Free Wonderbag for shoppers

The project is a partnership between Unilever's Rajah food brand, Shoprite and Natural Balance, the manufacturers of the Wonderbag.

Ethne Whitley, spokesperson for Unilever says the company expects thousands of Wonderbags to be distributed throughout the province before the end of November 2011.

"The Wonderbag cooking method has taken off locally and internationally, and makes cooking easier, safer and more convenient," she says.

"During the next few months we'll be promoting the benefits of cooking with the Wonderbag, helping consumers to put hearty, nutritious meals on the table at less cost to the family budget and less cost to the environment too."

Introducing consumers to the concept of the environmentally friendly Wonderbag, Sarah Collins, CEO of Natural Balance says Wonderbag is the company's flagship project that has been making a huge difference to cooking habits worldwide.

“The Wonderbag is a heat retention cooker that reduces cooking fuel consumption by nearly half, as well saving on CO2 emissions, electricity and paraffin. This translates to a saving of at least R90 per month for paraffin users and at least R30 per month for electricity users. 

“Because of the slow cooking method, the food retains nutrients, flavour and texture. It also results in improved air quality in homes by reducing smoke from cooking fires and there is a reduced risk of shack fires caused by paraffin stoves. The Wonderbag makes kitchens safer for children and results in tasty, nutritious food for the family. 

Whitley concludes, "The current consumer project taking place via Shoprite stores in KZN is expected to make a huge difference to consumers' cooking habits. The Wonderbag has been improving the quality of people's lives by helping to ease the burden of food preparation. Now the Rajah/Wonderbag project will make a huge difference to family budgets in KZN. Rajah is delighted to be able to assist consumers during these economically stressful times."

Consumers will receive their free Wonderbag at Shoprite stores throughout the province when they purchase three 200g packs of Rajah Curry Powder.

What is the Wonderbag™? 

The Wonderbag™ is a heat-retention cooker that requires only enough heat to start the cooking process. Because of its insulating properties the bag retains the heat and completes the cooking process with no further electricity needed.

Cooking food in the Wonderbag™ is a two-step process:

1. Bring your dish to the boil on the stovetop and let it boil for a few minutes. The stovetop time depends on the ingredients. A pot of rice, for instance, only requires five minutes, while a meat stew will have to boil for about 30 minutes.

2. Transfer the pot into the Wonderbag™, close tightly and leave it to cook. This cooking method is ideally suited to rice, pap, soups, vegetables, meat and vegetable stews and casseroles. Because of the slow-cooking method, the food retains its nutrients and texture, resulting in truly appetising meals. 

Due to its insulating properties, the Wonderbag™ also keeps cold and frozen foodstuffs cold for several hours. 

Two independent studies conducted in 2009 found that, with regular use, the Wonderbag™ can save at least 15kW/h of electricity and 1,6 litres of paraffin a week.

Due to its potential to mitigate the effects of climate change, the Wonderbag™ project is being registered by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as a programmatic Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project. This means that for every bag sold, verified carbon offsets will be traded on the international market.

TheWonderbag™ benefits communities and the environment through:

1. Improved air quality in homes by reducing smoke from cooking fires.

2. Reduced risk of shack fires caused by paraffin stoves.

3. Households can save around 50% of energy used for cooking. The resultant cost savings empower communities by increasing the cash available for discretionary expenses.

4. Tasty, nutritious meals that can be prepared ahead of time.

5. Reduced food wastage as food cannot burn or overcook.

6. The cooling properties allow people dependant on public transport to bring their food purchases home before they spoil.

7. The manufacturing process creates jobs and develops skills.

8. With regular use, one Wonderbag™ can avoid one ton of carbon emissions every two years.

9. Reduced total community demand for wood as fuel in rural areas promotes forest regrowth and biodiversity.

10. Polystyrene is re-used instead of being dumped in landfill sites.