Here is some tips to your Brands Packaging Are Using Custom Packaging to Boost E-Commerce & Brand Identity

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1. Creating Unforgettable Unboxing Experiences

Custom packaging transforms a simple delivery into a memorable event. Brands like Glossier and Apple have mastered this by incorporating sleek designs, branded inserts, and tactile finishes (e.g., soft-touch coatings, embossing) that excite customers and encourage social media shares. A well-designed unboxing experience can turn buyers into brand advocates, amplifying word-of-mouth marketing.

2. Reinforcing Brand Identity Through Design

Consistency in packaging—using brand colors, logos, and unique typography—helps establish instant recognition. For example, Tiffany & Co.’s iconic blue box is instantly associated with luxury, while Fenty Beauty uses bold, inclusive packaging to reflect its brand ethos. Custom packaging ensures every touchpoint reinforces brand values.

3. Leveraging Sustainability for Consumer Trust

Eco-conscious consumers favor brands that prioritize sustainability. Many U.S. companies are switching to kraft paper, recycled materials, and biodegradable inks to meet demand while complying with regulations like the EU’s PPWR . Sustainable packaging not only reduces environmental impact but also enhances brand reputation.

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Interactive elements like QR codes, NFC tags, and AR experiences bridge the gap between physical and digital shopping. These features provide product authenticity, usage guides, or exclusive content, enriching customer engagement. For D2C brands, this tech-driven approach can reduce returns and increase loyalty.

5. Standing Out in a Crowded Market

In sectors like cosmetics and food, custom packaging differentiates products. Minimalist designs with bold contrasts or vibrant maximalist patterns catch the eye on shelves and social feeds . Unique structural designs (e.g., magnetic closures, window cutouts) further elevate perceived value.

Conclusion

From unboxing moments to sustainability, U.S. brands are using custom packaging as a strategic asset to enhance e-commerce success and build lasting brand identity. By investing in tailored, innovative solutions, businesses can turn packaging into a silent salesperson—one that delights customers and drives growth.

Clay, 

Thank you!  We received the diagrams and refrigeration specs rather quickly after you reached out. 

I am thinking either the cooling system needs a recharge ( there were no specs for our tech to review when they looked at it) or we need a new evaporator fan motor as it sounds like the bearings are failing.  Places to start. 

Thank you again.  If anyone needs the docs, I have them. 

Capacity is about 9 Kg chocolate. Is chain driven, low noise. Stones in excellent conditions.
Available in Normandie and Paris region. Pick-up preferred 

 Interieur00.jpg - 272KB

Maura:

This is one of the two main reasons I stopped representing FBM back in early 2020. It makes no sense that they won’t provide the documentation so that owners can perform minor repairs.

This is especially short-sighted as FBM has decided not to invest in the resources to fix these machines in the US. Last I knew, TCF does not have the technical staff to do the work.

What is the nature of the problem? It’s been a while since I last worked on a machine, but many people know my past relationship with FBM and I get contacted regularly for (free) guidance. My success rate is pretty high.

What I will also do is send the URL of this post to FBM to Ariana’s and Francesca’s bosses to see if that breaks the logjam.

How do you like your ICB machines in production? Which ones do you have? I know of the Top 11 and the Icebelt for it, but I don’t think I’ve ever spoken with anyone who owns one. How is it for depositing and enrobing?

Clay, Thank you for your response!

Tom at TCF Sales said you are the best of the best.  Alicia from TCF reached out to Francesca Testa at FBM for me.  Through their website, I have reached out to Arianna Giodice from the Commercial Department who said  she knows TCF sent the user manual and that is all they will send. 

We fix our ICB tabletops ourselves and they have great documentation and technical assistance.  I am a bit frustrated with this as it is slowing our production.   It's been sitting unused for months now. I would truly appreciate your help in this matter. 

- Maura

[quote="kysen8"]

[quote] 

Hey, thank you for this response. Super helpful and helps point me in the right direction

[/quote] 

I am glad you found it helpful. Please keep us informed of your progress (at least I am interested in knowing what you find, what you decided on, and what direction(s) you decided to follow).

