CHICAGO, IL - Advancements in sustainable food production are always a cause for celebration, but being recognized for achievements makes the effort just a little bit sweeter. Hazel Technologies was recently selected as the winner of the “Overall Post Harvest Solution of the Year” award in the 2021 AgTech Breakthrough Awards conducted by AgTech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies, and products in the global AgTech market.
“We are grateful to AgTech Breakthrough for this recognition and hope that it will help us shed light on the issues we have set out to help solve. If food waste were a country, it would be the third-largest greenhouse gas contributor on the planet,” said Aidan Mouat, Chief Executive Officer, Hazel Technologies. “We believe that Hazel’s solutions are unique because they are built for both food supply and distribution chains as they currently exist. They require no additional infrastructure, expensive machinery, or staff training. Our products exist to help growers, packers, and retailers all over the world.”
With its signature, small sachet comprised of earth-abundant and natural materials, Hazel Tech®’s flagship technology slows the decay of fresh produce. The sachet also includes active ingredients specific to each crop—like antifungal vapors or compounds that inhibit the rot-causing gas ethylene—that incrementally release the effects so the produce is continually treated as it ships.
The mission of the annual AgTech Breakthrough Awards program is to conduct the industry’s most comprehensive analysis and evaluation of agricultural and food technology categories, including Internet-of-Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) based agricultural technologies, farm management, indoor farming, food quality, data analytics, and many more. This year’s program attracted more than 1,500 nominations from over 15 different countries throughout the world.
“Technological focus on reducing food waste across the supply chain, and dramatically broadening access to quality, perishable foods for retailers and consumers is a global-changing innovation—because food waste is not just a human tragedy but an environmental tragedy. Hazel’s technologies are an integral part of the solution,” said Bryan Vaughn, Managing Director of AgTech Breakthrough Awards. “Hazel’s innovative technologies position it to help many of the world’s largest agribusinesses dramatically reduce food waste and secure bigger profits. Congratulations on winning our ‘Overall Post Harvest Solution of the Year’ award.”
According to the release, the sachets are placed in boxes of bulk produce at the time of harvest, thereby extending the shelf-life of produce up to three times by slowing aging in produce and preventing decay. Slowing down the ripening process translates to more time to store or ship the product, which can benefit farmers, grocery stores, and consumers alike. By using the sachets, no new chemicals are introduced into the food supply nor any residue left behind. Additionally, Hazel’s technology does not require any capital investment to use, like an expensive line or engineer to apply a spray or coating.
How far will technology take the industry as it looks to advance sustainability goals and promote fresh produce to the plate? AndNowUKnow will keep an eye out for the latest.
