American food technology company SAVRpak has launched a pioneering moisture control technology that it claims can extend the shelf life and freshness of produce by up to three times.

The SAVRpak Drop-In is a chemical-free, biodegradable, thermodynamic bag that is placed in produce packaging prior to sealing.

It works by eradicating the number one cause of premature mold, wilting and spoilage in shelled and packaged produce, including berries, leafy greens and mini cucumbers: condensation.

In just one minute, SAVRpak's Atmospheric Control and Transmission Technology (ACT) removes 50 percent of the condensation and then continues to prevent condensation from forming by absorbing excess moisture and purifying the atmosphere inside the package to slow down the process of aging.

By controlling oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, moisture that leads to mold, mildew and harmful microbial bacteria is eradicated, allowing products to maintain freshness up to three times longer.

The company said successful trials have been completed with Divine Flavor, RCG Fruits and Agrovision, while Frubana is also testing the solution.

“We are excited to be able to address an area of ​​food preservation that has been unattainable to date, and that is the ability to extend the shelf life of shelled products such as berries and leafy greens,” said the co-director. SAVRpak executive Grant Stafford.

“Building on our success in the foodservice delivery arena, we have successfully transformed core technology to address a category that lacked a solution to keep food fresher longer and reduce food waste, one of the main culprits of greenhouse gas emissions.

“This is a challenge the industry has not been able to solve, but SAVRpak has proven to keep the beautiful color of our berries intact and keep them fresher longer, maintaining the quality our customers count on.”

In preliminary tests, SAVRpak said the technology has been shown to extend the shelf life of cape gooseberries by more than 10 days, blackberries by more than 7 days, raspberries by more than 4-5 days and strawberries by more than 4 days. .

Similarly, in a 2021 lab test with the University of California, Davis, romaine lettuce stored with SAVRpak had significantly less condensation and moisture in the bags, and had lower water soaking, decay, and wilting scores compared to with the control samples.

UC Davis also found that SAVRpak decreased bacteria found on lettuce across all storage protocols and testing days compared to control samples. In the next few months, SAVRpak will start cucumber trials with Agrizar.