Hey, thank you for this response. Super helpful and helps point me in the right direction

I know the heads of Penn State’s Cacao Research Lab (Mark and Siela) and so I am confident that any program on cacao fermentation inside their lab would be interesting. I don’t know anything about the Food Science program other than I think the annual chocolate-making intensive is hosted by that program. Is Food Science offering field studies in cacao fermentation? Where?

From a quick look at the Basque CC’s master’s program it’s not clear to me that cacao fermentation is a part of the curriculum.

One place I would start is the Cocoa Research Centre in Trinidad, which is housed in the University of the West Indies. Being located in a cocoa-producing country would interest me. OTOH, my friend and colleague Zoi Papalexandratou got her degree (in food fermentation, food microbiology, and post-harvest processing of cacao) at Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

In the US there nay be something in Hawaii and/or Puerto Rico – cacao grows in both places – offering field studies.

Hi all,

I'm looking into university courses, preferably master's courses, to learn more about cacao fermenation. Right now I'm mainly looking at Penn State's Food Science master's program, since this university has been involved in a lot of cacao/chocolate research over the years with their cacao research lab and all... and I'm also looking at Basque Culinary Center's Master's in Food Fermentation course.

The Penn State course would be more for deep scientific research whereas the Basque Culinary Center course would be more applied fermentation and product development work... as far as I can tell.

But anyways, these are just two options I've been looking into. I'm open to others and would love to hear any opintions and advice!

Shelley, I got mine from MOD-PAC and Michael Package . You can ask them for minimum order quantity.

I remember what the issue was - I am trying to connect from an IP address that is in a blocked range. Even using a new ISP and a different VPN provider. After changing the VPN server and more settings, my IP range is still blocked. I tried to resolve these issues with the Stewards in the past but was not able to.

Thanks Clay for the response and offering to look in, I really appreciate it.

If you're still interested in giving editing Wikipedia directly a go, it is probably easiest to create a new account at this link .

Your trouble may have been because the page chocolate can only be edited by users who have had an account for 4 days and have made 10 edits. It's just a way to stop people defacing the page. If you make those edits and wait the four days you should have an easy time.

Best, Rolling

Rolling:

Thanks for the work updating Wikipedia’s coverage of chocolate.

You mentioned my prior comments on editing Wikipedia – as I recall, it was because I was not able to log in with editor/contributor credentials.

I will take a look and let you know what I think.

If the updates make it to the front page, let me know and I will promote!

Hi All, 

For about the past year, I've been overhauling some of Wikipedia's coverage of chocolate. I've written some new articles, such as cocoa bean fermentation , chocolate in savory cooking and glossary of chocolate terms and have reworked old articles, such as history of chocolate and aerated chocolate .

A large part of my work has been researching and expanding the page for white chocolate , and it's now going through an internal peer review which will put it on the front page for a day (if you didn't know, Wikipedia has a front page ). I'm hoping that if anyone here is interested, they could have a look over the article and see if it gets anything wrong.

I also wanted to mention that I saw a comment Clay made a few years ago that he had some difficulty editing the page for chocolate. I wanted to offer my personal assistance with editing pages in this area.

Best,

Rolling 

Maura:

I wrote that user/troubleshooting manual!

In my experience, FBM has never been very responsive to requests for detailed wiring diagrams or parts lists, and all TCF Sales can do is contact FBM.

That said, who at FBM have you been in touch with?

Technical support? I can still reach out to the president and international sales manager to escalate this for you. Let me know and I will send you my email address to the email address of your account.

And welcome to TheChocolateLife Forums community!

/Clay

Howdy!  First post here.  We run a small bean to bar chocolate shop in OKC and have been at it since 2018.  

We have a 2015 Unica 40 tempering machine and are looking for a technical manual so we can do repairs on the machine.  I've contacted FBM in Italy and TCF in Austin (who have been most helpful) but have received only a basic user/trouble shooting manual.  

We fix most of our equipment in-house and would really appreciate detailed technical documentation and wiring schematic.  Thank you in advance. 

Maura

Discover the finest donuts in Cannington along with tasty sandwiches, hot dogs, and coffee. We also offer donut delivery and event catering! Visit lovewithdonut.com.au today.

