EcoMap

A smart food packaging technology that changes colour when the food gets spoiled. Our technology provides a visual indicator of food spoilage or expiration, thus reducing the confusion relating to ‘food labels’. Consumers using SpoilerAlert food packaging technology can consume the food until the food packaging changes colour thus increasing the shelf life of food, reducing carbon footprint and addressing food inequality.

A total of 31 percent, or 133 billion pounds, of the available food supply at the retail and consumer levels went uneaten, with an estimated retail value of $162 BILLION. Expressed on a per capita basis, food loss at the retail and consumer levels totalled roughly 1.2 pounds/person/day, with a retail value of over $1.40.

EPA estimated that in 2015 in the US, more food reached landfills and combustion facilities than any other single material in our everyday trash, at 22 percent of the amount landfilled and at 22 percent of the amount combusted with energy recovery. Reducing food waste will help the US address climate change, as 20 percent of total U.S. methane emissions come from landfills.

FDA does not mandate an expiration date, retailers rely on 'Sell by date' as a mechanism to convey food freshness; 'Use by date' is for consumers to indicate food freshness but they throw away the food thinking that the 'Use by date' is an ‘Expiration date’. According to the USDA, 'Sell by date' and 'Use by date' is intended to convey the quality of food (food freshness) and not food safety (safe to eat).

At EcoMap, we are developing a smart food packaging technology that changes colour when the food gets spoiled. Our technology provides a visual indicator of food spoilage or expiration, thus reducing the confusion relating to ‘food labels’. Consumers using EcoMap food packaging technology can consume the food until the food packaging changes colour thus increasing the shelf life of food, reducing carbon footprint and addressing food inequality.

Target Customer Segments

1. Grocery/Retail stores - We help grocery retail stores to reduce food waste to accomplish 50% food waste reduction goals by 2030 established by the USDA and the EPA.
2. General Consumers - We help general consumers save money and set an example for their kids on the value of not wasting food.

3. Food processing & Packaging companies - These companies typically package the food based on retail customer needs.

4. Flexible packaging film manufacturers - These companies manufacture plastic films and supply to food processing and packaging companies.
   

5. Food services companies - These companies provide food to large venues like stadiums, concerts, gatherings. Having a food safety indicator is critical to reduce mass food borne illness.

6. Pre-packaged foods - Having a spoilage indicator can help avoid snacking spoiled foods.

7. Government agencies - We help disaster relief organizations to improve the consumable shelf life of food. (Federal Emergency Management Agency, American Red Cross, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, World Vision International, Americares, Direct Relief, Samaritan's Purse, United Methodist Committee On Relief, All Hands and Hearts, Team Rubicon, Feeding America, World Relief, etc.)

8. Meat market/Butcher shops

9. Food delivery companies

30-40% of food is wasted post harvest leading to 131 Billion pounds of lost food costing $161 Billions. 22% of landfill is food leading to 20% Methane emission. In-spite of this food waste, 46 Million people in the US are food insecurity.

Our technology provides a visual indicator for food spoilage or expiration, thus reducing the confusion relating to ‘food labels’. Consumers using EcoMap food packaging technology can consume the food until the food packaging changes colour thus increasing the shelf life of food, reducing carbon footprint and addressing food inequality.

Our patented smart packaging technology measures the pH level of the food. When the food starts to spoil, the pH of the food becomes acidic.

Nanoparticles are used to detect and prevent food spoilage. On a chemical level, the structure of the nanoparticles changes as the condition of the food changes. The reason is that the change in condition induces a change in pH. The change in pH will cause the opening of the hydrophobic core, releasing the hydrophobic agent. 

In order to maintain the efficacy of the nanoparticles, the core contains a copolymer repeat unit and a pH responsive dendrimer. Both agents will interact in a way where the structural integrity of the nanoparticles is maintained in a change of conditions.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20180284092

Grocery/Retail stores are trying to accomplish 50% food waste reduction goals established by the United Nations by 2030. Our technology helps these grocery stores accomplish their goal of reducing food waste by 50% by 2030.

