Toothfriendly NEWSLETTER OF TOOTHFRIENDLY INTERNATIONAL 1/2011
NEW SERIES: Ask an expert
Thai health group says no to sugar
First Toothfriendly concept store opened in Germany
What’s hot in Toothfriendly? INGREDIENTS + PACKAGING + FLAVOURS + CONCEPTS
sheril leemann
Formulating tooth- Strategy briefing friendly gummy bears with isomalt
Editorial comment
A tooth that ticks all the boxes
The use of dental claims on confectionery products is admittedly a controversial and complex issue. We have seen breath mints that claim to be “anti-cariogenic” and chewing gum that is endorsed by dubious dental foundations. When it comes to product labeling, there is a wide split between what the public health lobby wishes to see and what the confectionery industry is prepared to say. One dental message, however, has remained indisputable for nearly thirty years. The Toothfriendly logo, a smiling tooth under a protective umbrella, is a health claim which ticks all the follow- ing boxes:
TOOTHFRIENDLY NEWS is the annual newsletter of the non-profit as- The logo conveys a message that is easy to under- sociation Toothfriendly International. √ Clear stand, even by illiterate children. Toothfriendly International is dedicated to improving oral health by promoting non-cariogenic nutrition and dental √ Consistent A product can be labeled “toothfriendly” hygiene. The association owns the only if it lacks both cariogenic and erosive potential. worldwide right to license the “Tooth- friendly” trademark for guaranteed toothfriendly products. √ Convincing The Toothfriendly concept is supported TOOTHFRIENDLY INTERNATIONAL by dental professionals around the world. Bundesstrasse 29 4054 Basel - Switzerland Tel: +41 61 273 77 07 Fax: +41 61 273 77 03 Unlike many other labeling schemes, the Toothfriendly quality seal is likely to survive [email protected] another thirty years. How do we know this? Firstly, consumers prefer simple visual www.toothfriendly.org cues. Recent reviews of research carried out on behalf of the Food Standards Agency THE ASSOCIATION confirm that consumers are often confused by complicated health statements on food labels. President Prof. Bernhard Guggenheim Secondly, the fact that the Toothfriendly logo makes a difference to consumers’ Executive Director choices is proved again and again. Several consumer surveys in various countries have Dr. Albert Bär found that the Toothfriendly logo - when placed prominently on the front of the pack- age - persuades a majority of consumers for the toothfriendly choice. Project Management Yael Ellenbroek Irene van Loon A third fact that speaks for the Toothfriendly labeling scheme is the new EU-wide Kati Weiss Health Claim Regulation which states that all health-related statements must be backed up by scientific evidence. This certainly is the case with all Toothfriendly- Germany: Hedi von Bergh endorsed products.
Switzerland: Kati Weiss Corinne Voisard Editor, Toothfriendly International Turkey: Selda Alemdar
The Netherlands: Lisette De Jong
SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD: Members of Toothfriendly International
Prof. Thomas Imfeld University of Zürich
Prof. Ellmar Hellwig University of Freibrug
Prof. Cor van Loveren University of Amsterdam
Prof. Elin Giertsen University of Bergen
Toothfriendly News 1/2011 3 Toothfriendly trends
Every year, we look at the most interesting toothfriendly product launches around the world. These ten product innovations provide valuable clues to what could be in store for the future.
New era for erythritol in Europe
Adding erythritol has become the favourite ingredient makeover strategy of manufacturers 1 striving to improve the taste, texture and nutritional qualities of chewing gum. Offering zero calories and high laxation threshold, erythritol is a toothfriendly sugar substitute which was of- ficially accepted in Europe in 2006.
As witnessed by the latest additions of Wrigley’s Five range, Perfetti’s Mentos Gum and Cad- bury’s liquid-filled Trident line-up, erythritol demand is booming - rumour has it that the supply side may even face production shortages thanks to booming demand.
