Today is Stop Food Waste Day, and Polish tech company Fresh Inset is spotlighting its Vidre+ technology, which it says is “transforming the battle against food waste” with a sticker inside the packaging that shields fresh produce from ethylene, the gas that hastens ripening and spoilage.

Initiated in 2017 by Compass Group, April 24 is now recognized globally to draw attention to the issues of food waste, engage with society and share practical, creative and impactful ways to drive behavioral change.

Packaging Insights speaks to Tim Malefyt, global director for R&D in international markets of Fresh Inset, to find out how packaging can play a role in minimizing food waste.

Vidre+ was designed to address the issue of spoilage in fresh produce by employing 1-Methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) technology in a user-friendly sticker format that can be stuck inside the packs. 1-MCP is a post-harvest regulator for counteracting undesirable effects of ethylene released by fruits and vegetables.

“Fresh Inset focuses on the stages along the supply chain and focuses our effort with Vidre+ to prevent waste,” explains Malefyt.

“Yet, since the topic is very close to us, we study other pain points adding to food waste. One of them is the misunderstanding of expiration labels. We support education and raise awareness within our channels, such as our blog, social media and [interviews] like this one.”

How effective is Vidre+ technology in reducing food waste along the supply chain?
Malefyt: The application of Vidre+ can have a place at every stage of the supply chain. It can be used right after harvest as well as during transport or storage before sale. Distributors or producers of fruit and vegetables can place stickers.

It gives an extra few to several dozen days to freshly harvested produce, keeps its quality and nutritional value and remains fit for the market.

For example, [as per our tests]: Untreated blueberries began to soften after 21 days vs. 35 days for treated ones, Vidre+ extended the shelf life of pears and apples by more than 30 days at room temperature, and reduced lime fruit quality losses by more than half. Vidre+ has also been effective in delaying the post-harvest ripening of avocados.

What measures are being taken to ensure equitable access for smaller-scale farmers or regions with limited resources?
Malefyt: First and foremost, Vidre+ technology is easy to use. It doesn’t require any additional infrastructure or expenditure to be used. In addition, Vidre+ will be available to all farmers via local distributors in all regions. The simple-to-use sticker format triggers the timed and gradual release of 1-MCP inside the packaging without leaving any residue.

To enlarge our impact, we partner with other companies, such as Jassen PMP (a division of Janssen Pharmaceutica, one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson).

Vidre+ has been patented in over 50 countries and is currently available in South America and South Asian markets. Also, Fresh Inset is a member of the International Fresh Produce Association and Greentown Labs.

What are the challenges in gaining regulatory approval, and how might these impact global implementation?
Malefyt: Studies conducted across five continents have demonstrated its effectiveness on a wide range of crops.

Fresh Inset fully engages with all local food safety agencies as we bring Vidre+ into various markets worldwide.

The time required for local approval processes varies significantly by country, but most require about one to two years. Implementation of the technology will follow all these food safety approval processes.