Gumnut Biscuits

This is an extract from a "Wrap Rage" a Packaging review written by Kate Brown for choicemagazine.com.au , 18 Feb 2013.
I found it very useful research as as well as a motivator to try and solve social issues through packaging design.
The link to the review was sent to me by Constance Docos.

"Gumnut Biscuits, a small Victorian biscuit manufacturer, holds a contract with NSW Health supplying biscuits to hospitals for patients, many of whom are elderly. The Garling Inquiry, released in 2008, heard elderly people were struggling to open and eat their food in public hospitals. 

Mathew McAlpin, CEO of Gumnut Country Bakehouse, concedes he was initially apprehensive about participating in Arthritis Australia’s program, particularly due to the costs of resetting machines and production. However, McAlpin says feedback from the changes has been so positive that the company has now re-designed its hospitality range as well, arguing “our packaging is now a selling point”. 

The redesigned biscuit packets were assessed by a scale developed by US University Georgia Tech for accessible packaging and hold the highest rating (+8), which means they should be opened easily by 95% of the population"