Calcium makes a “gumback” 2 Gum giants 3 The chewing gum industry is making efforts to battle for burst keep gum firmly positioned as a dental health product. Now that most manufacturers have Gum giants Wrigley, Cadbury and replaced sugar with toothfriendly alternatives, Perfetti are this year battling as new dental ingredients are sought to draw atten- never before for the attention of tion to gums dental properties. In 2010, Turkish novelty-hungry teenagers with Ülker launched a new gum brand Oneo boasting new bursting flavours. What the dental benefits of calcium pyrophosphate, a begun as the comeback of liquid- chemical compound that is commonly used as a filled gums has quickly developed mildly abrasive agent in toothpastes. into an array of flavour-changing shift gums and two-layer slabs. Whether the flavour firework will truly drive new growth in the mar- ket or simply cannibalize existing flavours remains to be seen. Tin takes Perfetti into premium league 4
In 2010, package design was clearly one of the biggest innovation frontiers for confectionery brands. While usually the train of development goes for a more modernized look, last year saw the return of traditional tin boxes. Perfetti, for example, went from plastic to “premium” metal boxes in an attempt to create a more sophisiticated look for its dental candies Smint and Frisk.
Cavity-free chocolate a new healthy niche for kids 5
Spotting a gap in the kids’ market for all-natural toothfriendly chocolate, German Alpia has created a treat that offers great taste without risk to teeth. Sweetened with non-laxative isomaltulose, the toothfriendly chocolate is finding favour with health-conscious mothers.The innova- tion is based on bulk chocolate from Barry Callebaut.
4 Toothfriendly News 1/2011 Ice ice baby 6 Dentists give go-ahead for stevia 7 The challenges of creating ice cream Wild’s Sunwin stevia has been awarded the Toothfriendly seal of approval based on that kids want to eat and that moth- a plaque-pH telemetry study conducted at the Dental Institute of the University of ers feel comfortable about are not Zurich. The study demonstrated that Wild’s Sunwin stevia poses no risk for teeth, new ones. In Switzerland the leading as it does not depress the plaque-pH below the critical level of 5.7. When the acid retailer Migros cracked this problem concentration falls below this threshold, teeth can be damaged. on the ice cream shelf by creating a toothfriendly water ice sweetned with “all-natural” stevia. The outcome is a The approval means that manufacturers may use stevia toothfriendly treat that not only moth- as a part of the sweetening solution and state that the ers approve but one which kids will product is “safe for teeth”, granted that no other cari- also be enthusiastic about. ogenic or erosive ingredients are added.
Package revamp set to refresh Smint sales 8 Smint is looking to expand on its leading position in the power mint market with a full packaging redesign. Apart from the Toothfriendly logo embossed on the front label, the new Smint design sets dental claims aside and concentrates on the essentials.
“We have refreshed the packaging to show a clear association with ‘freshness’, the main driver when purchasing a power mint”, says Aimee Reason, UK Smint Brand Manager. Furthermore, Smint is looking to widen its assortment in the UK by launching a new spearmint variant. Floral flavours 9 freshen up the candy category
The Russian Sula started with a Baby expert HiPP goes mission to bring healthier candy 10 offerings to the Russian high-end toothfriendly consumer. Now, the brand has the goal to reinvent the category with For the first time in its history, Tooth- interesting floral flavours such as friendly International has allowed its juniper, camomille, lime blossom, recognized quality seal to appear on a sea buckthorn or sage. range of infant teas. The endorsement is based on scientific pH-tests demon- strating that HiPP’s baby tea range is both non-cariogenic and non-erosive, thus fulfilling the toothfriendly crite- ria. The accredited tea range comes in mixed herbal flavors and is available in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
“Dentists welcome HiPP’s initiative to draw mothers’ attention to dental health”, confirms Dr. Albert Bär of Toothfriendly International. “On its product labels HiPP highlights the fact that only unsweetened tea should be offered to kids between mealtimes and also informs parents about further risks related to baby bottle car- ies. The company truly lives up to its reputation as a responsible marketer”, says Dr. Bär.
