In a recent announcement, Save Foods, Inc. (NASDAQ: SVFD) (FSE:80W), an agri-food tech company specializing in eco-crop protection, revealed that it would begin a large-scale commercial pilot with Congeladora Nino, a prominent Mexican strawberry packer. The pilot aims to validate the efficacy of Save Foods’ solutions in reducing food waste, ensuring food safety, and minimizing pesticide use, particularly during long-distance shipping and in-store shelf life.
Save Foods has previously executed several successful small-scale pilots, demonstrating an impressive 85% reduction in waste. Motivated by these promising results, Save Foods and Congeladora Nino have decided to proceed with a large-scale pilot to evaluate the real-life performance of Save Foods’ solutions over 20 weeks.
The global fresh strawberry market, valued at USD 24.79 billion, is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.2%, reaching an estimated USD 43.33 billion by 2028. As the third-largest producer of strawberries globally, accounting for 9.7% of total production, Mexico plays a significant role in this market. The country is at the forefront of the industry, with a planted area of 55,000 hectares for berries.
Strawberries, however, present a unique challenge in preservation due to their short shelf life, typically only 1-2 weeks under normal conditions. “By applying our solutions, we aim to extend the shelf life of strawberries and reduce waste by at least 50% at the retail level,” the company stated in its press release. This would minimize waste and boost profitability for growers and packers.
Save Foods is confident that a successful outcome from this larger strawberry pilot with Congeladora Nino will lead to future collaborations with other fresh produce growers and packers in the region. This marks an essential step in the company’s mission to promote sustainability and efficiency in the agri-food industry.
Photo by Gianluca Gerardi on Unsplash
