We gave ICE a voice

Nicopouches talks to Thor and Bjarni of Icelandic nicotine brand pouches ICE. In this interview, they look back at their beginnings in the world of pouches In this interview, they talk about their beginnings in the world of nicotine, explain in detail the manufacturing process of their pouches nicotine and explain the methods they use to develop new flavors. Find out everything that makes ICE one of the best pouches nicotine brands on the market!

ICE is a brand of nicotine pouches from Iceland

Why not introduce yourself? 

Thor: My name is Thor, and I'm the CEO and founder of ICE. I oversee all operations within the company and our factory. Together with Sölvi Geir Ottesen, co-owner of ICE, we have joined forces to launch this project. Some of you may know Sölvi from his career as a professional footballer, or as a player in the Icelandic national team that "gifted" England on a platter at the Euro 2016 soccer tournament in France.

Bjarni: My name is Bjarni. I'm the Sales Manager and I also oversee the company's marketing, logistics and communications. My responsibilities include overseeing communication with our partners, planning and implementing marketing actions both internally and in collaboration with our partners, handling shipping logistics and dealing with a large number of technical issues.

 Bjarni (Sales Manager) and Thor (ICE founder)

Which ICE flavor do you prefer? pouches do you use per day on average?

Thor: I alternate between Frost and Habanero Sunset. I'd say on average I use about 30 pouches a day and I usually have a pouch under my lip at all times.

Bjarni: I use a little less nicotine pouches, I consume about a can of 15 to 20 pouches a day. I prefer pouches with milder flavors without mint. Lemon Berry was my favorite, but at the moment I mostly use Jalapeno Lime, which is currently a special product for Iceland. 

Bjarni and Thor's favorite nicotine pouches

"When we finally got the license,
we managed to start production at the end of 2019
and since then we've been steadily increasing
our production capacities."

Tell us about the ICE story. Why did you decide to embark on the nicotine adventure pouches ? 

Thor: Originally, I intended to open a snus factory (in 2018), when nicotine products were about to hit the market. pouches were about to appear on the market, so I quickly changed my objective to produce them in collaboration with Sölvi. I began studying the manufacturing processes and the technical specifications of the machines, and at the same time working on the formulations with our flavourist Daði. It took us some time to get started, as Iceland had no precedent or regulatory framework for importing or manufacturing nicotine products, and it also took some time to advance the project with the local authorities. When we finally obtained the license, we managed to start production at the end of 2019, and since then we've been steadily increasing our production capacity and expanding our scope.

Bjarni: I joined the company somewhat by chance. I'd worked in the music and entertainment industry for 16 years, mainly organizing and managing concerts, then planning and running festivals, but when Covid came along, that industry came to a standstill and I found myself unemployed for the first time in my life. I met Thor by chance outside a restaurant. He needed someone to take charge of a grant application for the brand, which I accepted. After getting to know the operations and the company, Thor hired me because my skills were a perfect match for the company's needs.

We've been friends for over 20 years, so it was a great opportunity to work on something new and interesting with good people. It's great to be able to work with good friends on such a challenging project.

"A great deal of research and testing
went into finding
the right materials and ingredients
to make
a quality product." 

By the way: how are pouches of nicotine? 

Thor: To say the least, there was a learning curve at the beginning. A lot of research and testing was required to find the right materials and ingredients to make a quality product, and to ensure that everything worked in harmony with our machines and production facilities. The formulation of the mix and the powder itself required meticulous research, as all the ingredients have to work perfectly together to give the desired result. Fortunately, our flavourist Daði had this knowledge thanks to his previous experience in the pharmaceutical industry. 

Some new ICE products

The actual manufacturing process involves five stages. 

1. Mix the formulation ingredients and convert them into MCC powder in a ribbon blender.
2. The powder obtained is conveyed to the pouches where air is used to introduce the powder into the non-woven fabric.
3. The lower half of the can is conveyed to the production line using a cans elevator and filled by the packaging machine. pouchespackaging machine, where it undergoes quality control before being sealed by a capping machine.
4. The cans are weighed on a checkweigher to ensure they meet specifications, then fed to the labeler and sealed with a side label to ensure optimum freshness, followed by a warning label on the bottom and a label on the top.
5. The fully labeled and inspected can is conveyed to a belt sealer, which places 10 cans in heat-sealed plastic in a shrink tunnel, then rolls of 10 cans packed in cans of 24 rolls for storage, sale and export. 

"We have around 300 formulas
and formula ideas ready to go."

How do you go about developing new flavors? 

Thor: We're constantly testing ideas and new formulations, and hold regular brainstorming sessions within the team. Of course, we monitor the market and our own sales statistics to decide what to make. We like to be creative with our products and a good example of this is the infusion of chilli pepper into our formulations to add "spice" and flavour as with the Freeze Reaper and Habanero Sunset references.