Toothfriendly News 1/2011 5 Confectionery production
Rethinking gummy bears
No sugar, no taste? Kati Weiss sets the stage for producing sugar-free gummy candies without unpleasant side effects.
A glance at the supermarket shelf shows and a tendency to crystallize, it is usually that “sugar-free” has become a standard not the primary candidate for candies with a claim in many product categories. And soft and translucent texture. It could work as yet, despite strong performance in estab- part of the sweetening mix though.” lished sectors such as chewing gum or lozenges, the entry of major candy brands Another non-laxative bulk sweetener mak- to the sugar-free confectionery market has ing waves is isomaltulose, a fully digestible remained limited. toothfriendly carbohydrate often quoted as the “next generation sugar”. Isomaltu- “The risk of gastro-intestinal discomfort has lose made its confectionery debut with been the biggest reason hampering the Barry Callebaut’s toothfriendly chocolate, development of sugar-free gummy candies”, a non-laxative cocoa innovation marketed says Albert Bär of Toothfriendly Interna- especially for children. tional. “For products which are eaten in large amounts, and are mainly consumed by While isomaltulose does not qualify for the children, a good tolerance is essential. How- “sugar-free” claim – as it is, chemically speak- ever, the production of sugar-free gummy ing, a sugar - products sweetened with iso- candies faces also technological challenges maltulose can be labeled as “toothfriendly”, in terms of their sensorial properties and provided that no other cariogenic or erosive shelf-life.” ingredients are added.
He believes the industry is close to crack- Would isomaltulose be technically suitable ing the code for better digestibility. “Major for the formulation of gummy bears? ingredient manufacturers have come up with several new ingredients including Ingrid Willibald-Ettle, Head of Customer While technology may soon enable sweeteners and soluble fibers with practi- Technical Service at Beneo says that gummy healthier products at the confectionery cally no laxative side effects. Provided that bears with isomaltulose have been pro- aisle, candies are ultimately about one that the EU legislation will continue to allow duced so far on lab-scale only, but the thing - enjoyment. Any new product’s heath claims on confectionery sweetened results look promising. “Since isomaltulose acceptability to consumers is based with sugar substitutes, we may soon witness is derived from pure sugar beet it gives primarily on a single question: a new wave of sugarless products enter the gummy bears a sugar-like taste being very How does it taste? market”, predicts Bär. similar to the one of traditional gummy bears. However, taste always goes hand Improving digestibility in hand with flavour and therefore can be individually defined”, she concludes. First introduced in Japan, erythritol hit the US market in 1997 and achieved EU’s approval in 2006, making it available for According to Willibald-Ettle, the gummy confectionery producers worldwide. Being bears Beneo produced with gelatine were a well tolerated bulk sweetener, erythritol is very similar to the consistency of gummy an interesting candidate for the formulation “Erythritol has indeed bears known by well-known manufacturers. of sugar-free gummy bears. “Depending on the hydrocolloids used in a very high digestive individual recipes - be it gelatine or pectine “Erythritol has indeed a high digestive - different results can be achieved.” tolerance and, in contrast to other polyols, it tolerance and, in con- provides practically zero calories”, explains What could be a potential challenge for Bär. trast to other polyols, isomaltulose-based gummy candies is the fact that under EU food regulations confec- “So far there have been plenty of innovative it provides practically tionery with added sugars (such as isoma- product developments in beverages and ltulose) may not contain sweeteners at the chewing gum but technically, it is possible zero calories” same time. This difficulty may be – at least to include erythritol also in candies”, he says. partly - overcome by using neohesperidine “However, as erythritol has a low solubility DC as a sweetness enhancer.
