The snack conglomerate is opening the center as a joint-venture partner with Hsu Fu Chi, a Chinese confectionery and snack manufacturer, in order to further research the science of “confectionery and ice cream”.

As Nestle already has some 8,000 brands of food in its coffers, we must ask the obvious question: what new flavors could we possibly expect from this new R&D center?

Since localization in China requires a harmonious balance of featured American product with Chinese characteristics, here’s a look at what may soon be conjured up by the confectionery wizards based on other East-West food product hybrids currently on sale in China.

Pepsi-Chicken Chips

People in China may be unaware of “tailgate parties”, but that doesn’t stop locals from making some delicious chicken wings. One of these recipes involves using cola in order to caramelize the wings, and it isn’t that strange once you’ve tried it… at least in the original form.

Possible Nestle R&D suggestions:

• Pepsi-Chicken Cheerios breakfast cereal
• Pepsi-Chicken Movenpick ice cream
• Pepsi-Chicken Nesquik

Numb and Spicy Hot Pot Chips

There are a lot of new flavor variations on potato chips that include blueberry, cucumber, and shrimp, so we thought we’d include this other one.

Hot pot is a popular choice for dining out in China, and the communal nature of a group huddled around a single stove is the same as that when sharing a single bag of chips, we’re sure.

Possible Nestle R&D suggestions:

• Hot Pot Hot Pockets (please make this a reality, if just for the alliteration)

Varied Oreo Cookie Flavors

The Chinese palate is acclimated to a different set of tastes from that of a North American consumer, and part of that has to do with the great variety of fruits that grow in Asia. We can see a variety of Oreo flavors here, so there’s no reason to believe the localization process couldn’t go further.

Possible Nestle R&D suggestions:

• Mango Aero chocolate bars
• Green Tea Butterfingers
• Durian Kit-Kat bar
• Jujube Smarties
• Lychee Libby’s Tea

Along with the Nescafe Coffee Center built last year in Yunnan, it looks like the science of snacks and refreshment is well-looked after in China at the moment.

Photos: IB Times, the Nanfang, gunaxin, China Daily

The summer holidays have ended and children have returned to the daily grind of school life. The only thing left to remind us that the school year is in full swing is a scandal, and we have one. Parents in the PRD have expressed concern about the cheap snacks sold around schools, fearing they are detrimental to children’s health, Southern Metropolis Daily reports.

Concerned parents have coined the term “Fifty-cent snacks” as a pun on “Fifty-cent party member,” a term used to describe an internet sock puppet.

“I prefer to take my son home directly after school because I don’t want him to buy cheap snacks from any of the nearby vendors. Those snacks cannot be healthy,” said Wu, the mother of a primary school student in Dongguan, she finds her son likes to buy snacks from nearby shops, “each snack costs between 0.5 and 1 yuan, making it easy for a child to purchase,” Wu added.

The “50-cent snacks” are mostly sold in convenience stores, with colorful packages and low prices. The owner of one of the stores told a reporter from Southern Metropolis Daily that they had never given any thought to where the snacks came from. “If the packages have a sign saying ‘QS’ (which means production permission), it should be safe. This means it has gone through a government check,” said one store owner.

However, according to a recently-published food safety report, the snacks contain at least 15 additives, such as pigments, sweeteners and preservatives. The additives could harm an adult’s body, let alone a kid’s.

The issue of school snacks is also an issue in the United States, where a push is on for schools to serve healthier meals to students.