Bjarni: Yes, we have around 300 formulas and formula ideas ready and registered for licensed manufacture with local authorities. We hand-make small batches to test them, and if they prove to be good, we shortlist them for future production. We have some crazy ideas that have been listed. It will be interesting to see how they turn out, and as we are our own test subjects, so yes, it is interesting.

Which pouches nicotine model are you most proud of?

Thor: To be honest, we're very satisfied with all the products we currently make. Thanks to research, trials and our mistakes too, the quality of the products we make today is excellent. Thanks to research into ingredient combinations, we've managed to adjust nicotine and flavor delivery to the desired effect, without any leakage.

Bjarni: I'm not very involved in the manufacturing itself, but I agree with Thor, the quality of the product is now excellent and, of course, I'm biased, but I prefer our pouches than all the others, because I don't like the salty taste of some pouches or artificial flavors. I also think the nicotine release we've managed to achieve is excellent, I like having a little kick with a long-lasting release. Of course, everyone's free to make their own choices, but we've strived to achieve the most natural taste possible with our flavouring partners. I love the look of our cans and the way our design team has managed to give the product an icicle effect with the cans and transparent labels. I think it gives our brand a unique aesthetic.

Ready for shipment! 

"We sponsored Kaya FC,
one of the leading
soccer clubs in the Philippines." 

Nicotine pouches is a low-risk alternative to tobacco products. What other values does ICE stand for? 

Bjarni: Our core values and brand ethos focus on good quality, good service, customer satisfaction and social responsibility. We believe that brands should act reactively, for example by not producing products that go to insane levels of nicotine concentration, as some brands do with concentrations of over 50 mg/g, which is borderline dangerous when you consider the proposed daily limit for consumption.

Thor: I agree with Bjarni's comments, as it is our responsibility as manufacturers to ensure the safety of our customers, those around them and society as a whole. There have been too many incidents in which children have accidentally eaten pouches because they were not disposed of properly...

Bjarni: A quick note: use the airtight compartment of your can as an extra garbage can to dispose of pouches or a garbage can so that they don't pollute the environment and cause this kind of incident with minors or animals...

Thor: Exactly, some brands use "cartoony" visuals that appeal to children or could be mistaken for candy, this is all too common and really irresponsible.

Bjarni: Yes, it's not in the industry's interest, or from a health point of view, not to minimize all possible risks. We also like, as far as we can, to support good causes through gifts or sponsorship. For example, in collaboration with our partners Smokeless Philippines, we sponsored Kaya FC, one of the Philippines' leading soccer clubs. I'm quite proud that we were able to do this.

KAYA FC plays in the 1st division of the Philippine championship

Thor : Yes, it's the same thing. I'd also like to thank Smokeless and Kaya for the opportunity and the positive feedback, it's nice to be able to support and work with them. We really should ask Sölvi to organize a friendly match between Kaya and Víkingur, the team he coaches in Iceland.

Bjarni: Honestly, I couldn't agree more!

Finally, are you planning any new flavors for 2023?

Thor: We always have something in the pipeline, and right now we're launching a flavour of the month in Iceland to gauge consumer interest in new flavours. Those that are well received will be produced locally and, if interest warrants, we'll consider marketing them internationally.

Bjarni: To be honest, the first two flavors of the month, Jalapeno Lime and Salt Liquorice, are my immediate favorites, and I hope they stay that way. We're lucky with the local market because Iceland is a small country, so we have easy access to customer feedback. Apparently, 40% of the male population aged between 19 and 40 use pouches every day, which is a very important demographic to study. 

Thor: That's exactly right. It remains to be seen whether there will be more international flavors this year, so keep your eyes peeled for news.

Bjarni: Yes, and some markets ask us for unique flavors for their markets. We're always ready to work with our partners on ideas and listen to our customers' needs. Innovation and growth are key to success, and I'm always ready to try something new myself. I've tried so many great things... and some of them have been...

Thor: Hahaha, remember those pate en croûte and haggish flavors we had as samples?

Bjarni: No, I've tried to forget that experience, I still have nightmares about the Yorkshire pudding one.

Thor: Yes, it was horrible, but if you don't try, you won't know.

Bjarni: It was pretty bad... it was horrible, yes.

Thor: That's why you tested them, since you've done a lot of work in the UK.

Bjarni: Thank you. I'm so glad I tasted this that my taste buds are still mutilated haha!

Thor : You're welcome... On a more serious note, these experiences have also enabled us to be what we are today. Creating something from "0", starting from the ground up and knowing where we want to go, while drawing on our experiences and knowing that people appreciate the work we do, is something very rewarding. We're lucky to have had this opportunity, and to be a well-known and serious player in our field today makes us very happy. 

To conclude this interview I'd like to thank Nicoswitch for their trust, support and this new partnership.

Bjarni: Yes, that's great, big love to the whole Nicopouches team. MIC DROP !

* The nicotine contained in this product is highly addictive. Its use by non-smokers is not recommended. Exclusively intended for sale to adults.