General Consumers want to save money and set an example for their kids on the value of not wasting food. Our technology helps them to do so.

We are not in the market yet. We intend to serve one million people in year one and 10 million people in year five.

Venture plan 12-18 months

1. Fundraising – We intend to raise seed capital in the next 6 months
2. Getting the technology read – We are working with the inventor to perfect the technology
3. More customer discovery – We have conducted 60 customer interviews so far and we have found a product market fit, we intend to interview 150 more customers.
4. Manufacture the product – We will manufacture the Minimum Viable Product & Phase 1 of the product.
5. Raise more money – We will raise series A round
6. Grow sales – We will grow our sales

Funding

By applying to various grants including MIT Solve.

1. Kalyan Kalwa - Full time
2. Atal Walia - Part time
3. Ramana Kalwa - Part time

We have a Doctor in the team with microbiology experience. We have a team member who owns a plastic film manufacturing facility and we have another team member with supply chain expertise.

1. Albertsons LLC
2. Ahold Delhaize
3. Food Lion
4. Hannaford
5. Giant Food Stores
6. Giant Food
7. Stop & Shop
8. Stop & Shop [2]
9. Kroger
10. SpartanNash
11. SuperValu Inc
12. Target
13. Walmart
14. El Corte Inglés

1. Sublicense technology to plastic film manufacturers.

2. Sell packaging technology to food processing and packaging companies.

3. Sell packaging technology to retail grocery stores.

4. Sell packaging technology to companies making packaged foods.

5. Sell packaging technology to consumers.

6. Sell technology to disaster relief organizations and the military.

7. Sell technology to food delivery companies.

1. Raise capital
2. Find partners
3. Get exposure

We want to partner with the following organizations:

1. Flexible packaging film manufacturers - We intend to use such companies as a distribution and direct sales channels.

2. Food processing & Packaging companies - These companies typically package the food based on retail customer needs.

3. Food services companies - These companies provide food to large venues like stadiums, concerts, gatherings.

4. Pre-packaged foods - Having a spoilage indicator can help avoid snacking spoiled foods.

5. Grocery/Retail stores - We help grocery retail stores to reduce food waste to accomplish 50% food waste reduction goals by 2030

6. General Consumers - We help general consumers save money and set an example for their kids on the value of not wasting food.

7. Government agencies - We help disaster relief organizations to improve the consumable shelf life of food. 

8. Meat market/Butcher shops

9. Food delivery companies

10. Non profits involved in reducing food waste

1. Flexible packaging film manufacturers - These companies typically manufacture the packaging material based on retail customer needs. They already have an existing customer base, we intend to use such companies as a distribution and direct sales channels.

2. Food processing & Packaging companies - These companies typically package the food based on retail customer needs. They already have an existing customer base, we intend to use such companies as a distribution and direct sales channels.

3. Food services companies - These companies provide food to large venues like stadiums, concerts, gatherings. Having a food safety indicator is critical to reduce mass food borne illness.

4. Pre-packaged foods - These foods are exposed to room temperature as consumers tend to carry these foods as a source of meal or snack thus leading to spoilage. Having a spoilage indicator can help avoid snacking spoiled foods.

5. Grocery/Retail stores - We help grocery retail stores to reduce food waste to accomplish 50% food waste reduction goals by 2030 established by the USDA and the EPA.

6. General Consumers - We help general consumers save money and set an example for their kids on the value of not wasting food.

7. Government agencies - We help disaster relief organizations to improve the consumable shelf life of food.

8. Meat market/Butcher shops - We help meat markets & butcher shops to provide a food safety packaging indicator to their consumers.

9. Food delivery companies like SkipTheDishes, Grubhub, Doordash, Caviar

10. Non profits involved in reducing food waste.