Israeli tech start-up Melodea brings cellulose nanocrystal barrier coating to US market

20 Oct 2022 --- Melodea, an Israeli tech start-up, will bring its barrier coatings to US markets and build a manufacturing plant to support increased production capacity. The bio-based formula is derived from cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) to steer the barrier industry away from single-use plastic. 

The plant-based barrier coating is plastic-free and sourced from wood pulp for food, beverage, cosmetics and consumer goods packages. CNC can withstand high humidity and protects packed products from oxygen, water, oil and grease. 

“Melodea recognized the rising demand from the US market for sustainable packaging and therefore for sustainable barrier coatings that will enable the packaging industry to make eco-friendly recyclable packaging, Shaul Lapidot, CEO and co-founder of Melodea tells PackagingInsights.

“The new plant, combined with our newly established ties in the US, can potentially triple our manufacturing capacity to meet amplified demands. It also will shorten the travel and subsequent carbon footprint by bringing production closer to our main markets in South America and the US.” 

Melodea to being its plant-based barrier coatings to the US. Plant-based over plastic 
Cellulose is the primary building block of the cell walls of all plants, making it the most abundant biopolymer on the planet. The company reports that the global nanocellulose market is currently worth approximately US$346 million and is projected to grow to US$963 million by 2026. 

“CNC from naturally abundant and renewable cellulose is emerging as one of the most promising green solutions to help replace environmentally harmful materials,” says Lapidot.

The company states, “of the millions of [metric] tons of plastic waste generated yearly, single-use plastic packaging is the worst culprit.” At the same time, their barriers offer an alternative to plastic and aluminum for maintaining the quality and integrity of packaged foods. 

“Our coatings serve as an alternative to existing materials for packaging that are harmful to the environment such as plastic and aluminum. Therefore, the more Melodea’s coating products are on the market the less plastic and aluminum we will see on the shelves,” Lapidot continues.

“Our goal is to eliminate the generation of plastic waste that is polluting our environment both in the sea and land.”

Nanocrystal sourcing Melodea’s new US toll manufacturing plant will increase production capacity for US markets.
The company applies proprietary technology to extract cellulose nanocrystals from wood pulp sourced from trees grown in industrial forests. Since the barriers are plant-based, the company’s coating is biodegradable, fully recyclable and non-toxic to people or the environment.

“Our CNC is sustainably produced, recycling about 95% of the materials in the process, and its superior performance has been verified by academic research. CNC has great potential to turn the tide on the cascade of negative impacts from plastic pollution that have been a pressing environmental issue for too long,” says Zvika Weiss, CFO of Melodea. 

The new manufacturing plant will allow for the optimized production, shipping and easier logistics of its two main products: MelOx and VBcoat, released last year. MelOx protects packaged products from oxygen, oil, and grease transmission, while VBcoat counteracts water, oil and grease transference. 

The material is currently used in manufacturing paper-based pouches, lids, molded pulp trays, and more. 

Melodea recently collaborated with a manufacturer of plant-based fiber solutions. The company will produce and market various packaging products infused with Melodea’s VBcoat moisture barrier. The first product to be rolled out in that collaboration is a molded pulp-lined tray with Melodeas coating designed to replace existing plastic-based formats.

The company estimates it will be ready to start shipping locally from the US site within the next three to six months. 

“Our products will become more accessible and affordable to the US market. We expect this will result in the creation of various packaging products containing Melodea’s barrier coatings – and hopefully less plastic on the shelves,” concludes Lapidot. 

By Sabine Waldeck