(Anav Silverman/TPS) The European Union recently awarded €7.7 million to the international NanoPack Project, led by the Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology, to develop a solution for extending food shelf life. The three-year project aims to demonstrate state-of-the-art antimicrobial packaging solutions for perishable foods in order to reduce food waste caused by early spoilage.

NanoPack is funded as part of HORIZON 2020, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation.

According to Dr. Ester Segal, NanoPack’s coordinator and associate professor at Haifa’s Technion, NanoPack is working to introduce nanotechnology-based antimicrobial packaging solutions to further food safety. “NanoPack will demonstrate a solution for extending food shelf life by using novel smart antimicrobial surfaces, applied in active food packaging products,” said Dr. Segal in a statement.

“NanoPack will enhance food safety for consumers by significant growth inhibition of foodborne microbes, which in turn will prevent foodborne illness outbreaks and early spoilage,” Dr. Segal explained.

“We intend to present better-performing, safer and smarter products that will position Europe as the leader in food nanotechnology and smart antimicrobial packaging while increasing competitiveness and growth,” said Dr. Segal.