Bioreactive food expiry label that mimics the actual decay of food for a reliable and accurate method of reducing food waste

Project Information

Mimica Touch

Grant agreement ID: 816826

DOI

10.3030/816826

Project closed

EC signature date 9 May 2018

Start date 1 June 2018

End date 30 September 2018

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

MIMICA LAB LTD
United Kingdom

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Mimica Touch (Bioreactive food expiry label that mimics the actual decay of food for a reliable and accurate method of reducing food waste)

Reporting period: 2018-06-01 to 2018-09-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Mimica Lab is a UK food-packaging company, creating the next generation of food expiry labelling that both reduces food waste and improves food safety. Founded in 2017, Mimica aims to disrupt the industry and minimize food waste. Its first product, Mimica Touch, is currently suitable for dairy products, however the team is working towards customising the solution for other food groups. The key objectives of the development are to create a formulation for meat products; update the label design for meat products; scale-up the production line; validate the Mimica Touch design for meat products through in-field pilot.

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

Throughout the duration of the project, Mimica defined the preliminary updates in the formulation, reviewed its development plan, supply chain, and scouted for third parties to support in the development stage. The market segments and opportunities have also been evaluated, defining the TAM and SAM. Mimica established a commercialisation strategy. The Phase 1 feasibility assessment has established that a development plan for the Mimica Touch label is technically and commercially viable, and that implementation of an industrialisation and commercialisation plan should be pursued. SME Instrument Phase 2 funding could provide the correct amount of funding and support to allow the stated activities to be implemented successfully.

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 Europe, around 100m tonnes of consumable food and drink are thrown away every year. According to the UK government, £12bn worth of food and drink is binned each year, most of it edible. And it is a worldwide problem. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN estimates that one-third of all food which is produced for human consumption is wasted, with fruit and vegetables going in the bin more than any other produce. A revamp of the sell-by-date label could save perfectly edible food from the bin bag. Mimica introduces a revolutionary label capable of experiencing and mimicking the decay rate of the food it is labelling. It provides accurate, real-time indication of the product’s freshness.

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