1. REASON TO BAKE
MJ Watford, Cody Deas, Zen Kramer, Taylor
Blanton, Chelsea Caraway

2. Reason to Bake
 Owner- Elise Sampson
 Brevard, NC
 Gluten free cookies made from all-natural ingredients
 Want to help employ people with special needs

3. Project Goals and Criteria
 Maintain Freshness
 Prevent physical damage
 Minimize package cost
 Ease of packaging in-house
 Meet Whole Foods requirements
 Eye-grabbing design

4. Shelf Life

5. Product Testing for Shelf Life
 Goal
 Extend shelf life as
long as possible
using packaging
 Measured initial
water activity and
moisture content

6. Product Testing for Shelf Life
 Shelf Life Study
 12 Panelists
 Rated cookies based
on odor, flavor,
texture, degree of
liking and would
purchase product
 Determined the shelf
life was 3 weeks
 Moisture Sorption
Isotherm
0.0000
0.1000
0.2000
0.3000
0.4000
0.5000
0.6000
0.7000
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
gwater/gsolids7day
Water Activity
Moisture Sorption Isotherm For
Ginger Cookies

7. Take Away from Testing
 Packaging cannot extend the shelf life
 Chemistry of the cookie determines shelf life
 Primary Package
 PP film with a heat sealable layer
 Based on cost, clarity, and sealability

8. Product Performance Testing

9. Drop Test
 Test 1
 Based from ISTA 3A
 8 drops from 18” for
each orientation
 No Breakage
 Test 2
 Tested to failure
 Found breakage at 48”
8 x 1
2 x 4
4 x 2
1 x 8

10. Vibration Test
 Test
 30 minutes on ISTA 3A
Over-the-road Trailer
spectrum PSD
 Results
 No damage was found

11. Take Away from Testing
 Product fragility testing indicated a
secondary package is needed for
containment but not protection

12. Prototyping

13. Prototype Design
 Design Process Flow
 Retail Audit
 Group brainstorming
 Decision to move forward with gift box design

14. Prototype Designs

15. Package Performance Testing

16. Package Performance Test Plan

17. Compression Test
 Results
 Horizontal (Side)
Compression
Strength
 95.83 lbs
 Vertical
Compression
Strength
Chose 2 double stacks of packages in order to replicate stacking
orientation within tertiary container.

18. Drop Test
 Procedure
 Cookies dropped up
to 48”
 Results
 Cookies
experienced 0
failure at 48”

19. Vibration Test
 Procedure
 Tested using ISTA
3A over-the-road
PSD for 30 minutes
 Results
 No damage was
found

20. Purpose of Testing
 Ensure package protects
cookies during distribution
cycle
 Truck vibrations
 Drops from ISTA 3A 18”
 Stacking strength

21. Tertiary Package Orientation
 Dimensions:
 10” x 10” x 10”
 2 Layers of 9
Packages Inside
 7 ECT (B-flute
corrugated)

22. Branding

23. Branding (Color Palette)
 Palette represents three brand
characteristics
 Homemade, empowerment and
unexpected
 Previously, palette was maroon and
yellow

24. Graphics for Product Line

25. Preliminary Cost Analysis

26. Package Specifications
Package Material Potential Supplier Price
Primary PP gusseted pouch with
heat sealable layer
Uline $0.05 ea
Secondary Box: clay coated news
back
Oak Hills Carton Co. $0.40 ea
Tertiary B-flute corrugated shipper Uline $0.48

27. Package Price Comparison
 Original Package
 Clamshell: $0.23
 Label: $0.32
 Total Package: $0.55
 Proposed Package
 Bag: $0.05
 Box: $0.40
 Tertiary: $0.03
 Total Package: $0.48

28. Conclusion
 Delivering on goals
 Determined 3 week shelf life
 Package designed to survive distribution
 Kept within original budget
 Easily assembled
 Eye-grabbing design

29. Acknowledgements
 A Big Thank You to The Following People!
 Dr. Cooksey, Dr. Kimmel, Erin Synder, Kelsey
Byrd, Dr. Batt, Mrs. Marcondes, Michael, Dr.
Barron, and everyone at Reason to Bake

30. Questions?

31. Potential Pallet Pattern
 Determined
tertiary fluting
 ECT=6.48 lb/in
 CS= 107.71 lbs
 Result: B Flute