Product Type: All
Stage: Production & Harvesting, Handling & Storage, Distribution & Marketing, Consumption
Problem: Spoilage of food on the shelf, in packaging
Solution: Research packaging technologies which slow the decay and spoilage of fruit, meat, and other food products

1. Improving the shelf life of food is highly variable by product and targeted research will therefore be needed for multiple products. The upfront cost is mostly borne by businesses and may be a barrier to research.
   
2. Spoilage-reducing packaging technology is estimated to reduce waste by about 72 thousand tons in the United States.
   
3. Retailers and manufacturers may be able to distribute the cost of research and development through consumer studies on willingness to pay for increased prices from extended shelf-life packaging.
4. Multiple technologies are in development. It’s Fresh! Is an ethylene removal-based method where an insert is added to packages which extends shelf life, similar to the concept of silica gel packages. BluWrap is a production chain-based technology which reduces oxygen in packages of protein products in-transit through atmosphere control technology to reduce loss and waste.
   Fenugreen FreshPaper sheets are natural packaging inserts based on spoilage-reducing spices that keep produce fresh on the shelf for 2-4 times longer.