Revolutionary shelf life-extending packaging technology under trial across four continents

A groundbreaking new packaging technology designed to extend the shelf life of fresh produce is being trialled across four continents by UK company, OSY Group. These trials, involving 21 commercial partners, aim to tackle food waste by prolonging the freshness of items like fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, poultry and bread.

The company has secured partnerships with businesses in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore, and India. Participants include grocers, food producers, exporters, and packaging firms, all eager to test Xtend, OSY Group’s flagship antimicrobial packaging coating.

How does it work?

Xtend operates by creating microscopic pins on packaging surfaces, which puncture and kill harmful microbes, significantly slowing the spoiling process and keeping produce fresher for longer. The technology has already undergone extensive testing in the UK, where it demonstrated compliance with Food Contact Materials (FCMs) regulations for fresh produce and received positive results from commercial trials with a leading premium grocer.

OSY Group’s Chief Executive Marc Braterman said the eagerness of 21 commercial partners to sign up for trials demonstrates how OSY Group is gaining traction internationally, across different regions and produce types, as well as validating the demand for its technology as a way of reducing food waste.

He noted that feedback from UK trials has been “extremely positive,” and the company is now excited to see results from its international projects.

According to their website, their results have shown a shelf-life increase of up to 40 percent, with a one-day extension for certain product types reducing food waste by half.

With over one billion of the world’s food wasted and food waste being a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, OSY Group hopes its technology will help combat this global issue. “The investment we have received to date has given us the ability to undertake these trials so we can better understand the impact of our technology on different types of produce in other markets and climates, and on other forms of packaging,” Braterman added.

OSY Group’s global ambitions were recently supported by a grant from Innovate UK’s Global Explorers Programme. This funding will help the company advance its partnership efforts and conduct further research on Xtend, ensuring it continues to lead in sustainable innovation.

As the trials progress, the company remains optimistic that Xtend will significantly reduce food waste worldwide while showcasing British ingenuity.