Consumers are looking for convenient, high quality, affordable fresh fruits and vegetables. A roadblock to this is the short shelf-life of produce that may create food waste and reduce efficiency in the supply chain from farm to fork.
What we're looking for
We are looking for novel coating technologies to extend the shelf-life of fresh produce. These coatings would be applied directly to the skin/cuticular wax layer of the target fruit or vegetable. Primary goal is to extend the produce’s useful shelf-life by reducing dehydration and wrinkling without microbial spoilage. Stretch goals would be to demonstrate active antimicrobial properties, slow down the respiration rate of the produce, and/or inactivate polyphenol oxidase (PPO) to slow down enzymatic browning.
These coatings would be:
Coated onto whole or pre-cut fruits and vegetables
Stored and performant at refrigerator temperatures
Solutions of interest include:
Biopolymer and biofilm coatings
Polysaccharide-based coatings
Hydrogel coatings
Protein-based coatings
Lipid-based coatings
Starch-based coatings
Composite/bio-nanocomposite coatings
Our must-have requirements are:
Be safe for human consumption.
Reduce dehydration/transpiration of fresh produce.
Prevent spoilage (i.e., yeast and mold growth) of produce.
Have no significant changes to flavor, texture, and color of fresh produce.
Clear path to regulatory approval in US and Canada.
Our nice-to-have's are:
Effective on fresh produce of high interest to Kraft Heinz: berries, leafy greens, grapes, sliced avocado, pineapple chunks, apple slices, clementine pieces.
Minimum 30 day shelf life, target shelf-life of 60 days, stretch goal of 75-90 days.
Incorporates natural antimicrobial compounds, materials that slow-down enzymatic browning reactions/oxidation or that delay over-ripening of the target produce (i.e. ethylene absorption).
Measurable gas barrier properties for carbon dioxide and oxygen.
Approved for use in food for US and Canada (or other countries with pathway for approval in US and Canada), including FDA GRAS and Novel Food Additives Permitted, respectively.
What's out of scope:
Materials containing allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans.
Solutions that would require two-step processes for consumers, e.g., washing off coating before eating.
Solutions that are unethical to source.
Solutions for which continuity of supply is difficult to maintain.
Acceptable technology readiness levels (TRL):
Levels 4-9
What we can offer you
Eligible partnership models:
Sponsored research
Co-development
Licensing
Supply/purchase
Benefits:
Sponsored Research
Funding is proposal-dependent starting with a proof-of-concept project with the potential for expansion based on results and opportunities. Ranging from $25,000 - $100,000 for a six-month project.
Expertise
We offer the expertise of our team of scientists for collaboration and guidance during the development of the project.
Who we are
We are driving transformation at The Kraft Heinz Company, inspired by our Purpose, Let's Make Life Delicious. Consumers are at the center of everything we do. With 2021 net sales of approximately $26 billion, we are committed to growing our iconic and emerging food and beverage brands on a global scale. We leverage our scale and agility to unleash the full power of Kraft Heinz across a portfolio of six consumer-driven product platforms. As global citizens, we're dedicated to making a sustainable, ethical impact while helping feed the world in healthy, responsible ways. Learn more about our journey by visiting www.kraftheinzcompany.com or following us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Hello Hudson, thank you for your interest in this innovation challenge! We believe that an initial written submission, even if broad, is more efficient at this stage. Please feel free to ask any additional questions you may have during the upcoming promotional webinar or in this Q&A section.
Our company, E3Bio, is developing formulations to address this area of interest. 1) How many awards are you considering, and 2) have you published how IP rights would be negotiated? Thank you!
Hello Dean, thank you for your questions. After all submissions are reviewed, we will be choosing 1-3 proposals to move forward for further testing. IP terms will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, dependent upon the technical readiness level of the solution presented and on the type of contract agreed on by both parties.