Coating fruit and vegetables Reducing plastic waste and Increasing Shelf life of Produce

Informazioni relative al progetto

CRISP

ID dell’accordo di sovvenzione: 101218158

DOI

10.3030/101218158

Data della firma CE 30 Maggio 2025

Data di avvio 1 Giugno 2025

Data di completamento 31 Maggio 2027

Finanziato da

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Costo totale

Nessun dato

Contributo UE

€ 2 181 440,26

Coordinato da

SAVEGGY AB
Sweden

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CRISP (Coating fruit and vegetables Reducing plastic waste and Increasing Shelf life of Produce)

Periodo di rendicontazione: 2025-06-01 al 2026-05-31

Sintesi del contesto e degli obiettivi generali del progetto

Almost half of all fruits and vegetables produced globally are lost before reaching the consumer, a systemic problem spanning the entire fresh produce supply chain, from packers and retailers to end consumers. The result is substantial food waste, economic loss, and the overuse of plastic packaging as a stopgap preservation measure.
The CRISP project addresses this directly by developing a plant-based, edible protection for fruits and vegetables. Made from rapeseed oil and gluten-free oat oil, with no additives, the protection is invisible, odorless, and tasteless. It is fully EFSA-compliant and requires no changes in consumer behaviour.
Applied post-harvest and integrated into existing distribution flows, the protection extends shelf life by three to four times compared to unprotected produce, reducing waste at every stage of the supply chain and offering a practical, sustainable alternative to plastic packaging.
The goal is straightforward: to give packers and retailers an effective, scalable, food-safe tool that reduces food loss, cuts plastic use, and improves the economics of fresh produce distribution with clear benefits for industry, consumers, and the environment.

Lavoro eseguito dall’inizio del progetto fino alla fine del periodo coperto dalla relazione e principali risultati finora ottenuti

The edible protection has been further developed and optimized for crops beyond cucumber. The base formulation has been improved and tested with a range of add-ons for compatibility. All protected crops showed extended shelf life, measured by reduced weight loss compared to un-protected produce. Lab-scale formulations have been successfully reproduced at pilot scale with consistent results.
The application has been validated on a full-scale machine. A new industrial-scale machine is currently being developed with a specialist supplier, targeting higher throughput, lower cost per unit, and a more automated labelling and outfeed solution.
Market research was conducted for three candidate crops (banana, bell pepper, and aubergine) covering consumer, retailer, and packer needs, the competitive landscape, and pricing dynamics.
Sensory testing at Lund University confirmed that the protection has no negative impact on taste across all three candidate crops. Visual quality was significantly preserved after seven days for banana and bell pepper.

Progressi oltre lo stato dell’arte e potenziale impatto previsto (incluso l’impatto socioeconomico e le implicazioni sociali più ampie del progetto fino ad ora)

The CRISP project has developed a plant-based, edible protection that extends fresh produce shelf life by three to four times without affecting taste, appearance, or existing supply chain operations, going beyond current preservation solutions that rely on plastic packaging or synthetic coatings.
Key achievements include optimised protection formulations successfully reproduced at pilot scale, initial full-scale machine trials, and completed market research and sensory testing across three candidate crops. In addition to the above mentioned crops, a tailored formulation for zucchini has been developed by which the shelf life of the crop was extended 3 times. Sensory analysis at Lund University confirmed no negative impact on taste, with significant visual quality preserved after seven days for banana and bell pepper. The second-generation machine design has been finalised, with improved capacity, height tolerance, and automated outfeed.
To ensure further success:
• Research: Further work is needed to refine add-on compatibility and expand the protection and their desired functionalities to additional crops.
• Scale-up and demonstration: The production of add-on technology will be validated in a large scale production trial in early autumn 2026. The new machine for protection will be validated across crops and production environments.
• Commercialisation: Market research confirms demand; the priority is moving to commercial pilots with industry partners.
• Regulatory alignment: Ongoing EFSA compliance will be essential as the formulation evolves.
• IPR protection: As the technology matures, intellectual property support will be important for long-term commercialisation.