What's the Problem?

The fresh packaged food industry faces the challenge of reducing spoilage caused by contaminating microorganisms. To extend the shelf-life of products, manufacturers often use chemical preservatives in their recipes, package products in modified atmospheres, and employ fast but costly supply chains. Additionally, consumers are increasingly demanding food products with fewer additives and cleaner labels. Despite these strategies, reducing food waste remains a significant challenge. For example, in the bread industry alone, 10 bn USD worth of products are wasted annually out of 185 million tons produced.

How are they Solving it?

We are developing gaseous bio-preservatives based on bacterial volatile compounds, designed to eliminate food-contaminating microorganisms and extend product shelf-life. These gases dissipate upon opening the package, leaving no residue and ensuring that the product's taste and smell remain unaltered. Our approach involves creating a platform to design customized preservatives tailored to each food type. By leveraging bioinformatics and repositories of bacteria capable of producing volatiles, we are able to design targeted solutions for various industries. Our initial BioBlend for the bread industry has successfully inhibited the growth of one of the most common fungi and prevented the formation of spores, the structures responsible for its reproduction and environmental spread.

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Protiva

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