6 Toothfriendly News 1/2011
Adding soluble fibers According to Pochat, Roquette has conduct- “Since isomaltulose is ed long-term clinical studies demonstrat- Besides opting for non-laxative sweeten- ing that the consumption of 45 grams of ers, it is possible to improve the intestinal derived from pure sug- nutriose-enriched products has absolutely tolerance of sugar-free gummy bears by no gastro-intestinal side effects, granted of replacing some of the bulk sweeteners with ar beet it gives gummy course that no other laxative ingredients are soluble fibers. Fibers are tasteless and add included. little or no sweetness to the end product, bears a sugar-like taste meaning that the final sweetness may have Don’t miss out on the taste to be readjusted with intense sweeteners. being very similar to While technology may soon enable Nutriose is an example of soluble fiber the one of traditional healthier products at the confectionery which exhibits an outstanding digestive aisle, candies are ultimately about one thing tolerance, allowing incorporation at much gummy bears.” - enjoyment. At first, sugarless products higher levels than other fibers. will meet with suspicious consumers in the shop, wondering whether this candy will “Nutriose works well in soft gums, gelatin be as good as the others. And yet - though jellies, jelly babies or pectin jellies”, explains consumers still want candy to be candy Marine Pochat, Marketing Manager at - the desire for healthier alternatives has Roquette. reached the confectionery aisle just as much as many other parts of the supermarket. The “Nutriose is a wonderful ingredient which questions that confectionery manufacturers allows for increased digestive tolerance, must ask themselves are: How far can we calorie management, extended energy go? What are the next sugar-free segments? release and lower sugar content. If the goal How to balance between being credible and is to create sugar-free gummy bears with being desirable? higher digestive tolerance, Nutriose can can be used to replace some of the bulk This article was first published at Kennedy’s sweeteners.” Confection, the leading trade magazine for the confectionery industry.
Overview of certain sweeteners and soluble fibers
Toothfriendly Relative Laxative Leading properties sweetness effects Manufacturers POLYOLS Maltitol Yes 0.9 Yes Roquette, Cargill, Syral Isomalt Yes 0.5 Yes Beneo, Cargill Erythritol Yes 0.7 No Cargill, Jungbunzlauer Sorbitol Yes 0.5 Yes Roquette, Syral, Cargill Xylitol Yes 1.0 Yes Roquette, Danisco
NON-CARIOGENIC SUGARS Isomaltulose Yes 0.5 No Beneo, Gadot Tagatose Yes 0.9 Yes Nutrilab
INTENSE SWEETENERS Aspartame Yes 200 No Ajinomoto Acesulfame-K Yes 200 No Nutrinova Sucralose Yes 600 No Tate&Lyle Stevia Yes 300 No Wild, Cargill
SOLUBLE FIBRES Nutriose Yes 0 No Roquette Polydextrose Yes 0 Mild Tate&Lyle, Danisco
Toothfriendly News 1/2011 7 Ingredients
Strategy briefing: Isomalt
In each Newsletter we take a toothfriendly ingredient and look at what the success factors are, the barriers, the consumer beliefs around it, and how – across a number of confectionery categories – you can use that ingredient as part of your own strategy. In this issue we concentrate on the bulk sweet- ener isomalt.
