Somerfield and packaging company Long Life Solutions are trialing packaging that could significantly cut down on the costly wastage factor in the fresh produce industry.
The two companies have secured funding of £170,944 from WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) to support the £500,000 trial of a new plastic film for fresh produce packaging.
The new research project aims to create an environment-friendly, generic packaging that extends the freshness of fruit and vegetables using natural, activated earth concentrate to create tiny fractures in the packaging film or sheet. Once produce is encased, the fractures allow it to manage its own atmosphere and, through its biofeedback mechanism, to effectively hibernate, thus creating suspended animation. This interactive process, allows produce to create its own natural environment and gas ratio throughout the distribution chain.
It is the first project aimed specifically at reducing food waste to receive funding from WRAP’s Waste Minimisation Innovation Fund (WMIF).
It is estimated that around five million tonnes of food ends up in UK household bins each year - £424 of food per person. Fresh fruit and vegetables are the most commonly discarded food, making this a key area of focus for WRAP.
The project, led by Long Life Solutions, aims to improve the quality and life span of fresh produce, decreasing product loss in both supermarkets and homes. The film being trialled is strong, but also thinner gauge than standard film, allowing for a reduction in the total amount of packaging required if trials prove successful.
The trials will initially run across four of Somerfield’s fruit and vegetable products and monitor how much food waste is reduced both at home and in store. Stephen Ridge, Somerfield’s technical solutions director, said: “The potential reduction in waste in fruit and vegetables is huge, both in store for Somerfield and for our customers in the home.”
Andrew Wright, ceo of Long Life Solutions, said: “The reduction of waste for both the retailer and the consumer should be achieved by creating a more natural and healthy packaging environment without altering that environment through the introduction of external commercial gases, chemicals, dips or other foreign substances.”
As part of this project, detailed analysis is being carried out by Writtle College’s Postharvest Unit to fully understand any actual effect on the fruit and vegetables being trialled. Writtle’s Dr Chris Bishop said: “The project will draw on our expertise in packaging testing, evaluation and shelf-life replication. We will be able to understand if quality of product is affected and the number of extra days that can be achieved through the use of this smart packaging.”
Launched in November 2004, WRAP’s WMIF is an opportunity for the retail sector to access support to kick-start innovation in packaging design. So far, 28 projects have been approved, with combined funding of £4.2m, and the potential to deliver a reduction of over 500,000t of household waste. This is assuming they prove to be successful and the findings are taken up as standard practice across the retail sector.
A further raft of funding was announced last month. Applications are open until April 20 for packaging innovation tenders.
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