Project description
Plant-based edible protection for fresh produce
Fresh vegetables spoil days after harvest. Plastic wrap is often used to slow this process, but most of it is fossil-based and difficult to recycle. This reflects two big challenges: food waste and plastic pollution. Funded by the European Innovation Council, the CRISP project is developing edible, plant-based protection for fresh produce. The first commercial application was on cucumbers, tested at industrial scale in 2025. CRISP is now developing tailored formulations for additional crops such as peppers, bananas and eggplants as well as application equipment for large-scale deployment. This technology will reduce food waste and eliminate the need for plastic packaging, demonstrating a pathway to more sustainable fresh produce aisles.
Objective
After harvest, it is difficult to maintain freshness of produce. An estimated 45% of fruit and vegetables go to waste every year. Currently, plastic packaging is the state-of-the-art to extend the shelf life of fruit and vegetables. However, plastic packaging waste is rarely recycled and is environmentally damaging; burning of plastics, leaching into groundwater from landfill and microplastic particles cause harm to the environment, and human health. Legislation in the EU is already addressing consumer concerns by restricting single use plastic packaging for fruits and vegetables. There is an urgent need from the fruit/vegetable sector for an alternative to plastic. Saveggy has developed an edible, biodegradable, plant-based coating for fruits and vegetables to reduce both food and packaging waste. It is the first and only alternative that offers a shelf life comparable to plastic packaging, and the only coating currently in development that is using 100% plant based, EFSA compliant food ingredients without any additives. The tasteless coating offers protection against dehydration, oxidation, mechanical damage, and microorganisms, extending the average shelf life of fruits and vegetables from 3-4 days to 10-14 days. Currently, Saveggy has developed and optimised a cucumber coating which will enter the market in 2024 (24 tonnes of coating). With EIC's support, we will 1) further develop formulations for other fruits and vegetables: bell pepper, banana, and eggplant, 2) develop coating application machinery, and 3) develop large-scale coating production. Our cucumber coating will be sold for €14-17/L (~€0.04-0.05/item compared to €0.02 for plastic). By 2026, we will reach breakeven point. The projected revenue for 2026 will be €14.1 M (973 tonnes of coating) with an EBITDA of €3.0 M. By 2030, revenue will reach €131.2 M (selling 6190 tonnes of coating and from out licensing) with an EBITDA of €86.6 M.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-EIC-ACC - HORIZON EIC Accelerator
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-EIC-2024-ACCELERATOR-02
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
223 63 Lund
Sweden
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.