The post is over on TheChocolateLife .

TL;DR – Key Takeaways

From my understanding of the video (link in the post on TheChocolateLife), it’s best to address a humidity issue in an already air-conditioned space by increasing the capacity of the air conditioning system to both cool and properly dehumidify the air.

If you’re moving into a new space, sizing the AC properly in the first place is   always   the best solution.

If you do need “spot” dehumidification and can’t upgrade the installed system, consider a portable dehumidifier or portable air conditioner, and install it to exhaust both the heat and moisture the unit extracts into the existing HVAC return or directly outdoors. I have recommended the TrippLite SRCool 12000 to some of my clients as auxiliary cooling in a confined space for the construction of cooling rooms and tunnels.

If you decide to purchase a dehumidifier, consider buying one that uses   rotary dessicant   (as opposed to refrigeration compressor) technology, and no matter what option you choose, make sure to exhaust the warm air and humidity to the outside.

One way to get more efficiency out of a through-window or min-split system is by using one or more Coolbot Pros. One or more Coolbot Pros from StoreItCold can increase the efficiency of your air conditioning solution. With Coolbots you can easily cool a room down to 55F, which you can’t do with conventional AC units, obviating the need to purchase an expensive walk-in.

Thoughts? Comment here or over on main site.

Please use the following format to make it easier for people.

There are three parts. Whether you are selling or buying, what it is you are selling (F/S, For Sale) or WTB (Want to Buy), and where you are located. Each of these three parts should be separated a space-dash-space. See below:

For Sale / Wanted to Buy - What you are selling/looking for - Where you are (as precise as possible - country at least).

Examples:

• F/S - Used Batch Tempering Machine - Chicago
• WTB - Undeodorized Cocoa Butter - WA

Thanks.

@joe-john, I'd like to weigh in on this.  First, some of the nutritional info you post there is reasonable, some is not -- and that's not unusual. The standout is the fiber content. There is fiber in both raw and 100% dark chocolate. My guess is that whatever lab the packagers used probably had a database for raw beans that was a bit outdated. Cocoa beans are not a common item. Sometimes labs to the analysis themselves, sometimes (more often) they use a standard database and these don't always contain data on all possible nutrients. For the 100% dark chocolate, that's a more common item (think "baking chocolate").

The saturated fat of the raw beans is listed as "0 gms". That' s not plausible, but the database used probably doesn't include data on sat fat, so it gets listed as "0". It should probably say "n/a". The roasted beans list sat fat as about 55-60% of the total fat content. That's realistic -- and the processing didn't magically "make" saturated fat.

As for roasting being a "nutritional kill", it really depends. Roasting or "cooking" can also release nutrients from inside cell walls. It's why cooked tomato products have more available lycopene than raw tomatoes.

Roasting does reduce the antioxidant content of cocoa beans, but it doesn't wipe it out completely. Research has demonstrated health benefits of dark chocolate, even if that won't qualify it as a "health food". The best benefits seem to happen in people undergoing higher levels of "oxidative stress". That is, the worse your diet is, the more improvement you'll see from more antioxidants. A healthy person eating a diet that includes lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts (this doesn't require a vegetarian or vegan eating style), will see less dramatic benefits.

As for sat fat, not all sat fats are the same and this is a problem in the nutrition research literature. The sat fat in cocoa is largely stearic acid, which seems to have a neutral impact on total cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. Moreover, sat fats that are bound into a food matrix -- the most research has been done on dairy foods like full-fat cheese, milk, and yogurt -- has shown that the body handles the sat fat differently when compared with the sat fat in butter. These are all dairy fats, so it's a good comparison, but butter is unbound, and can raise CV risk, whereas the sat fat in cheese and full-fat yogurt are in a matrix, and don't seem to raise risk.  The evidence is still emerging, but these were well-done studies. No similar studies on cocoa vs cocoa butter have taken place, to my knowledge, so I can't comment there.

I've had a long career in the "nutrition space", and the above is based on the available evidence to my knowledge, as both a health professional and also someone who is fascinated by the science of cocoa & chocolate, and who does my best to stay current with the research. I hope this sheds a little light on your question, including that we don't have all the pieces to this puzzle yet.