While all sugar alcohols are generally shake marketers into the realization that such as helps keep teeth healthy or tooth- considered toothfriendly; they do differ in dental health is also a key motivator for friendly tested are classic examples of technological and sensory properties. Iso- candy consumers beyond cough lozenges. widely-used dental claims that reflect a malt - a sugar alcohol most commonly used positive approach. To use the word caries in the formulation of sugar-free hard-boiled Two strategies with isomalt in marketing is a mistake, however you candies - is low hygroscopic, meaning it look at it: anti-caries messages are not only absorbs virtually no moisture, thus making When formulating sugar-free products with consumer turnoffs but also forbidden by the end-products highly stable when stored. isomalt, you have, in broad terms, a choice food regulation. Furthermore, isomalt gives products a good of two very different strategies: mouthfeel and good effect on flavour re- If you trumpet health benefits in your lease. With about half the sweetening power 1. Include sugar-free variants into marketing, to be on the safe side, run clinical of sugar, it has a pleasant sweetness profile an existing product range; studies that demonstrate the claimed ef- without any aftertaste. 2. Create a new sugar-free “expert brand” fects. And finally: as most consumers prefer to see a product’s benefit at glance - and not Choosing the core message - and Enhancing an existing product range with in small print - make sure that you use visual sticking to it sugar-free alternatives is for most manu- cues for easy recognition. facturers the logic first step. However it is a While the mass of consumers may not be strategy fraught with risk. For one, you may Find out more about isomalt at: familiar with isomalt, they do value the end up cannibalizing the sales of sugar-con- www.beneo-palatinit.com health benefits that come along with it. taining products with a controversial health www.cargill.com Being toothfriendly, low in calories and low message. Second, you may hamper your glycemic, isomalt has a lot to offer. brand’s credibility by offering “less healthy” alternatives under the same name. However, in terms of product communica- Strategy summary tion, choosing one single core competence An expert brand strategy is the opposite of There are some over-arching principles is usually better than diversification. The the approach described above; it is all about that will help you succeed with isomalt most successful brands use a single mes- creating a new confectionery brand which no matter what your product category. sage and positioning year after year and makes the health benefits the key selling resist the marketers’ urge to tamper with it. point. There are opportunities in many 1. Taste is the most important confectionery categories for new “expert success factor. Dental health – the strongest brands” – brands which are perceived by benefit platform consumers as the most credible source of 2. Choose a health benefit with the the benefit offered. This strategy has proven biggest relevance. Dental health is one of the biggest growth itself very well in toothfriendly chewing trends in the confectionery industry, as gum, where Wrigley is the expert brand for 3. Have a clear and consistent evidenced by the continuing high growth oral health. message – and don’t change it. rates of sugar-free chewing gum brands. However, in many – perhaps most – product The importance of a clear message 4. Establish the benefit with credible categories it remains an under-developed science. opportunity with few brands making dental Whichever strategy you adopt, the question health a core platform beyond the chewing is: How do you talk to consumers about the 5. Use easy visual cues - such as the gum segment. In Europe, for example, it benefits of your product? For one, dental Toothfriendly logo - to educate took the very successful launch of sugar-free health should be approached as a positive consumers. Ricola herb candies in the early 1990’s to issue, not a disease warning. Statements
8 Toothfriendly News 1/2011 Have a question concerning Toothfriendly labeling scheme? This new series of- fers expert advice and help on topics including recipe formulation, legal issues and certification process. Send your questions to [email protected] Ask an expert
