This feasibility study aims to calibrate an existing technology for use with packaged seafood which indicates when it should no longer be consumed, thus reducing seafood waste.
£49,986
5 Months
35% of all post-harvest seafood never makes it to consumer plates (FAO, 2021). This is not only detrimental to food security and fish stocks but also a great loss of fisher productivity and effort. Significant quantities of seafood are wasted due to temperature condition uncertainty in the supply chain, and overall 70% of food wasted in the UK is still safe for consumption (WRAP, 2021) – expiry dates are major drivers of the £320m/29m kg of seafood wasted by UK households (WRAP, 2015), equating to emissions of 72.5m CO2e.
Mimica Touch is a patented temperature-sensitive tag that turns bumpy when food should no longer be consumed; the seafood market represents a new higher value and higher impact application of this product.
During the Feasibility study it was demonstrated that temperature is the predominant factor in driving spoilage of seafood meaning that Mimica Touch can be used to provide information to food suppliers, retailers and consumers about the true shelf life of the seafood.
It was proven that if kept well chilled, is it possible to significantly extend the shelf life for salmon and cooked prawns – two of the top 3 products identified. Commercially, this offers a further weekend shopping window, to benefit from peak purchase times on Fridays and Saturdays, known to be a key driver for increasing the sales of fresh foods. The tag experiences the same temperature history as the food and the unique gel chemistry inside was calibrated to match the new required spoilage timings.
Mimica Lab Ltd