Active packaging for extending lifespan of champignon

Project Information

CHAMPIPACK

Grant agreement ID: 718971

DOI

10.3030/718971

Project closed

EC signature date 25 February 2016

Start date 1 February 2016

End date 31 May 2016

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

NEW PACK TECHNOLOGIES SL
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CHAMPIPACK (Active packaging for extending lifespan of champignon)

Reporting period: 2016-02-01 to 2016-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

In Phase 1 we introduced the problem of food fast spoilage worldwide. With our business we bring a solution for the fresh mushrooms market to avoid their fast spoilage from current product production values of 27% to 16%. Thereby, we will enable saving €178 million per year to the European champignon whole chain value.
The spoilage problem is due to current packaging alternatives that maintain fresh mushrooms shelf life between five and six days. Based on our more than 10 years experience in food packaging we will launch to market a new active packaging that extends the champignon shelf-life to minimum of 10 days and up to 15 days. Our solution confers total protection of mushroom from impact and actively controls the detrimental humidity inside packaging.
In Phase 1 we set financial and technical objectives to make a detailed plan to bring CHAMPIPACK to TRL9. As a second objective we wanted to obtain a business plan to understand all the gains and costs to commercialize CHAMPIPACK successfully.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During P1 we have set the technical requirements with the aim: 1) to diminish the production cost of CHAMPIPACK (optimizing the design of the packaging and the industrial application of the active coating) (objective 1)); 2) to scale-up the manufacturing of CHAMPIPACK and 3) to validate CHAMPIPACK to be launched to the market.
For the pre-commercialization of CHAMPIPACK objectives: 1) we have carried out a FTO analysis, indicating that we have freedom to operate in our targeted market; 2) we have established the guidelines to obtain the approval of European and American regulation agencies for CHAMPIAPCK commercialization; 3) we have set a producer and manufacturing strategy plan for the exploitation of CHAMPIPACK after P2; and 4) we set a promotion plan for CHAMPIPACK.

We estimate funding requirements of €1.307.445,84 to bring CHAMPIPACK the market and to gain a cumulative turnover of € 27,5 million and to create 18 new jobs by 2023.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

In terms of environmental sustainability, CHAMPIPACK will reduce wasted food to an 11% of the total production, from the current 27% to 16%. This reduction will save more than €158 million to European consumers and €20 million European champignon providers and retailers. Besides, according to our sales projections recyclability of CHAMPIPACK will suppose a reduction of 250 million wasted packs for five years in a global market.

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