A Cape Town factory will be producing an innovative new product to ship over to foreign countries such as Germany, Belgium and Dubai. Called Munch Bowls, these alternatives to the usual styrofoam and plastic plates, are vegan and completely green.
“They taste like Provita,” says inventor Georgia de Kock. “The edible bowls are an eco-friendly, green alternative to toxic, wasteful plastic and polystyrene food containers. We are passionate about helping to reduce our carbon footprint.”
Munch Bowls come in three different sizes – 250ml bowls, 100ml saucers and 30ml canapé containers – and come in plain and sweet flavours. They have a shelf life of at least 15 months and “can hold any foods, including hot soups, for more than five hours, while maintaining their crispness”.
According to de Kock, the idea for Munch Bowls came after she noticed how much waste there was on the street, as well as the catering industry.
The product is vegan and free of artificial preservatives, flavouring, yeast and genetically-modified products.
“Our passion is to inspire a conscious lifestyle by giving an alternative choice to the convenience food, catering and hospitality industry, locally and internationally,” she said.
The product won the top honour at the Sial Innovations China Special Innovation Awards in 2014, when it was invented. De Kock also exhibited her wares at the first-ever Africa Halaal Week, hosted in Cape Town last year. This is where she met the buyers who will be exporting her goods to other countries.
Munch Bowls will exhibit at Dubai’s Expo 2020, one of the world’s largest gathering of exhibitors. Here, de Kock will be one of the 27 exhibitors selected from 700 entrants to be awarded a grant for the final stage of the Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Program.