Best,

Keith

When I use a temperimg machine and melt the chocolate to 115 and then add chocolate chips (the seeding method) to bring down the temperature to 90. (Or 81 first and then 90) can I then keep addding chocolate chips?

I mean the tempered chocolate chips eventually melt to 90F . In this scenario would I theoretically be able to keep adding so called seeding chocolate? 

I mean some of the seeding chocolate will still be solid by the time the temp hits 90/92F. After stirring it eventually will all melt but that solid chocolate that ends up getting melted at 90F will temper too, soooooo when does adding solid chips become too much? 

anyone have any experience with this and temperimg machines (the larger ones like 5-50lbs)

Thanks for any advice fam.

Hi Everyone, 

I’m the owner of Palette, a local Seattle chocolate company.

Palette is a chocolate collection that gathers influence from a variety of bold women. We strive for high quality nourishing delicious experiences.

We use a palette of stimulating, natural, unique ingredients in our bars to reflect a woman's individuality and what she embodies for herself.

 Wholesale Line Sheet - Palette - chocolate.PNG - 659KB

Jessica - 

The archive does not get a lot of traffic.

Try re-posting here:

https://foodmaven.io/thechocolatelife/classifieds/

You can use the email for this account to ask for a password reset.

:: Clay

I have been using an unroasted Ecuadorian Cacao Butter for my recipe and my supplier has stopped carrying it.  I need a new source.  I need an organic, unroasted/raw Ecuadorian.  I have been sourcing through Earth Circle Organics and also through Transition Nutrition (DBA Divine Organics).  I have tried Pacari, and the flavor profile didn't fit.  Does anyone have any other leads?  Northern Peruvian and/or Southern Colombian could potentially work, but I haven't found one that fits with my flavor profile so far.  

Any imput or leads would be greatly appreciated.

If you have one in the US, let me know. 

Brian

Clay -

  Can you send me pricing on the 71 series or 72 series Everlasting units shipped to Texas? 

Thanks

Brian

Mark -

This is the archive site and it's not getting many visitors. You can ask this over at the new ChocolateLife site. Use the "Forgot Password" and the email address you use to log into this account and then post in the "AskTCL" room.

Hi Guys,

I need your help. I'm looking to make a praline with an alcohol filling. I don't want to make a ganache with alcohol, but rather, a chocolate sphere with a shot of whisky inside. A bit like Mon Cheri for instance. How is it made? It's driving me nuts.

Thank you for your help.

Mark

perfect chocolate temperer AIR 2.0

You can ask questions like this on TheChocolateLife in the Ask TCL room. Use the email address you log in here to request a password and sign in. I know it's been a long time but we're moving in a good direction on the new platform. Major changes coming in the upcoming weeks.

And, it would be labeled "70% dark chocolate with Almonds". 

Here in the US you don't need to need to list ingredients percentages in the ingredient statements. In the EU you might. Keep in mind there is no official definition for dark chocolate. Colloquially any chocolate without any dairy ingredients is thought of as dark, but in the standards of identity it's called sweet chocolate - as in semi-sweet and bittersweet. Sweet chocolate can have dairy ingredients in it, for example, anhydrous butterfat (butter oil).

Hi guys,

I miss this forum...

I have a question which has been bugging me, related to labeling the finished product:

So, if you're making a 100Gr. chocolate bar, using for example 70% dark chocolate couverture, and 15% of the 100Gr. bar is made of inclusions (almonds, for instance). Do you label your chocolate as:

70% Dark Chocolate with Almonds

- or -

59.5% Dark Chocolate with Almonds

Thanks for your help.

We are a chocolate company in Oakland CA. 

We have 2x Spectra 40-C Stone Grinders/Melangers. They currently not in working condition. 

With all the available spare parts you will be able to create one and very possibly two working machines. So this is the chocolate equivalent of a 'Mechanics Special'.

Price: $999

The equivalent models go for $2900.00 - $4,000.00 each. It is a very good deal. 

