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posted by janrinok on Saturday July 04 2015, @05:21AM   Printer-friendly
from the slip-slidin'-away-pt2 dept.

Orkla Group has become the first food company to announce a deal with LiquiGlide Inc., which offers a non-stick coating for the inside of bottles and other food packaging:

Mayonnaise that does not get stuck in its container is being developed by a Norwegian company. Orkla is the first food manufacturer to announce a deal with US company Liquiglide to use its non-stick coating in product packaging. [...] Liquiglide says its coating is "completely harmless" and meets safety standards because it "can be made entirely from food".

The company was founded in 2012 to sell licences for a non-stick technology developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A customised version of the coating is created for each product, resulting in a "permanently wet" surface inside containers that helps the product slip out. It told the BBC it was working with 30 companies, including some of the biggest consumer brands in the US.
Orkla's food division generated more than 3bn krone (£246m) of sales in its last quarter. The company said it was still deciding exactly how it would use the technology in its products.

While reducing wasted product may benefit consumers, Liquiglide suggests it could also encourage shoppers to buy more frequently. The company states on its website: "Liquiglide makes dispensing product so easy that consumers actually tend to use it faster... it pushes consumers to an earlier repurchase point."

From a 2012 article:

The site claims the spray will work on glass, plastic, metal and ceramic surfaces and with any condiment — there's also a similar video showing LiquiGlide's use with mayonnaise. The LiquiGlide site says easy pours will not only prevent wasted quantities, but could also eliminate 25,000 tons of petroleum-based plastics by allowing the use of smaller caps.

While he wouldn't reveal its contents, [Massachusetts Institute of Technology PhD candidate Dave] Smith told Fast Company magazine that LiquiGlide has other potential uses, such as preventing clogs in oil and gas lines. "We've patented the hell out of it," he said.


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  • (Score: 5, Informative) by penguinoid on Saturday July 04 2015, @11:12AM

    by penguinoid (5331) on Saturday July 04 2015, @11:12AM (#204989)

    They may have gotten around that by explaining in detail the physical structure they use (basically, a surface that is rough at the micro level). Then they impregnate the surface with a matching (hydrophobic or oleophobic) fluid. Though it would seem to me that a "rough surface" shouldn't be patentable. What would seem to me is they should patent their method of making a rough surface. On the other hand, I can see why they might be able to make the whole thing edible (as in composed of food, not just made from something that used to be food).

    The patent [google.com]

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