SYDNEY, Australia -- The color changing coffee lid is going global after Australian inventors secured an international license agreement. Smart Lid Systems, the product development firm behind the lid, has appointed Thermo International as its key global manufacturer.
The innovative lid alerts consumers their coffee/tea may be too hot by changing from a dark coffee bean color to a bright red when the lid is applied. Secondly, the lid visually indicates whether it is securely attached to the takeaway cup, placing coffee house owners and consumers at ease [image-nocss] regarding the safety concerns of hot coffee spillages.
Localized distribution rights are now being negotiated across the United States and Europe with manufacturing underway, the company said.
White lids offer no visual aids where the ideal consumption temperature for coffee is 152 degrees F, while liquid burn hazards commence at 140 degrees F. The Aussie lid completes the color change at 115 degrees F, allowing a red glow to warn drinkers of the hot contents.
Smart Lid Systems' managing director Nick Bayss, said, Substantial interest from American foodservice companies has forced our company to source a much larger supplier with global capabilities. Thermo International was selected due to their ability to meet the ever-increasing demand for high-end quality packaging for specialty coffee while offering our technology at a very competitive price.
The concept has won two U.S. packaging competitions, taking a DuPont Innovation Award and a QSR / FPI Packaging Award.
Smart Lid Systems is a Sydney-based product development company with multiple patents granted and pending worldwide. It uses food-contact compliant additives that adhere to U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines; the lids are 100% recyclable.
Thermo International, Hong Kong, supplies foodservice packaging such as paper cups, disposable lids, food containers and plastic cups to global packaging distributors.
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