Link: https://www.spectraplaza.com/melangers.html

 Capture.JPG - 383KB

Hi all,

We have a handmade chocolate Factory in India. We use the IBC transfer sheets in lot of our chocolates but recently importing these sheets from Belgium is become very difficult due to the government regulations. 

I wish to purchase a printing machine which I can use to make our own transfer sheets. Hence need to know who makes these machines? Any help will be much appreciated. 

Thanks

Vinay

I have been in touch with the UK importer of Everlasting (Angel Refrigeration) for at least four years and have sold several of the 100-series units to chocolate makers here in the US. 

If you look at the specs for the blast chillers the goal is to be able to take product from 90C at the center to 3C at the center in under 90 minutes. Shock freezing takes product from 90C at the center down to -18C. 

NOW, if you can set the temperature of the blast chill cycle to ~12C that could work.

If you are looking at a 71-series cabinet, get the 72-series cabinet with the double doors. Slightly more expensive but you could, for example, use the bottom half for short-term storage and the top half for crystallization. In any event, when you open one door you're only pulling cool air from one half of the cabinet and so recovery time will be faster.

I had a quick chat with the UK representatives, they said that the temperature inside the blast chillers is around 12C but the ventilation is very good; therefore, it works only in small-medium size fridges.    

Anyhow, they are more suitable for micro-batch. The highly recommended one is the 71 choc fridge that could accomodate up to 80 moulds at a given moment, I will go for it🙂

susie - is this still for sale ?  

I was not being clear. The goal of a blast chiller is to cool things down very quickly. This is to reduce the size of ice crystals that might form as much as possible. Large ice crystals formed during slow freezing damage cell walls and so, when thawed, e.g., result in soggy fruit. 

A good temperature range for crystallizing chocolate is about 13-15C not -40C (which is = -40F). 

As far as I'm concerned they are adapted to chocolate, i.e. higher temp and different air flow, aren't they?

The generic term 'blast' might be confusing.

You do not want to use a blast chiller – the goal is to cool things down to about -40F as quickly as possible. Thermal shock is an understatement.

Clay, what do you say about the blast chillers?

https://www.vantagehouse.com/chocolate-equipment-results/BLAST-CHILLERS/Blast-Chillers

Should generate very quick cooling times; but, does it create a thermal shock?

Cheers

HI All,

Ah thank you so much for reading. I'm going a bit nuts here. 

So, we have an old Enro 2 by Perfect. It has been pretty exhausting to deal with for some time. I am sure there is something we can improve upon.

Here is what is happening: 

We make our chocolate in the melanger. I cannot find a reasonably priced texture tester, cannot remember the name, so we taste test until smooth smooth smooth.

We have a minimum of 5% cocoa butter- more for the enrobed items, but to be honest, we are not entirely sure of the percentage at this point- have been not keeping very good track of tests, which is bad on my part. 

We have tried the seeding method which has sometimes worked. We have an  AX Temperer and it works for bars but not for our seed chocolate- comes out streaky and kind of grey in parts when deposited on the parchment lined trays. 

So instead, we use the good ol' time consuming tempering method. We heat the chocolate up to 105 at least overnight, turn the wheel on in the AM to mix it all in and make sure all the chocolate heats up to 105, then, we gradually drop it to 80 or as close as we can get it to 80 (it gets so, so thick. Like a thick frosting at around 81- the wheel certainly cannot handle it and we stir by hand- not the best). Then, I gently heat it up with either the heat gun (usually have to do this to be honest), until the wheel can spin more easily, and bring it up to 88 (today it went to 88.5 oh and now when I take the independent thermometer, it got up to 92.8... ). The chocolate comes out kind of streaky, a little bit dusty looking, and a tad spotty, once cooled. In the machine itself, it looks like there are tiny, tiiiiiny white dots in the chocolate (I am assuming cocoa butter, unmelted?). And the melted chocolate also looks a bit orange. It is dark chocolate with only 3 ingredients, cocoa nibs, cocoa butter, and coconut sugar.

So that is about it. I am considering the Silk Cocoa Butter method but cannot try this until next week. Pretty confused as to what to do here- it sometimes works, sometimes does not. 

Thank you very much!

Thanks Clay! We will go for UNOX for 99%.