker

    Predicting Food and Beverage Manufacturing Trends for 2024

    The two words that should be kept in mind are labor and...
    Automation
    By: Derrick Teal
  • cleaning and sanitation

    The basics of cleaning and sanitation in food plants

    Sanitation maintains or restores a state of cleanliness...
    Cleaning | Sanitation
    By: Richard F. Stier
close

1 COMPLIMENTARY ARTICLE(S) LEFT

Loader

Already a Registered User? Sign in now.

Manage My Account
  • eMagazine
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Customer Service

Food Plant Openings and Expansions June 2025

Food Plant Openings and Expansions June 2025

Celebrating Women in Engineering: Shalima Sreenath

Celebrating Women in Engineering: Shalima Sreenath

Celebrating Women in Engineering: Samara Heaggans

Celebrating Women in Engineering: Samara Heaggans

Food Plant Openings and Expansions May 2025

Food Plant Openings and Expansions May 2025

More Videos

Popular Stories

Cargill Cocoa Plant

Cargill Invests in its Cocoa Supply Chain

Campbell’s Utah plant

Going for Gold(fish): Inside The Campbell’s Company’s $160M Cracker Plant Expansion

Woman engineer on construction site

Exploring the Impact of Women Engineers on the Food Industry

CHECK OUT OUR NEW ESSENTIAL TOPICS

Alternative ProteinAutomationCleaning/SanitationFabulous Food Plants

Food SafetyMaintenance StrategiesOEE

PackagingSustainability

Events

June 17, 2025

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ State of the Cold Chain

On Demand Kelley Rodriguez, Editor in Chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, will be joined in this 60-minute webinar by industry experts to help unpack the latest research.

July 23, 2025

Decarbonizing Process Heat: What You Should Know and Next Steps

Driven by climate goals, business risk, client interest, and resilience considerations, food and beverage companies are increasingly turning their attention to decarbonizing their production processes.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

See More Products

Plant of the Year

Related Articles

  • Laceration-free kids' snack

    See More
  • Re:Close Tape

    Seal the snack

    See More
  • think thin crunch bar packaging film see thru

    Clear packaging shows off snack bar

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • composites.jpg

    Composites Materials for Food Packaging

  • download.jpg

    Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

  • milk-dairy.jpg

    Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

See More Products
×

Elevate your expertise in food engineering with unparalleled insights and connections.

Get the latest industry updates tailored your way.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Food Master
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • eNewsletter
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!