Food Safe, a wholly owned subsidiary of publicly traded Aquentium, has filed a patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for its proprietary food sanitisation process.
Food Safe has developed food safety processes that are said to kill pathogens and bacteria and also extends the shelf life for fruits and vegetables. The company claims that the process also removes pesticides and can guarantee not only a food-safe product at the processing and packing levels, but also all the way through the transportation and distribution channels until the product is delivered to the customer.
"One of the most important elements of the food safety system is its ability to extend the shelf life of a product an additional 10 to 30 days. Considering that over 25-35 per cent of a grower's fresh fruits, vegetables and produce never reach an end-user, the extension of the life cycle of a perishable product is extremely beneficial to all parties, including the consumer or any end-user," stated Aquentium CEO Mark Taggatz.
According to the government sources, less than 2 per cent of all fruits and vegetables are pathogen, or "germ" free, at the initial packing point, with greater risk of pathogen growth during the distribution cycle.
"We have begun negotiations with several facilities in the State of Maryland that could handle our food sanitisation, processing and distribution operations," added Taggatz."Our plan for growth and future facilities include the states of Florida, Georgia, Texas, New York/New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Michigan, California, Arizona, and Oregon."
Currently, the food industry in the United States alone is an $800 billion (€701bn) market. Although at present the company is focusing on the home market, it is expected that the application of the food safety process could be carried out on a global basis, with Europe likely as a future target market.