EFSA opinion on “toothfriendly” Nuts in claim? toothfriendly The EU is currently revising all health products? claims used on food products. We Alternatives to would like to know if the use of the We would like to include nuts in the Toothfriendly logo is authorized by logo colour? recipe of our toothfriendly chocolate. the EU claims Regulation. - GG Do we have to re-test the product in Our new product labels are blue. order to have the product certified as The European Food Safety Authority Could we also print the Toothfriendly “toothfriendly”? - TE (EFSA) is expected to give its scientific logo in blue? - TH opinion on the “toothfriendly” by Sum- It depends on the nuts you wish to in- mer 2011. Untill then, the logo can be Unfortunately not. The visual guidelines clude in the recipe. While most nuts and used normally. governing the use of the Toothfriendly seeds are indeed toothfriendly, certain logo clearly state that the colors of the ones (such as cashews) contain high Even in the unlikely case of a negative logo are red (Pantone 032) and white. amounts of fermentable carbohydrates opinion, the Toothfriendly logo can be If red color cannot be used, the field and do not fulfill the toothfriendly cri- used at least until January 2022 under is black. Also, any modifications of the teria. Kindly submit your new recipe for the transition scheme allowed for all logo - such as rounded corneds - are not our pre-screening to prevent unneces- trademarks used prior to 2005. allowed. sary testing costs. Outside the EU market, the Toothfriendly logo may continue to be used normally. The US FDA has given explicit accept- Toothfriendly Toothfriendliness ance of the “toothfriendly” claim and the trademark. Also the Australian ACCC has logo in Greek? of trehalose? given its support to the Toothfriendly program in Australia. Can we print the text “toothfriendly I was wondering if you had ever tested” in other languages than Eng- tested trehalose as a sugar substitute lish? - NK and if, to your knowledge, it is non- cariogenic? - CB The descriptive term “toothfriendly” Certification for may be attached to the logo in any We have tested trehalose some time desired language. So far the text has ago and found - to our regret – that it toothpaste? been translated into German, French, is not toothfriendly. It appears that the Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Turkish, Chinese plaque microorganisms are able to split We would like to certificate our tooth- and Greek, but any other languages are trehalose into its glucose moieties which paste for babies; I was wondering if also possible. Please note that it is the then are fermented. you kindly could send the procedure responsibility of the company to ensure and the cost required. - EC that the descriptive term complies with On the other hand, you might con- the applicable national regulation. sider to use isomaltulose which is, like The Toothfriendly logo can be used on trehalose, a disaccharide but which is toothpaste which either complies with When placing the Toothfriendly logo on toothfriendly. Isomaltulose has a GRAS our standard criteria (fluoride, abrasivity) your product labels, kindly note that the notified status and may be purchased or – in absence of such compliance – on minimum size of the logo is 5x5 mm. from BENEO. basis of a scientific assessment by our Scientific Advisory Board which confirms The term “sugar-free” or other unrelated Another toothfriendly sugar with a that the assessed product is at least as claims should not be used in direct asso- sweetness power similar to that of su- innocuous and efficient for caries pre- ciation with the logo. Also, any modifica- crose is D–tagatose. However, this sugar vention as a toothpaste which complies tions of the logo are not allowed. is not yet available at a commercial with our standard criteria. scale. Production capacity is being set Kindly submit your new product label up in Europe, but it will still take a while The preview of your clinical studies is, layout for our pre-approval before print- until production is on stream. generally, free of cost. ing.
Toothfriendly News 1/2011 9 Around the world
Toothfriendly International, along with its national action groups, strives to promote toothfriendly eating habits and prevention-minded oral health regime around the world.
Turkish dentists accredited as “toothfriendly”
The Turkish Toothfriendly association “Dis Dostu” has finalized criteria for its new accreditation program for local dentists striving to excellence.
To become accredited, a dentist must meet strict benchmarks particularly in the area of hygiene. The program was developed with broad stakeholder input to ensure that Toothfriendly credentials are relevant and credible.
“It’s like earning a Master’s Degree in Excel- lent Dentistry. Our program sets the gold standard for professionalism in this field”, says Selda Alemdar, Project Manager of the Turkish Toothfriendly association. “To create the criteria for a Toothfriendly standard for Toothfriendly logo dentists, we have teamed up with the best international and local practicioners. Our tops on-pack label long-term goal is to improve the hygienic standards and overall quality of Turkish dental practices and thereby also improve poll in Switzerland the state of the nation’s oral health.”
