In today's snack food market, technology is important. Every factory needs efficiency, hygiene, accuracy and high production levels to stay competitive. But, although machines are important, it's creativity that really matters. Innovation makes the difference between good, and extraordinary.

There is no better example than GEA's new Cinderella's Slipper snacks.
No, it's not a fairy story, it's real.

The challenge was simple: to make a snack that could be dipped into any sauce - spicy, sweet or savory without getting fingers coated. It had to hold on to the sauce for the best possible eating experience. It needed to be versatile enough to be accepted in all cultures, worldwide. It must taste great. And, it was required as quickly as possible.

But GEA already had experience in the necessary techniques having previously industrialized Mexican tortilla cones and Golgappa, an Indian, fried puffball snack made from semolina and filled with a range of sweet or savory chutneys. But, rather than just try to reproduce something similar, the GEA R&D department set about creating something better. A snack, for dipping, rather than filling; one that could be made from a range of raw materials such as cereals or high-protein pulses; a snack that could be crispy or soft that would be accepted worldwide; and, importantly, one that is easy to make.

Davide di Nunno, R&D Director for GEA Extruded Food Technologies, said that his team had something of a head start. "The latest technology and know-how was already available to us, all that was missing was the idea. We started out looking for a spoon and found a slipper."

As you might expect, the Cinderella snacks are shaped just like the princess's glass slipper. "The slipper shape was the format the market needed but didn't know it wanted yet," said Davide. The tip of the slipper is ideally shaped to scoop up a generous helping of the delicious sauce, while the heel is easy to hold onto without dipping the fingers as well. "It fits perfectly", as the prince in the story might have said.

The next job was to make it fit different cultures too. For example, Asian countries prefer a soft, "melt-in-the-mouth" snack; whereas Latin countries like more of a crunch with a texture that lasts longer.

Theresa Piromalli, R&D Analytical Laboratory Manager at GEA Extruded Food Technologies explained: "Thanks to the costant research and studies on raw materials that we conduct every day in the Analytical Laboratory here at GEA, we were able to define which recipes are most commonly used in the different geographical areas and reformulate them to fit the Cinderella's Slipper format." The new snack can, therefore, be made from a wide variety of raw materials allowing the tastes and expectations of any consumer to be met. It is also possible to use high protein ingredients, such as legume flours, for added nutritional value.