The Israeli firm said it has signed an agreement with Australian outfit Goldtech to market its patented Shelf Life Booster packing across a range of food categories.
“Australian food manufacturers and marketers utilising SLB technology will be able to create high quality fresh products tailored for long-lasting shelf life, significantly decreased returns and sharply reduced product decomposition, leading to increased profitability,” said Oded Shtemer, company president and CEO.
Revolutionise supply chain
The company said its packaging system would allow manufacturers and marketers to transport fresh meat and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables products to distant destinations across Australia without impact on product odor and appearance.
The technology could “revolutionise the entire supply chain from manufacturer to consumer via fewer returns or discards, lower cost, reduced impact on the environment and more satisfied consumers,” said Hefestus.
The company said a recent US launch had been very successful and that its sales had jumped by 60 per cent last despite the economic downturn. Australia would be a major market in 2010, the firm predicted.
“Hefestus will begin marketing its advanced packaging solutions to Australian processors and packagers of meat and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, as well as ready-to-eat fresh salads, in response to the market’s increasing demand for effective shelf-life solutions,” added Shtemer. ”SLB technology provides a competitive advantage for extending product shelf life in these two food categories, doubling fresh-cut produce shelf life and dramatically increasing meat-product shelf life.”