The Toothfriendly logo - a dental quality seal With the new accreditation program, the Turkish Toothfriendly association is position- for confectionery - ranks among the most ing itself as the leading non-profit association working in the field of preventive den- recognized quality labels in Switzerland, ac- tistry. Since more than ten years, the association is successfully active in school-based cording to market research group Nielsen. caries prevention programs. Furthermore, the Turkish Toothfriendly group has recently initiated a nation-wide salt fluoridation project with the aim to find a low-cost solution Nielsen’s “On-Pack Labels” survey compared to the country’s caries challenge. 14 on-pack labels commonly used in Swit- zerland. According to the survey data, which is based on a recent poll of more than 1000 adults, 85% of the Swiss consumers recog- nize the Toothfriendly logo. It was ranked as the nation’s second-most recognized quality seal after the organic label “Bio Suisse”. Thai health group Among the best-known on-pack labels, Toothfriendly also enjoys the second-high- est consumer confidence. says no to sugar
The majority of the respondents said that Toothfriendly International joins forces with the Toothfriendly logo plays a significant the Sweet Enough Network expert group to role in the decision to buy a product: 61% of promote sugar-free and toothfriendly confec- the respondents claimed willingness to pay tionery alternatives in Thailand. at least a small premium for products carry- ing the logo. The Sweet Enough Network was established in 2003, when a group of dentists, pediatri- cians and nutritionists initiated a working group to tackle the upsurge of health prob- “Consistent communication is one of the lems such as obesity, diabetes and dental caries resulting from high sugar consumption biggest factors in the logo’s success in in Thailand. The Sweet Enough Network aims to create social awareness and advocate Switzerland”, believes Corinne Voisard, for food control policies at local, national, and international levels. Project Manager of the Swiss Toothfriendly Association. “For nearly thirty years, we have In 2004, the network made a successful initiative to eliminate added sugar from infant focused on our core values, and communi- milk formula, resulting into a more restrictive food regulation issued by the Thai Minis- cated them consistently.” try of Public Health.
10 Toothfriendly News 1/2011 Foundation engages in Romanian salt fluoridation
Toothfriendly Foundation, the charitable arm of the Toothfriendly association, is advocating the launch of salt fluoridation in Romania. The country suffers from one of the worst caries prevalence figures in Europe and would greatly benefit from this automatic caries prevention method, states the World First Toothfriendly concept Health Organisation (WHO). The role of Toothfriendly Foundation is store opened in Germany to bring together all stakeholders from politicials and researchers to salt manufac- The first candy shop specialized in toothfriendly sweets was opened in Ham- turers and convince the parties to work on a burg last June by Tobias Elger. Being married to a dentist, Elger came across the sustainable and cost-effective solution. Find idea of a Toothfriendly candy shop after noticing that it was hard to find sugar- out more about the Foundation’s work at free sweets on the market. www.toothfriendly-foundation.org
“We offer products that are available nowhere else in Germany”, says Elger. “Our product range contains over hundred items from self-made chocolate to lollipops and gift items, all of it being Toothfriendly-endorsed.” The busi- ness concept is simple: “To stand out from the competition, we try to customize as much as possible. One of our most beloved items is the Toothfriendly party box, a custom-made candy- and-toy selection for mothers organizing a kids’ birthday party.”
Adding fun in the form of toppings, Elger has introduced chocolate with crushed candies, nuts and exotic spices. The seasonal selection includes a collection of chocolate frogs, advent calendars, and even collector’s tin boxes and women’s purses to sweeten up Christmas celebrations. To capture the attention of the media-savvy younger generation, the store also sells its products via an online shop (www.zahnfreundchenshop.de) and takes full use of virtual marketing channels such as Facebook and Twitter. See more at: www.zahnfreundchen.de New pH-telemetry test lab opens in Witten/Herdecke
The Dental Faculty of the University of Witten/Herdecke in Germany has opened a 20’000 x healthy teeth in Holland new test center for accrediting toothfriendly 20’000 Toothfriendly patient products. leaflets were distributed in The German test facility is the fifth in a the Netherlands through series of international plaque-pH telemetry dental health toolkits of stations (following Zürich, Jena, Sendai and Oral Comp. Beijing), disposing of state-of-the-art equip- ment needed to measure plaque-pH in vivo during and for thirty minutes after con- sumption of the product using an indwell- ing pH-electrode.
Toothfriendly News 1/2011 11