Fresh Solutions - A fresh approach to packaging food

食物浪费是一个具有全球意义的问题，影响着粮食安全和环境可持续性。英国家庭每年产生超过730万吨的食品和饮料垃圾，其中约60%来自产品“未及时使用”（可避免的浪费），每户价值约为480英镑，其中大部分是短保质期的冷藏产品。零售业也面临着类似的挑战，乐购表示，68%的袋装沙拉最终被丢弃，其中33%的浪费发生在沙拉到达家庭之前。对于某些产品来说，即使是延长1天的保质期也可以减少生产后（零售和家庭）浪费高达50%。**这是一个遍及所有食品后期供应链的全球性问题，提供延长保质期以减少食物浪费的创新被视为零售行业的“圣杯”。**尽管解决食物浪费挑战的规模和迫切需要，但由于无法有效控制产品的气体和水分，很少有解决方案可以提供比当前水平更大的进一步扩展。通过结合Evap薄膜（可以定制水汽透过率，限制冷凝但防止脱水）和一种新型的高精度和一致的激光穿孔系统（可以创造最佳的大气条件），Fresh Solutions能够完全控制冷凝的有害影响。热冲击和新鲜农产品的呼吸速率有助于包装中水分的积累和霉菌/细菌的生长，从而提供远远超出当前方法的货架寿命延长。尽管在超市试验中取得了成功（持续延长2-10天），但阻碍市场推广的一个关键障碍是Evap薄膜目前的成本，目前是传统薄膜的2.5倍。通过与Proseal（领先的托盘密封公司）合作，Four04的目标是在制造过程中实现一个步骤的改变，以提高效率，消除过程中的步骤，并进一步开发材料本身。通过降低材料的最终销售价格和扩大市场应用，在项目结束时快速渗透将成为可能，有可能真正颠覆新鲜产品和沙拉包装市场，造福消费者和零售商，并解决一个重大的全球挑战。在更广泛的食品市场（烘焙食品、肉类、鱼类）和医疗专业袋（结肠造口术、尸体袋）上有更大的潜力。

Food waste is an issue of global significance, affecting food security and environmental sustainability. Every year over 7.3 million tonnes of food and drink waste is generated by UK households, of which approximately 60% arises from products 'not used in time' (avoidable waste), with a value approximately £480 per household, the majority of which are short shelf-life chilled products. Similar challenges are found within the Retail sector with, Tescos stating that 68% of all salad grown for bagged salads ends up being discarded - with 33% of that waste occurring before the salad reaches households. Even a 1-day shelf-life increase could reduce post-production (retail and household) waste by up to 50% for some products. **A global issue ubiquitous across all post-production food supply-chains, innovations that offer shelf-life extension to reduce food waste are viewed as the 'holy grail' within the retail sector.** Despite the scale and the immediate need to address the food waste challenge, few solutions can offer significant further extension beyond current levels primarily due to an inability to effectively control BOTH gas & moisture of the product. Through the combination of the Evap film, which allows the moisture vapour transmission rate to be tailored, limiting condensation but preventing dehydration, and a novel highly accurate and consistent laser perforation system to create optimum atmospheric conditions, Fresh Solutions is able to fully control the detrimental effect of condensation, thermal shock and the respiration rate of fresh produce which contribute to the build-up of moisture in the packs and mould/bacterial growth and in doing so offering a shelf life extension far beyond current approaches. Despite success in supermarket trials (consistent 2-10 days extension achieved), a key barrier preventing market uptake is the current cost of Evap film which is currently 2.5 times that of conventional film. In collaboration with Proseal (leading tray sealer), Four04 aim to deliver a step change in the manufacturing process to improve efficiencies, eliminating steps in the process and further develop the material itself. By reducing the final sale price of the material & extending market application, rapid penetration will be possible upon project end with potential to truly disrupt the Fresh Products and Salads packaging market for the benefit of consumers and retailers and addressing a major Global challenge. Wider potential across broader food markets (baked good, meat, fish) and medical speciality bags (colostomy, cadaver bags).