SPC ProVital Fruit Cup^ achieves the highest possible score in packaging accessibility

By ahhb
Tuesday, 15 March, 2016

In a recent scientific review, Georgia Tech Research Institute, in collaboration with Arthritis Australia, analysed the ease of use of SPC ProVital Fruit Cup against comparable products, applying an Accessibility Benchmarking Scale ranging -8 to +8.

SPC ProVital Fruit Cup^ achieved the highest possible accessibility rating +8 – meaning it is universally easy to use and that 95% of the population can easily open this packaging.
SPC has specifically developed easy open packaging using guidelines from Arthritis Australia for consumers with fine motor difficulties.
In the past fifty years, the number of people in Australia aged 65 and over has more than tripled. This equates to approximately 3.4 million as of 2014¹ (over 14% of the population.)
The most commonly reported condition affecting half of all people aged 65 and over² is arthritis.
While the ageing population makes up a significant segment of our population, this particular group is often overlooked when it comes to nutrition and accessible packaging design. While there are a number of facilities who cater to elderly people with fine motor skill difficulties, hard-to-open food packaging is not uncommon, and often serves as a source of frustration to this generation.
“In a hospital or an aged-care facility, every meal should be an opportunity for patients to consume maximum nutrition. Encouraging new food delivery and packaging innovations is definitely a step in the right direction.”
SPC ProVital is an

Australian Innovation

Australian Made

Australian Fruit*

Australian Quality

Key features of the SPC ProVital portion control fruit cups include

100% Australian Fruit*

Portion controlled to deliver one serve of fruit

A textured and lengthened pull tab for easier grip

Extra-large font for improved legibility

About SPC
SPC Ardmona has been committed to bringing premium packed fruit and vegetables to Australians for nearly 100 years. The company’s iconic food brands, Ardmona^®, GOULBURN VALLEY^®, IXL^®, SPC^® and TAYLOR’S^® are strong performers in their product categories and are further developed and supported by continued investments in both marketing and product innovations. SPC Ardmona is owned by Australian-listed company Coca-Cola Amatil. About SPC ProVital: SPC ProVital delivers a range of expertly tailored and nutritionally optimised fruit products to help you maintain vitality, health and wellness, while enjoying the delicious taste of Australian fruits.
References
1. The Australian Government Treasury, Australia’s Demographic Challenges (http://demographics.treasury.gov.au/content/_download/australias_ demographic_challenges/html/adc-04.asp), Accessed 11 Jan 2016
2. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2015 (http://www.aihw.gov.au/ageing/) Accessed 23 September 2015.
3. AIHW 2014. Australia’s health 2014. Australia’s health no. 14. Cat. no. AUS 178. Canberra: AIHW.
^ Product samples of the SPC ProVital Fruit Cup were submitted to the Accessibility Facility at the Georgia Tech Research Institute for testing. The purpose of the testing was to determine the accessibility and ease of use of the product for people with arthritis. The SPC ProVital Apple Fruit Cup received a favorable review.
The Accessibility Benchmarking Scale has a range of criteria that must be met to be eligible for scoring, with scores ranging from a -8 all the way up to a + 8 rating.
* excluding the fruit salad which has imported pineapple
+ excluding short and long-sightedness

Professor David Hunter, arthritis expert, Head of the Rheumatology Department, Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney:
“The impact of musculoskeletal diseases like osteoarthritis pose a huge health burden to Australian society, second only to mental health.

If you’d like more information about how you can provide quality nutrition to your patients, visit the SPC ProVital website today www.spc.com.au