SavrPak pilots food waste prevention bags amid P&G award funding and COVID-19 demands
19 Jan 2021 --- Food waste prevention specialist SavrPak is piloting its patented packaging technology with restaurants, delivery apps and major food distributors as the knock-on effects of COVID-19 lockdowns continue to drive home delivery across the US.
The company recently won a P&G Ventures Innovation Challenge and was awarded US$10,000 to fund its expansion.
PackagingInsights talks to Grant Stafford, co-CEO of SavrPak, about how the company plans to capitalize on the situation and drive down the endemic issue of global food waste.
“SAVRpak has seen incredible demand from local restaurants and national chains who are depending on takeout and delivery food to keep their businesses afloat. Our technology can ensure to-go food tastes the same as it would in the restaurant – meaning no more soggy French fries or wilted salads.”
Created using chemical-free, food-grade materials and a peel and stick patch, the SavrPak bags trap moisture away from stored food to prevent it from going soggy and spoiling.
The current product is also recyclable, he says, and in the process of receiving a biodegradable certificate for the next version of the product.
Tried and tested
Stafford emphasizes the packs have stood up to scientific testing, which has shown its capacity to extend shelf life by 10 to 14 days.
“SAVRpak and independent test kitchens have conducted rigorous testing on the food packaging technology, which have shown consistent and repeatable results.”
SavrPak boasts shelf life extensions of up to 14 days on food products.
“For example, in takeout and delivery use cases, SAVRpak has consistently proven to reduce humidity in a container by up to 45 percent immediately, keeping food fresher and crisper far beyond any other solution on the market.”
“At home, SAVRpak extends food's life by up to 50 percent, whether it’s in a fridge or in a lunch container. In grocery stores, SAVRpak helps produce such as leafy greens, as well as prepared food, stay fresh longer, minimizing humidity and microbes.”
Waste from restaurants to kitchens
Stafford says supermarket retail is the “next frontier” for SAVRpak. The company expects to launch its first consumer product in the first half of 2022.
The SavrPak seal is recyclable and uses temperature to trap moisture away from food.
“SAVRpak could play a major role in curbing the food waste crisis in the US, as the country currently throws away over 80 billion pounds of food each year,” he asserts.
Last year, the company expected to grow its production capacity to 15 million units per month by the start of 2021.
Tech leaps for food saving
SAVRpak’s expansion into the consumer retail space and potential for aiding the agriculture industry meet an expanding field of technology seeking to prevent food loss worldwide.
Notable examples include the EU-funded NanoPack project, for which an essential oils film has been developed, showing the ability to extend the shelf life of cheese by up to 50 percent.
Antimicrobial packaging, which contains antimicrobials that kill pathogens and foodborne diseases, is seeing a huge rise amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Fears over the transmission of diseases are abounding, and the demand for new technologies such as SavrPak are meeting these consumer concerns, Stafford concludes.
By Louis Gore-Langton
