Top Editors ... INNOVATION SUCKS

Title: INNOVATION SUCKS
Date: 20/07/2006
Autor: By Michelle Rawlings

Sipahh, an innovative straw that has children sucking up energy and vitamins in twenty one countries around the world has won the coveted Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST) Incorporated Food Industry Innovation Award.

Sipahh was launched in Australia in September 2005 by Unistraw. Sippahh has the potential to add flavour, energy, vitamins and other supplements to liquid sipped through it.

While simple in concept, the product required considerable technical innovation for the three components, the food grade recyclable plastic straw, the patented cone filter and the UniBeads which fill the straw and which dissolve to deliver the flavours and other ingredients as liquids are resipped through the straw.

Since its launch, Sipahh has captured over 20% value share of the children’s milk flavouring category and is contributing to category growth. Licensees have been appointed to distribute Sipahh in 65 countries with another 32 licensees pending. Further applications beyond milk flavouring are in development.

The highly regarded Innovation Award acknowledges a significant new development in a process, product, ingredient, equipment or packaging, which has achieved successful commercial application in any section of the Australian food industry for between six months and five years prior to the nomination.

According to Ken Grice, President, AIFST, Unistraw is a great example of the high caliber of Australian companies revolutionizing the industry.

Unistraw has already received local and international recognition including awards at Fine Food Australia 2005, Anuga 2005 and ISM 2006 in Germany.